KEY BISCAYNE: Naomi Osaka continued her stunning run of form with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams in the first round of the Miami Open here on Wednesday, the latest big win for the 20-year-old Japanese player.

Osaka backed up last week’s Indian Wells title triumph with a brilliant display in the eagerly-anticipated showdown on a day when former number one Victoria Azarenka also triumphed, while American Amanda Anisimova withdrew with an ankle injury.

The match, their first career meeting, remained on serve in the first set until the world number 22 forced break point opportunities at 3-3 and took advantage when the American was unable to deal with a blistering backhand at her feet.

Osaka was able to break Serena again after a back-and-forth deuce battle to take the first set, with her big serve and relentless return game proving even stronger in the second as she broke to move 3-1 ahead and never looked back.

The end of the contest was anti-climatic when an ugly unforced error by Serena, who hit a wide open forehand long, sent Osaka into a second round showdown against world number four Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

“I was extremely nervous coming on to the court. I don’t know if anybody knows this but Serena is my favourite player,” Osaka said in an on-court interview.

“So just playing against her is kind of like a dream for me. I’m very grateful I was able to play her and it is even better that I was able to win.”

The 36-year-old Serena, playing her fourth match since the birth of her first child in September, is still working her way back into form and although she demonstrated her trademark power, she struggled to move smoothly around the court.

Osaka looked fresh despite having played seven matches in Indian Wells to capture her first career title on Sunday.

Osaka’s win was her latest against one of the biggest names in the sport, coming hot on the heels of victories over former grand slam champion Maria Sharapova, fifth seed Karolina Pliskova and world number one Simona Halep in Indian Wells.

Three-time Miami champion Azarenka, in just her second tournament since taking an eight-month break to focus on a custody battle, showed good form in beating American Catherine Bellis 6-3, 6-0.

Anisimova injured an ankle during her first-round win on Tuesday and the 16-year-old was unable to front up again a day later for her scheduled match against third seeded Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza.

On the men’s side, Portugal’s Joao Sousa edged American Ryan Harrison 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in first round action at the Miami Open as unseeded players enjoyed a day in the limelight.

The big names start their campaigns at the weekend, allowing the 80th-ranked Sousa to enjoy the prestige of a centre court showdown in only his second career meeting against 53rd-ranked Harrison.

The American saved three match points in a tight contest before the Portugal-born Sousa prevailed in a little less than two hours.

Next up for Sousa is Belgian seventh seed David Goffin, who is scheduled to return after a left eye injury that has kept him out for the past month.

Goffin incurred the unli­kely injury during a match in Rotterdam when a ball bounced off his racket and struck him at high velocity.

While Harrison made a quick exit, fellow American Jared Donaldson fared better with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Marcos Baghdatis, of Cyprus.

One break in each set was enough for the 49th-ranked Donaldson, who also saved eight break points.

Australian Matthew Ebden outlasted Gilles Simon, of France, 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-5 in more than two hours in a match that featured eight breaks of serve.

Edben, who lost to another Frenchman, Gael Monfils, in the first round in Indian Wells two weeks ago, fared better against Simon, particularly on the pivotal points.

The Australian converted five of his 11 break opportunities, while Simon could only take advantage on three of his 14 chances.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018