Osaka not needed as Japan reach BJK Cup finals for first time

Osaka not needed as Japan reach BJK Cup finals for first time

The former world No 1 is appearing at the competition for the first time since 2020.

Naomi Osaka won her opening singles match yesterday, hitting 15 aces and no double faults. (Kyodo News/AP pic)
TOKYO:
Naomi Osaka was not required to play after teammate Nao Hibino sent Japan to their first Billie Jean King Cup finals today with an unassailable 3-0 qualifying lead over Kazakhstan.

Former world No 1 and four-time Major winner Osaka was appearing at the competition for the first time since 2020 and won her opening singles game yesterday.

But she did not need to play a second time after Hibino clinched Japan’s spot in November’s finals with a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(9/7) win over world No 50 Yulia Putintseva.

Hibino fended off four straight match points for Putintseva before coming back to win the third-set tiebreaker.

It was the world No 79’s second singles victory of the tie after dispatching Anna Danilina 6-1, 6-0 in under an hour on the opening day.

Osaka beat Putintseva 6-2, 7-6(7/5) yesterday, hitting 15 aces and no double faults.

It was her first match in Japan since appearing at the Pan Pacific Open in September 2022.

Kazakhstan were without world No 4 Elena Rybakina, who lost in the final of the Miami Open last month.

The BJK Cup finals will be held in Seville.

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