Naomi Osaka, Rafael Nadal breeze through first round matches at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Naomi Osaka has had a relatively trouble-free 6-3, 6-3 win over Camila Osorio in her first-round match at Rod Laver Arena on Monday. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion won the first five games of the match before Osorio hit back. 

Osaka advances to the second round against either Dayana Yastremska or Madison Brengle. 

Former No. 1 Osaka slid down the rankings last year after taking time off following her withdrawal at the French Open. She is 13th at the Australian Open, where she won last year and in 2019. 

Osorio is ranked 50th in the world and was making her main draw debut at Melbourne Park. 

Following Osaka’s win on the same court was Rafael Nadal — seeking his record 21st Grand Slam victory — cruising past American Marcos Giron 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. 

The six-seeded Nadal, the only former champion left in the men’s draw, moved on to the second round where he will face either Thanasi Kokkinakis or Yannick Hanfmann. 

Elsewhere in women’s action, fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari beat Tatjana Maria 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the first match completed on the main show court in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. 

She said the experience was “weird … in a good way.” 

“I was a little bit stressed, opening the tournament on this wonderful court,” she said. “It’s a privilege to have my first match here.” 

Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 6-3, and 15th-seeded Elina Svitolina had a 6-1, 7-6 (4) win over Fiona Ferro in other early results.