Miami – Naomi Osaka appreciates even minor successes in tournaments on the tennis tour much more than she used to.
“It’s really funny, last year I made it to the quarter-finals here as well,” said the former world number one after her round of 16 win at the Masters in Miami. “That was after I won in Australia and I wasn’t that grateful. I kind of expected to win,” the 24-year-old Japanese said after beating Alison Riske of the USA 6-3, 6-4. Osaka had repeatedly taken longer breaks in recent months and talked about the mental strain. She is currently ranked 77th in the world.
In the quarter-finals, only her second on the WTA Tour since that of a year ago, Osaka will face Danielle Collins of the USA.
