Naomi Osaka roared into her first semi-final in almost two years with a gritty comeback victory over American Hailey Baptiste at the Auckland Classic on Friday. The four-time Grand Slam champion won 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-2 to provide himself with a confidence-boosting result leading into the Australian Open.
Ranked 57th in the world, Osaka showed her mettle after losing the first set. She rallied in the second, fueled by a booming serve that helped her hit nine aces, raising her tournament total to 21.
The 27-year-old, who made her competitive return 12 months ago after having her daughter Shai in July 2022, reflected on how far she had come. “I put a lot of work in last year, and the results didn’t kind of reflect that, so I’m just trying to still believe in myself — I know that sounds kind of weird, but I can explain,” Osaka said.
Baptiste, ranked 92nd in the world, was receiving treatment for an ankle injury midway through the second set, and Osaka said that affected the outcome of the match. “I’m sorry she got injured but I think we played a very high-level match,” she said.
Osaka, who has won the Australian Open twice, is scheduled to take on either eighth ate Katie Volynets or unseeded Alycia Parks in the semi-finals as she aims continue building momentum for the Grand Slam season.
