The grass court season has begun, and players are now looking forward to transitioning their grip from the red dirt. Comeback star Naomi Osaka, who recently faced a defeat against the finalist of the Libema Open, Bianca Andreescu, is set to start her run in the Grass Court Championships against Qinwen Zheng.

Fresh off from her Roland Garros run, the Chinese WTA pro will be playing her first match on the green surface. She had to face an early exit at Roland Garros and will need to adapt to a much faster court. Will she be able to cope this time around? 

Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng: Preview

Naomi Osaka, ranked 113th in the world, played her last match on June 14th, in which she faced and defeat against Bianca Andreescu in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Osaka smashed 7 aces and hit 3 double faults, winning 73% of points on first serve. She went on to win 56% of points on second serve while converting 3 out of 6 break points. Osaka further claimed 34 return points from Andreescu.

Looking at her overall stats this year, Osaka has a 15-11 win-loss record, including a 2-1 record on grass courts. Analyzing the bigger picture, the tennis playing mom has an impressive overall record of 253-138, including a positive 20-15 on grass. As she is set to begin her run in Berlin, she’ll be looking to bounce back from her recent defeat in Libema.

On the other side of the court, Qinwen Zheng, ranked 8th, played her last match on June 1st at Roland Garros, where she faced a disappointing third-round defeat against Elina Avanesyan. Zheng hit 4 aces and 7 double faults, and 71% of first serve points won. She took 57% of points on the second serve, further breaking Avanesyan 5 out of 12 times. Despite losing the clash, she won the same number of points as her opponent, 105. 

This season, Zheng has a solid 20-10 record, along with her massive run at the Australian Open, where she faced a defeat against Aryna Sabalenka in the finals. The upcoming showdown is set to be her entry-level grass court match this season. The Chinese WTA pro has struggled on this surface in her career, with a 2-6 record. Starting her Berlin campaign, Qinwen will be aiming to mend her record on this surface.

Osaka vs Zheng: Head-to-head

Naomi Osaka and Qinwen Zheng have faced each other twice, and their head-to-head record is evenly split at 1-1. Their most recent showdown was at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where the Chinese WTA pro secured a massive win with a 6-2, 6-4 win to make the score even. As they look forward to their upcoming showdown in Berlin, the tussle will decide who leads once again.

Prediction: Osaka to win in straight sets

Naomi Osaka and Qinwen Zheng are all set to play their first clash on grass, and Osaka might have the upper hand this time. Even though Zheng beat Osaka in Rome last month in straight sets, they will now play on a surface where a big serve can spell victory. Osaka is hitting monster serves, which will fare well on grass. Zheng has had a tough past on grass, winning only two out of eight matches on this surface in her career.

Osaka has been improving and played a very close match last week in Den Bosch, losing with a very close call. Both players have maintained a fine form, but Osaka seems more confident on this surface. Her recent showdown against Iga Swiatek, where she pushed the eventual champion to three sets at Roland Garros, contributes more to the fierceness she carries. Given these factors, Osaka has a better chance of moving ahead and will likely win this match in two sets.