Naomi Osaka off the mark at Indian Wells with first round win over Sara Errani

Naomi Osaka secured her spot in the second round of the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters after clinching victory over Italian qualifier Sara Errani with a score of 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday, converting on her third match point.

The Japanese four-time Grand Slam champion, who is currently ranked 287th after becoming a mother, secured her victory with a powerful forehand winner.

In a lighthearted moment, Osaka joked about going back to her hotel to change her infant daughter's diapers, as she was born last summer.

During Thursday's match, there were five breaks of serve in the first set, but the 2018 Indian Wells champion stepped up her game and won the match in straight sets in just 70 minutes.

"It's great to be back playing, but once I'm home, I'm a mom," she stated. "When I was pregnant, I really wanted to return to the sport."

"I know I need to perform well to improve, but I'm excited to start winning more matches."

After being eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open, the player based in California reached the quarter-finals in Doha last month.

Her next opponent will be Liudmila Samsonova as she aims for a spot in the third round.

Caroline Wozniacki, a former WTA number one, took another step in her tennis comeback by finishing a match that was interrupted by rain the previous night.

It only took a few extra minutes on the court for the 204th-ranked player to secure victory against Zhu Lin of China with a score of 7-6(6), 6-1. Wozniacki will now face Donna Vekic from Croatia.

Venus Williams, who hasn't won a match since August, suffered a defeat after initially taking a promising lead. She lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 to Nao Hibino from Japan.

The 43-year-old Williams last competed at the US Open in August and achieved her last victory two weeks prior in Cincinnati.

Emma Raducanu, ranked 250th in the world, secured a first-round win against Rebeka Masarova from Spain with a score of 6-2, 6-3. Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, will now face Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine.

"I'm really pleased with how I stayed focused, didn't let myself get down, and competed hard in challenging situations," said Raducanu, who overcame eight double faults.

In the men's singles competition, the opening match featured Australian player Aleksandar Vukic facing off against the top seed, Novak Djokovic. Vukic secured his spot in this match after defeating Japan's Shintaro Mochizuki with a score of 7-6(4), 7-6(6).

Adding to former number three Stan Wawrinka's disappointing start to the year 2024, rising Czech player Tomas Machac emerged victorious against the 38-year-old Swiss. The match concluded with a score of 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, further contributing to Wawrinka's difficult start.

This defeat, lasting just over two hours, marked only the second time that the veteran player has been eliminated in the first round in his 13 appearances at this tournament.

Machac's triumph propels him to the second round, where he will face France's Adrian Mannarino, the 21st seed.

Meanwhile, French player Gael Monfils showcased his skills and dominance on the court by overwhelming Australian Max Purcell, winning the match with a remarkable score of 6-1, 6-2.