On June 11th, local time, the WTA 250 event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch continued with first-round singles action. Former world number one and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka secured her first grass court victory in five years, defeating Belgian player Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-4 in the opening round, marking her first win on grass since Birmingham in 2019.
Naomi Osaka in action
“I went into it thinking it was my first grass season,” Osaka said in her post-match interview. “Because this is my first time playing here, it made me feel like a grass court rookie. I’ve been in Europe since April, which was a big sacrifice, but I’m also happy that I could do it.”
Osaka held match points against eventual Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek in the second round of this year’s French Open before falling in three sets, which was the toughest match for the Polish top seed en route to her title. Reflecting on that, Osaka said, “I often perform better against top players in big tournaments, and I think that’s always been the case for me. I just need to bring that level to smaller events more consistently.”
Osaka will next face wildcard entry Arantxa Rus, who rallied from a set down to beat Paula Badosa 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
World number five Jessica Pegula returned to action at this tournament, her first since the Billie Jean King Cup in April. Having missed the clay court season, including Roland Garros due to health issues, Pegula dominated qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the second round, where she will take on Mihaela Buzarnescu.
(Written and edited by Feifei Wang)