Naomi Osaka had to work for her place in the third round of the Australian Open.
The two-time champion found herself in a tough match, but came out on top in three sets against Sorana Cirstea.
After the match, there was an unexpected exchange between Cirstea and Osaka at the net.
The Romanian seemed irritated by Osaka, who had been talking during her serves.
When asked about it after the match, Osaka didn’t hold back.
“Sorry, she was mad about it, but…” said Osaka. “Like she could have asked me, like bro I’m sorry.”
Cirstea then gave her perspective on what happened when speaking to the media after the match. She shared her side of things and explained why she reacted as she did.
Sorana Cirstea downplays talk of drama with Naomi Osaka
The Romanian veteran was asked for her side of the exchange.
“No, all good,” Cirstea said.
“We just had a chat. Nothing big.
“I don’t think that’s the main thing after tonight’s match.
“It was a good match. She was much better than me towards the end. Yeah, she deserved the win. So that’s all I will say.”
Cirstea didn’t seem interested in saying more, even as reporters pushed for more details.
“I will not talk about that,” she said.
“Look, this is my last Australian Open. I have been playing for 20 years.
“There’s more going on than a five-second discussion at the end that I had with Naomi [Osaka].
She seemed frustrated by how much attention the incident was getting.
Osaka looks to refocus after tense second round at Australian Open
Naomi Osaka remains in the hunt for her third Australian Open title, though she hasn’t looked entirely convincing in the early stages of this year’s tournament.
The world number 17 has been taken to a deciding set in both of her opening matches, while several of the other top contenders have yet to lose a set.
Still, results are what matter most, and Osaka is into the third round where she’ll face Australia’s Maddison Inglis. The two haven’t met on the WTA Tour before.
If Osaka progresses as expected, she could be looking at a fourth-round clash with Iga Swiatek, who holds a 2-1 edge in their previous encounters. Their first meeting was six years ago on hard courts, where Osaka came out on top.
But before thinking about that potential matchup, Osaka will need to get past Inglis first. That match is scheduled for Saturday, January 24th.
- READ MORE: Naomi Osaka apologises to Sorana Cirstea for post-match words after Australian Open match
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
