Naomi looking decent, building resilience.
Points defended. Anything else now is a bonus.

 

Nice that she's getting through these matches.

Dropping down to the 125 level to get matches could end up being huge for her season.

 

She was patient when she needed to, then when it was time she started showing glimpse of her former world number one self.

I really think going a level lower and getting more matches last week really was the best choice possible, it’s great to see her like this (especially after seeing Iga earlier 😭)

 

Naomi I really hope she can use this draw and go deep here. And also finally have a decent RG,

 

Well it's fair to say I didn't have Naomi getting further than Iga here on my bingo card.

 

This is obviously not a straight sets rout but honestly, Naomi played amazing. Nearly all points she won were winners and especially the important ones. 50+ winners! And Bouzkova had less than 10 unforced errors throughout the match. That’s a triumph

 

51 winners if I’m not mistaken, that’s huge, especially on clay. Granted, Bouzkova can be passive but her defense is pretty well known, as we have seen in the first set. Naomi just learns and adapts to play and beat her opponent so well today. I think once she starts reading Bouzkova’s shots and patterns of play, it was game over. Of course, patience, persistence and discipline all play a role here. All in all her timing, aggression, focus, very superbly executed. Champion stuff. Hope she can keep it up!

 

Naomi was very solid, didn't give up after 1st set, pushed through and found her way to make a comeback. Some of the winners were very yummy and reminiscent of her best form. 8 match win streak on clay!

Python next. Will be interesting to see how she fares against a big hitter on clay with this form. Draw opened up with Keys and Swiatek losing today, so there's a chance for a big result on clay and boost of confidence before RG. Promising signs for Naomi!

 

Eight match win streak for Osaka. This has to be the most she's played in such a short timespan since coming back. I think the most important thing about this run is the fact her body seems to be withstanding the rigours of playing back-to-back matches. And quite a few of these matches have gone to three sets.

 

Naomi survives Bouzkova and her net cord shots

 

Kenin Skinner and Clayomi.

 

Clayomi Clayaka slides on.
Second title in 2 weeks coming up!

 

well, naomi was quite cheerful in madrid.

 

Another banana skin test (conditions, opponent type, surface) passed. Building in confidence and form, working her level up as required. Motivated. I like what I’m seeing from Osaka. She’ll never excel on clay, or at least, not like she can on hard - but write off an in form champion, regardless of the surface, at your peril. Pretty winnable next one too.

For the first time in quite a few years, RG is shaping up to be very interesting again.

 

She keeps her clay win streak alive. Well done Naomi!

 

We need her to draw IGA at RG
I would pay to watch it

 

Mama Omi is enjoying playing tennis again
And she's a joy to watch - amazing!

 

This is a good win for Sailor Nooms. Bouzkova might lack a killer shot, but she can be a nuisance, because she is feisty and brings a lot of balls back. You gotta beat her, and on clay that could be problematic for Osaka if she is not patient enough and starts over hitting

 

Well done Naomi!

 

He brought back prime Osaka

 

Excellent win and nice to see her smiling she seems quite happy with tennis. Nice win keep going!

 

So did she use her "Valley Girl" voice during the post match interview? I didn't see it, so I can't point it out......but then again, we have the rest of the tournament! Nice win for Osaka, I don't see her progressing past the QFs,

 

First set was a little weird. Naomi seemed low-energy and it felt unnecessary that she lost the set lol. But happy she turned it around. Some of the rallies were awesome

 

Patrick Mouratoglou > Wim Fissette lol

 

Well done Naomi! Who would have thought she'd be more consistent on clay than on hard, let alone Rome being her most consistent tournament in the last few years since her come back. She's got a real chance to go far here, hopefully she can keep the positive mindset.

 

i really feel like clay suits her game well. she has a pretty extreme FH grip and the clay neutralizes serves enough that she is a better returner on clay. and she is still powerful enough to put pressure on her opponents w her groundies and serve. and now she seems to be more used to slices and drops.

last thing she needs is just some better net skills and maybe some slicing too

 

Come on Queen.