BRISBANE: Three-time champion Karolina Pliskova gritted out a 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Naomi Osaka in the second round of the Brisbane International on Wednesday, halting Osaka’s WTA Tour comeback event.
Osaka was playing her first tournament since September of 2022, having given birth to daughter Shai in July of 2023. Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka won her first-round match over Tamara Korpatsch to start her return.
The Czech Pliskova is the only three-time champion of this tournament, lifting the trophy in 2017, 2019 and when the WTA event was last staged at the Queensland Tennis Centre in 2020.
In the battle between two former World No.1 players, it was the Pliskova who pulled off the comeback win after 2 hours and 14 minutes to reach the Round of 16.
Despite falling behind by a set, Pliskova was able to turn around another close clash with the Japanese star, improving her lead in their head-to-head to 4-2. Pliskova, who had a first-round bye as a seeded player this week, has now won her last 10 matches in Brisbane.