Osaka last won two matches at a WTA tournament at the 2022 Miami Open, where she eventually finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek. But after defeating No.15 seed Caroline Garcia in the first round this week the former World No.1 took another step forward by beating World No.67 Martic in 1 hour and 45 minutes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The four-time Grand Slam champion was on top of Martic -- whom she last played 10 years ago -- for nearly the duration of the match. But she failed to serve out victory at 6-3, 5-4, and eventually, saved four set points in an epic second-set tiebreak to seal the straight-sets win, on Tuesday, WTA reports.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bidding for a spot in the quarterfinals of a WTA event for the first time since that effort in Miami, Osaka will next face World No.37 Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, who was a 6-3, 6-2 winner against No.4 seed Ons Jabeur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Tsurenko won nine straight games from 3-1 down in the first set against World No.6 Jabeur to score her first Top 10 victory in five years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jabeur, meanwhile, told reporters after the match that she was plagued by small problem in her right knee throughout the 81-minute affair, similar issues that affected her last week in a 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal loss to Beatriz Haddad Maia.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Definitely much better than last week, but it's still there, unfortunately. It will not heal in two or three days, but I'm doing my best to heal it, and I think it's going to be very positive for the next weeks, said Jabeur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2024\/02\/qatar-open-osaka-edges-martic-tsurenko-upsets-jabeur.jpeg", "alt_img": "Qatar Open: Osaka edges Martic; Tsurenko upsets Jabeur", "alt_title": "Osaka dispatches Garcia in Qatar Open first round", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Qatar Open: Osaka Edges Martic; Tsurenko Upsets Jabeur On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Qatar Open: Osaka Edges Martic; Tsurenko Upsets Jabeur, Beatriz Haddad Maia: Naomi Osaka scored a second-round 6-3, 7-6(9) win over Croatia's Petra Martic and earned her back-to-back victories.", "seo_keywords": "Qatar Open, Naomi Osaka, Petra Martic, WTA Tour, Miami Open, Iga Swiatek, Caroline Garcia, World No, Grand Slam, Lesia Tsurenko, Ons Jabeur, Beatriz Haddad Maia", "tag": "", "tagging": "Qatar Open, Naomi Osaka, Petra Martic, WTA Tour, Miami Open, Iga Swiatek, Caroline Garcia, World No, Grand Slam, Lesia Tsurenko, Ons Jabeur, Beatriz Haddad Maia", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "qatar-open-osaka-edges-martic-tsurenko-upsets-jabeur", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "924", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2024-02-14 10:34:03", "updated": "2024-02-14 10:34:03", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Qatar Open, Naomi Osaka, Petra Martic, WTA Tour, Miami Open, Iga Swiatek, Caroline Garcia, World No, Grand Slam, Lesia Tsurenko, Ons Jabeur, Beatriz Haddad Maia", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2024-02-14 10:34:03", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "0", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "sports_name": "tennis", "cnmid": "866284", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/sports-news\/qatar-open-osaka-edges-martic-tsurenko-upsets-jabeur-13199" }