Lucia Bronzetti achieved a notable milestone at the Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday, securing her first-ever victory against four-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka. In a hard-fought opening-round match on the clay courts of the WTA 1000 event, the Italian player, ranked World No. 59, triumphed with a final score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
This win was particularly significant for the 26-year-old Bronzetti, who had previously lost both of her encounters with Osaka, including a three-set battle at Roland Garros last spring. Her persistence paid off in this 2-hour and 21-minute match, allowing her to advance to the second round in Madrid for the second consecutive year.
The victory over Osaka marks Bronzetti`s fourth career win against a former World No. 1, three of which have impressively come within the current year. Her recent scalps include defeating Simona Halep in the Romanian`s emotional final career match at her home tournament in Cluj-Napoca, and overcoming two-time champion Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open in January.
In the second round, Bronzetti faces another formidable challenge against No. 5 seed Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion. Bronzetti will be aiming to break two personal droughts: she currently holds an 0-8 record against players ranked in the Top 10 and has lost both of her previous matches against Keys.
