Naomi Osaka smacks a forehand return to Andrea Petkovic in a China Open women's second-round match on Tuesday in Beijing. | KYODO

Tennis

Naomi Osaka cruises past Andrea Petkovic to reach third round of China Open

Kyodo

BEIJING – Naomi Osaka steamrolled into the third round of the China Open with a 6-2, 6-0 win over German qualifier Andrea Petkovic in a seemingly effortless hour on Tuesday afternoon.

Osaka made quick work of the former world No. 9 on the Lotus Court at the National Tennis Center, conceding just one break point opportunity and capitalizing on Petkovic’s 16 unforced errors and five double faults.

The world No. 4 and fourth seed fired off 21 winners and five aces, and won 91 percent of her first serves to keep alive her hopes of securing a spot at the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China, starting late next month.

The 32-year-old Petkovic had won their only other encounter when Osaka was still a teenager in 2014.

Osaka, who made it to the semifinals here last year, will face the winner of the second-round match between Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic and Alison Riske of the United States.

Osaka won her first tournament on home soil on Sept. 22, becoming the first Japanese player to win the Pan Pacific Open since Kimiko Date in 1995.

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