By Shrivathsa Sridhar
MELBOURNE (Reuters) โ Naomi Osaka said she was enjoying a little bit of revenge against Karolina Muchova at the Australian Open on Wednesday, recalling how the Czech had ended her U.S. Open campaign last year when she was sporting her โbest outfit everโ.
Osaka, who fought back from a set down to beat the 20th seed 1-6 6-1 6-3 and reach the third round at Melbourne Park, turned heads at Flushing Meadows last August with a tennis dress featuring tiered ruffles and a giant white bow.
She only got to wear it as far as the second round in New York, however.
โShe crushed me at the U.S. Open when I had my best outfit ever,โ four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka said as spectators at the Kia Arena burst into laughter.
โI was so disappointed. I was so mad, but this was my little revenge. Itโs not a bad thing, revenge is competitive. But yeah, it means a lot. Sheโs one of the toughest opponents out there.โ
Up next for Osaka is Swiss Belinda Bencic, who returned to the tour late last year after giving birth to her daughter.
Osaka made her own comeback 12 months ago after a maternity break during which she had a daughter.
โIt probably adds extra stuff for you guys. Not necessarily for me,โ Osaka told reporters.
โI think weโre labelled โmomsโ of course. I think when you go on the tennis court, you just think of yourself as a tennis player, first of all.
โI havenโt caught up with her because I havenโt seen her.โ
Tokyo Olympics champion Bencic leads the pairโs head-to-head record 3-2 but Osaka won their last meeting in the semi-finals of Miami three years ago where the Japanese player lost in the final.
โI know sheโs an incredibly tough player. She fights a lot,โ added Osaka, who is looking to win her first title since a 2021 triumph at Melbourne Park.
โI donโt want to say Iโve grown up with her, but weโve definitely seen each other on tour. Itโs really cool that she also had a baby and she came back as well.
โShe seems to be doing really good. So yeah, I think itโs going to be fun.โ
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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