It wasn't pretty, for much of the match, but Naomi Osaka's 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 over an improving Victoria Azarenka extends the World #1's unbeaten Slam run to 16 matches. The 2018 US Open Champion and 2019 Australian champion epitomises the "never say die" champion spirit that is crucial to success. A set and 4-2 down, Osaka looked down and out. Azarenka was in her groove, but her serve slackened, and Osaka slowly regained control.
Naomi Osaka now eyeing a third Slam on the run
The critics have already sharpened their pens and labelled Osaka lucky to get through her first round match against Slovakian Anna Karolína Schmiedlová.
This match also went to three sets, with Schmiedlova simply running out of steam when seemingly in full control. Osaka triumphed 0-6, 7-6, 6-1 and is beginning to send out a message to competitors that if you don't close out a match quickly, then she will claw her way back in it and claw all over you. While it seems as though Osaka's luck may run out soon, this run has shown that she has the killer instinct of a champion and will be a threat in major tournaments for years to come. Clay is not her favourite surface, but she can certainly still strut her stuff on it.
Czech Katerina Siniakova up next for Naomi Osaka
23-year-old world number 42 Katerina Siniakova has already equalled her previous best at the French Open.
In 2016 she made the third round and found herself there again. She had a titanic struggle of her own against the 29th seed Maria Sakkari. A 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 score-line was every bit as arduous as it looks. This win gives Siniakova a respectable 7-5 win-loss clay record for the season. A semi-finalist in Nuremberg last week, Siniakova is improving late.
She will need to in order to stop the Slam machine that is Naomi Osaka, at the moment. Osaka leads the head-to-head over Siniakova 1-0. However, that win came on hard-court, Siniakova will be stronger on the red clay of Roland Garros.
American Madison Keys is a potential quarter-final opponent for Osaka
Should Osaka make it 17 straight Slam match wins in a row against Katerina Siniakova then she might face the 14th seed Madison Keys. This pair has a history in Slams.
In 2016 Madison Keys came back from the dead to beat Osaka 7-5 4-6 7-6 in the US Open 3rd round. This hurt Osaka and set her back for a short time. Keys also beat Osaka in the 3rd round of the French Open 2018 and leads the head-to-head 3-1. Of course, in their last meeting at the US Open semi-final 2018, Osaka crushed Keys in two sets and went on to win her first Slam. This is a tantalising prospect of a match should it come off, and the winner would no doubt be a title threat.
Osaka's winning run will come to an end, but the world number 1 is a special player who will be around the upper echelons of Tennis for some time.
