Gold-sequined Osaka survives three-set scare against teenager Jovic
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At a glance
- Naomi Osaka secured a hard-fought 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-4 victory over 18-year-old Iva Jovic at the French Open.
- Osaka, wearing a gold sequined outfit, faced a tough challenge from the unseeded Jovic, needing three match points to win.
- The win marks Osaka's first appearance in the fourth round of the French Open, where she will face either Aryna Sabalenka or Daria Kasatkina.
Naomi Osaka advanced to her first-ever French Open fourth round after surviving a significant scare against American teenager Iva Jovic. The match, which concluded with a 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-4 scoreline, saw Osaka pushed to her limits by the 18-year-old Jovic.
Playing in a gold sequined top and skirt - her latest fashion statement in Paris - Osaka found it hard going from the start, with the American teenager dulling her opponent's sparkle in her first Grand Slam third-round appearance.
Osaka, who has been making fashion statements with her all-gold attire in Paris, found the going tough from the outset. Jovic, playing in her first Grand Slam third-round appearance, showed no signs of nerves on Court Suzanne Lenglen. She matched Osaka's power and pushed the former world number one to a first-set tiebreak.
The 18-year-old Jovic may have found herself in unknown tournament territory but looked completely at ease on Court Suzanne Lenglen as she pushed the former world number one to a first-set tiebreak.
Osaka eventually clinched the first set 7-5 in the tiebreak after wasting two set points. The second set followed a similar pattern, with both players exchanging breaks and Jovic forcing another tiebreak, which she won to level the match. The deciding third set remained on a knife's edge, with Jovic refusing to yield and matching Osaka's powerful groundstrokes. However, the Japanese star ultimately carved out a match point on Jovic's serve at 5-4 and converted it to secure her place in the next round.
Osaka, seeded 16th, had wasted two set points at 6-5 and needed three more before subduing the American 7-5 in the tiebreak.
Osaka will now face either top seed Aryna Sabalenka or Daria Kasatkina in her quest to advance further in the tournament.
The third set was again on a razor's edge, with Jovic refusing to buckle and matching Osaka's power blow for blow.
Originally published by CNA. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.