Tokyo Olympics 2020 Women’s Tennis Favorite Naomi Osaka Knocked Out by Marketa Vondrousova

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been at the heart of the action, ever since its grand opening. Athletes from all across the globe battle it out in fierce outings, in a quest to attain the highest individual glory. So far, taking center stage is the tennis event with some big upsets, surprise exits, and plenty of memorable games. Round three of the competition was a similar story as World No. 2, Naomi Osaka, went head to head with Czech International Mark?ta Vondrou?ov?.

Fans were loving life as Naomi Osaka made her come back to the sport, after a nearly two-month-long sabbatical. Her return was the indefinite highlight of the tournament as she was termed favorite for gold. Notably, so far in the tournament, the Japanese international lived up to her No. 2 rank. However, the narrative of her return was about to take a few dramatic turns as she battled out with the fierce Vondrousova, in the women’s singles third round at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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Shocking first set for Naomi Osaka

Undoubtedly, both players looked game, set and ready, right from the first swing. Representing their countries, emotions were clearly running high as the battle began. However, as the world kept a keen eye on Naomi’s heroics, Vondrousova came to the party and rained over the Japanese’s parade. She started the game in dominant style, winning the first 4 games on the bounce. Vondrousova’s relentless attack constantly canceled out Naomi’s fightback for a place in the match. She recorded 7 points out of 17 on her first serve and 8 out of 10 on her second serve. Her authoritative approach won her the first set. The scoreline was 6-1, as a shock exit was on the cards.

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As nervous fans waited anxiously for a miracle, the second set kicked off with a glimpse of hope. Naomi won the first two games of the set comfortably as she regained her focus. Her first set loss seemed to have woken up the beast in her. However, Vondrousova would not let her lead slip out so easily. The Czech fought smart and hard, took the challenge head-on, and held the game. Halfway through the second set, Vondrousova snatched the lead from Osaka. As the scoreline read 3-2, it was now or never for the World No. 2.

Final quarter

Despite Naomi’s excellent record on hard-court, she struggled to find her footing throughout the game. The Czech noticed her counterpart’s weakness and ran riot on the court. With one too many drop shots and misdirected spins, Naomi was all over the court but failed to reply to her opponent’s masterclass display.

The match came to its eventual conclusion as Naomi bowed out of the tournament, despite an epic fightback. Courtesy of Marketa Vondrousova, Naomi’s dream return had met its unfortunate end. After an hour and eight minutes, the match ended at 6-1, 6-4 in favor of the Czech. The World No. 42? definitely upset many fans but her remarkable performance will surely make her one to look out for at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.