Naomi Osaka put together a really solid week at the Libema Open, and now she'll look to continue that at the 2024 Berlin Open, starting against Qinwen Zheng.
The Japanese player started her grass season with a really strong week at the Libema Open making the quarter-final before losing to Bianca Andreescu. The Canadian went on to make the final while Osaka looked ahead to the Berlin Open, where she'll play against Zheng.
The Chinese player is anything but easy to play against, as she proved many times over. The grass is an interesting fit for her, as she hasn't demonstrated a very good level on it, going 2-6 in her career so far.
Osaka hasn't played much on the grass either but has a good week in Den Bosch behind her, so she'll likely enter this match a bit better prepared.
The two have played twice so far, with each player scoring one win. The former world no. 1 won the first match in 2022, while Zheng won the second match, which they played this year in Rome. It was actually an easy win for Zheng, who plays far better on clay than on grass.
This matchup will mostly come down to the rallies because both players play aggressive tennis. The player who keeps the ball in play longer will likely have a better day. The serve will matter, too, and Osaka holds an edge there as she serves a bit more consistently.
| Naomi Osaka | Qinwen Zheng | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | H2H | 1 |
| 125 | Rank | 8 |
| 26 | Age | 21 |
| 15-11 | 2024 W/L | 18-10 |
| 280-159 | Career W/L | 193-86 |
Overall it's a matchup that Osaka should be able to win, especially after her solid run in Den Bosch, but the streaky nature of both should be noted because it might make this match go vastly different from what is expected.
Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win in two sets.