Tennis: Naomi Osaka headlines as Pan Pacific Open returns after Covid

Agence France-Presse

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Naomi Osaka of Japan in action against Qinwen Zheng of China, during their match at the women's Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament, at San Jose State University, in San Jose, California, USA, 02 August 2022. John Mabanglo, EPA-EFE' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/08/03/tennis_naomi-osaka_epa.jpg' ><figcaption>Naomi Osaka of Japan in action against Qinwen Zheng of China, during their match at the women's Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament, at San Jose State University, in San Jose, California, USA, 02 August 2022. <em>John Mabanglo, EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Home favourite Naomi Osaka will defend her title at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo next month, organisers said on Friday, as the tournament returns for the first time since the pandemic.</p><p>Four players currently ranked inside the top 10 will compete in the September 17-25 event, including two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza and fellow Spaniard and world number four Paula Badosa.</p><p>Japan's Osaka beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the 2019 final but the tournament was cancelled for the past two years because of coronavirus.</p><p>Osaka, a four-time major winner and former world number one, has slipped to 44 in the rankings and lost in the first round of the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Masters last week.</p><p>Former champion Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic also returns to Tokyo, while world number six Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Russia's world number 10 Daria Kasatkina make their tournament debuts.</p><p><strong>amk/pst</strong></p><p><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></p><p><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe height='315' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/e8W_XTRbdUM?enablejsapi=1' width='560'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>

<p>Osaka, a four-time major winner and former world number one, has slipped to 44 in the rankings and lost in the first round of the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Masters last week.</p><p>Former champion Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic also returns to Tokyo, while world number six Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Russia's world number 10 Daria Kasatkina make their tournament debuts.</p><p><strong>amk/pst</strong></p><p><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></p><p><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></p><figure class='op-interactive'><iframe height='315' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/e8W_XTRbdUM?enablejsapi=1' width='560'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>

<p>Four players currently ranked inside the top 10 will compete in the September 17-25 event, including two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza and fellow Spaniard and world number four Paula Badosa.</p><p>Japan's Osaka beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the 2019 final but the tournament was cancelled for the past two years because of coronavirus.</p>

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Naomi Osaka of Japan in action against Qinwen Zheng of China, during their match at the women's Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament, at San Jose State University, in San Jose, California, USA, 02 August 2022. John Mabanglo, EPA-EFE' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/08/03/tennis_naomi-osaka_epa.jpg' ><figcaption>Naomi Osaka of Japan in action against Qinwen Zheng of China, during their match at the women's Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic tennis tournament, at San Jose State University, in San Jose, California, USA, 02 August 2022. <em>John Mabanglo, EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Home favourite Naomi Osaka will defend her title at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo next month, organisers said on Friday, as the tournament returns for the first time since the pandemic.</p>

Home favourite Naomi Osaka will defend her title at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo next month, organisers said on Friday.

Tennis: Naomi Osaka headlines as Pan Pacific Open returns after Covid | ABS-CBN News

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Tennis: Naomi Osaka headlines as Pan Pacific Open returns after Covid

Tennis: Naomi Osaka headlines as Pan Pacific Open returns after Covid