Naomi Osaka is continuing her strong winning streak at the Miami Open.
On Saturday, Osaka, who is unranked, beat world no. 15 Elina Svitolina to advance to the Round of 32. She won the match in straight sets: 6-2, 7-6 (5).
“I definitely do think it was one of my best matches, if not the best match,” Osaka said in a post-match press conference per WTA Tennis. “But I also want myself to play better and better every match. I feel like for me going into the match, I knew that she’s a great player, and I had no choice but to play really well if I wanted a chance to win.”
The match was originally meant to be played on Friday but was delayed due to thunderstorms. It was moved to Saturday on a smaller court. Osaka said she enjoyed the intimate crowd atmosphere.
“I honestly think the court was really cool, just like having everyone surrounding and everyone was so loud and vocal,” she said per Tennis.com. “It just felt like Miami. It was really cool to play on that court.”
Osaka will face No. 23 seed Caroline Garcia in the next round. According to Tennis.com, it is the fourth time the pair have faced each other.
“Man, we’re friends at this point! We’re just, you know, work buddies,” Osaka said per Tennis.com. “We see each other all the time. It’s funny. I just want to be seeded so I can just stop playing her, like…”
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