Osaka recovers from the brink of defeat to advance in Rome

Naomi Osaka came back from the brink against lucky loser Viktorija Golubic in the second round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, escaping 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 to extend her clay-court winning streak to seven matches.

Osaka had originally been set to play a marquee match against No. 9 seed Paula Badosa, but shortly before the pair were due to take the court, the Spaniard withdrew due to the back injury that has plagued her throughout 2025.

Osaka, who was the champion at last week’s Saint-Malo WTA 125 event, had defeated Golubic 6-3, 6-2 in their only previous meeting, in the second round of the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.

But for nearly two sets this time, the 32-year-old Swiss player — herself a semifinalist in Saint-Malo last week — was able to deploy her full repertoire of slices, drop shots and one-handed backhands to disrupt Osaka’s game.

Golubic twice went up a break in the second set, and served for the match at 5-4. But Osaka played with her greatest purpose and precision with her back to the wall.

She broke Golubic back to level the second set at 3-3 in a flurry of winners; and though that did not lead to momentum immediately, it foreshadowed how Osaka would soon wrench the match back in her favor.

From 5-4 down, she found that form again and this time sustained it brilliantly, reeling off eight straight games to go 5-0 up in the decider.

Osaka will next face either No. 18 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia or Marie Bouzkova as she bids to return to the last 16 in Rome for a second year in a row.