Former World No.1 Naomi Osaka is into the quarter-finals of a tournament for the first time in nearly two years. Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka reached the last eight at the Qatar Open after her Ukrainian opponent Lesia Tsurenko withdrew before the match through injury. It would have been an exciting and thrilling round of 16 match if Tsurenko had been seen on the tennis court. The 35-year-old Ukrainian was in excellent form and knocked out fourth seed Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-2 in her round of 32 match. Tsurenko clinched her first victory over a top-10 player in five years.
Earlier, Osaka battled past Croatia’s Petra Martic in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 (11/9) in the round of 32. The Japanese star returned to tennis last month after giving birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023. Osaka’s run in Doha is her best since reaching the final of the Miami Open in April 2022, losing to top-ranked Iga Swiatek.
The 26-year-old Osaka will battle against an in-form Karolina Pliskova to claim a spot in the semi-finals. The Czech former World No.1, who won her first WTA title in four years at the Transylvania Open on Sunday, defeated compatriot Linda Noskova 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the quarter-final. Meanwhile, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez defeated Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen 7-5, 6-3 to reach the last eight. Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova suffered a 7-5, 6-3 loss to Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Meanwhile, 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Qatar Open, stating that he isn’t yet healthy enough to play competitive tennis. I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament’s team management, as well as the amazing Qatar fans, have always supported me greatly. Unfortunately, I am not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win in 2014, Nadal wrote on his social media page.
I will focus on working to be ready for the exhibition in Las Vegas and the amazing Indian Wells tournament, the Spaniard added. Nadal has indicated this year might be the last of his career, and he’s focused on the French Open, where he won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles. The 37-year-old Spaniard is scheduled to participate in an exhibition match with compatriot Carlos Alcaraz on March 3, then head to Indian Wells, California, for the hard-court tournament.
