<figure id="attachment_3299171" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3299171" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3299171" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/44dff82e-afp__20260307__2265191355__v1__highres__bnpparibasopen2026day3.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3299171" class="wp-caption-text">Japan&#8217;s Naomi Osaka in action during Day 3 of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. (Getty Images/AFP pic)</figcaption></figure>
INDIAN WELLS: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka got her injury return off to a solid start on Friday, punching her ticket to the third round at Indian Wells with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over qualifier Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva.
The Japanese superstar said she didn&#8217;t know what to expect from her 97th-ranked opponent in their first meeting.
But more importantly she wasn&#8217;t too sure what to expect from herself in her first match since she pulled out before her Australian Open third-round contest with an abdominal injury.
&#8220;It wasn&#8217;t, like, too positive,&#8221; she said of her build up to Indian Wells.
&#8220;I was really disappointed (at the Australian Open), because it&#8217;s something that I have done to myself before, and I feel like every year I go through that specific injury.
&#8220;Every year I can kind of feel it starting to happen. I was just really disappointed in myself, and then ironically, we were training and I injured myself &#8212; I did another injury.
&#8220;Hopefully, that&#8217;s enough injuries for the whole year,&#8221; Osaka said. &#8220;I&#8217;m just grateful to be out here and be playing.&#8221;
Osaka got off to a strong start, winning the first four games on the way to a 5-1 lead. But Jimenez Kasintseva won the next three games, breaking Osaka twice to level the set before the 16th-ranked star regrouped.
Despite the hiccups, Osaka was pleased to have improved on a disappointing first-round loss to Camila Osorio in the California desert last year in a match she dejectedly called the &#8220;worst match I&#8217;ve ever played in my life&#8221;.
&#8220;Last year I didn&#8217;t do too well here, so I think I already exceeded the previous year. So I just hope that I can keep going,&#8221; she said.
To do so she&#8217;ll have to get past Colombia&#8217;s Osorio, who saved three match points in a 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 victory over American Iva Jovic.

MatchPoint Times

‘Grateful’ Osaka returns to action with Indian Wells win

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka punched her ticket to the third round with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over qualifier Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva.

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