Former World No.1 Naomi Osaka made a victorious return to Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers action on Friday, defeating Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 7-6(5) in Tokyo to give Japan an early 2-0 lead over Kazakhstan.
Earlier, No.79-ranked Nao Hibino had kicked off the hosts’ campaign with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of Anna Danilina in just 57 minutes.
Osaka improved her overall Billie Jean King Cup record to 6-2 with an impressive display against an opponent she has previously struggled with. She lost her first three encounters with Putintseva in 2018-19, but has now scored two consecutive wins against the Kazakhstani, both on home soil.
After a dominant opening set, Osaka held her nerve in a tightly-contested second set that went down to the wire, converting her first match point with a pinpoint backhand winner down the line.
Currently ranked No.193 after returning from maternity leave in January, Osaka was making her first Billie Jean King Cup appearance since February 2020.
Australia with early advantage over Mexico
In Brisbane, hosts Australia took a 2-0 lead over Mexico on the first day. Arina Rodionova, who became the oldest player ever to debut inside the Top 100 earlier this year, kicked off the tie by coming from a set down to defeat Giuliana Olmos 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Former No.20 Daria Saville backed up her compatriot by racing through her rubber against Marcela Zacarias 6-1, 6-0 in just 51 minutes.
More to come…
The winners of this weekend’s eight Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers ties will advance to November’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville.