The third encounter proved successful for Lucia Bronzetti against Naomi Osaka on Tuesday at the Mutua Madrid Open. The Italian player secured her first-ever victory over the former World No. 1 in the initial round of the clay-court WTA 1000 tournament, with the final score being 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Ranked world No. 59, Bronzetti had a previous 0-2 record against Osaka, including a three-set loss at Roland Garros last spring. However, she successfully navigated the opening round this time in a match that lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes, advancing to the second round in Madrid for the second consecutive year.
The 26-year-old now holds four career wins against players who have been World No. 1, with three of these significant victories occurring this year. She was Simona Halep`s final opponent, defeating the Romanian at her home event in Cluj-Napoca in Halep`s last professional match. Earlier in January, Bronzetti also bested two-time champion Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open.
Both players arrived at the tournament seeking improved form. The Italian was on a three-match losing streak coming into Madrid, including a straight-sets defeat the previous week in Rouen to young French player Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, despite Bronzetti being ranked significantly higher. Osaka, meanwhile, was competing for the first time since her fourth-round exit at the Miami Open against Jasmine Paolini approximately a month prior.
The four-time major champion appeared sharp on her serve in the early stages, establishing a lead through the first five games. However, the crucial break in the opening set came for Bronzetti at 3-3. She won three consecutive points from 30-15, capitalizing on unforced errors from Osaka.
Looking ahead, will Bronzetti be able to end another challenging streak in the next round? Aiming for her third appearance in the third round of a WTA 1000 event, Bronzetti is scheduled to face the No. 5 seed and Australian Open champion, Madison Keys. The Italian hopes to reverse her head-to-head statistics in this match, currently holding an 0-8 record against Top 10 players and an 0-2 record specifically against Keys.
