NEW YORK _ Naomi Osaka's description of how she can rebound from wobbly-knee tennis to throwing haymakers _ as she did on several occasions in Tuesday's 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 first-round survival against unseeded Anna Blinkova _ is "razzle-dazzle."
Not that she invites such drama. "I would prefer not to play three-set matches," admitted Osaka, the U.S. Open's defending champion. "I feel like playing two-set matches, it's more decisive and clean. It feels more firm. Like, you put a statement out that you're playing well. As opposed to three-set matches."
Still, the skirmish with Blinkova was an accurate picture of the 2019 Osaka, at 21 already with two major-tournament trophies and ranked No. 1 in the world. That's because she went from consecutive Slam titles to third- and first-round losses in the two most recent majors. "I would describe it as a book," she said of that uneven journey.
