Naomi Osaka’s Return at Brisbane Halted by Karolina Pliskova’s Powerful Serve

Karolina Pliskova, the defending champion, effectively utilized her powerful serve to halt Naomi Osaka’s return to competitive tennis in the second round of the Brisbane International on Wednesday.

Pliskova, victorious in the 2020 edition of the tournament, rallied after dropping the first set to ultimately defeat the Japanese tennis star with a scoreline of 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, was playing her first tournament since September 2022 after taking a break for mental health reasons and having a daughter in July. Following an impressive first-round victory over Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch, Osaka initially dominated against the 39th-ranked Pliskova, breaking her serve early on.

Despite Pliskova’s efforts to level the match, Osaka maintained her lead to clinch the first set. The tide turned in the second set as Pliskova’s serve began to dominate. Winning the tiebreak in the second set, Pliskova then secured an early break in the third and confidently held her serve to win the match in 2 hours and 13 minutes.

Reflecting on her performance, Pliskova acknowledged the need for improvement but was pleased with her start. Having not played since September and starting this tournament with a first-round bye, she noted the difference between practice and actual match play. Emphasizing her extensive experience and recent training, Pliskova expressed confidence in her current form.