U.S. Open tennis: Naomi Osaka’s forehand goes awry; loses to Karolina Muchova

[Music] [Music] karolina muchova has eliminated two-time US Open Champion Naomi Osaka 6 to3 7 to6 5 in the second round at Flushing Meadows seemingly back in her US Open match suddenly a point from getting to a third set Naomi Osaka lost her way Thursday night missing forand after forehand until she seated that game and chucked her racket sending it clattering on the Arthur Ash Stadium Court not much later she was out of the tournament eliminated 6 to3 7 to6 five by kolina muchova in the second round of an event where Osaka won two of her four grand slam titles it's a little rough because I do take the losses really personally it's like a dramatic word but I feel like my heart dies every time I lose said Osaka the champion at Flushing Meadows in 2018 and 2020 and at the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 it sucks a lot but I've been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about them Osaka once ranked number one but now number 88 after missing nearly 1 and 1/2 years because of mental health breaks and time off to have a baby struggled for much of of the early going dropping five consecutive games and 22 of 26 points in one stretch but she played much better in the second set getting her only break of the match to lead 5 to four and yelling come on when muchova netted a forehand the crowd roared for Osaka serving for that set Osaka hit a 119 mph Ace her fastest of the match to lead 40 love that gave her three chances to extend the match to a third set that's when Osaka really faltered making five forehand errors with a double fault mixed in to waste all three of those set points and worse get broken during the pressure moments I got nervous and I don't know if I just have to keep playing more matches and get used to that feeling especially on a really big stage Osaka said honestly if I get past the disappointment I feel pretty proud of myself to have gotten that many opportunities while still feeling like I could have played much better when they got to the tiebreaker it was muchova who asserted herself then used some scrambling defense on the last Point flinging the ball back over the net and seeing Osaka send a swinging volley out this is unbelievable the atmosphere and the people this is crazy energy said muchova a 28-year-old from the Czech Republic she enjoyed a breakout season in 2023 reaching the final at the French Open before losing to EGA swch and the semi-finals at the US Open before exiting against eventual Champion KOCO gal but shortly after that run at Flushing Meadows muchova left the tour because of an injured right wrist and she had surgery in October she was sidelined until this June her grand slam return was a first round loss at Wimbledon last month honestly this year the biggest win for me is that I could play again muchova said this is just a cherry on top to be here again in this Stadium on this brisk evening with the temperature dipping to 70° after topping 90 on Wednesday afternoon muchova did not look at all like someone who is currently ranked 52nd using a pen to jot down thoughts in a notebook during changeovers Osaka was never able to seize control of the onc Court exchanges her ground strokes were not as perfect as they were during a 6-3 6-2 victory over 2017 French Open champion yena ostapenko on Tuesday Osaka did not make a single unforced error until the second set of that one which became her first win against an opponent ranked in the top 10 in more than four years but if Osaka played so so this time muchova was the one who looked terrific whether serve and voling or mixing in slices finding her spots with serves or turning up the power when she wanted from the moment Osaka went ahead 3 to2 at the start everything went in mucha's direction through the end of that set and just as it seemed Osaka was getting back into the contest with thousands of Spectators supporting her her forehand let her down [Music]

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