Naomi Osaka stumbles against Liudmila Samsonova in Madrid Open second round

Liudmila Samsonova, 25, ended Naomi Osaka's return to clay at the Madrid Open on Thursday, defeating the former world number one, also 25, in a tough match that went 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in Samsonova's favor.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, fought back twice from being a break down in the second set, forcing a third set. However, Samsonova, ranked 17th in the world, managed to secure the win in a match that lasted two hours and 22 minutes.

Osaka, who returned to tennis in January after a hiatus, had secured her first clay victory in two years just the day before against Greet Minnen. Despite beating Samsonova in March at Indian Wells, the Russian 15th seed was able to break her losing streak with this win in Madrid.

Known for her prowess on hard courts, Osaka has historically struggled on clay, and her last consecutive wins on this surface date back to 2019.

Samsonova dominated the first set, quickly securing a 4-0 lead with breaks in the first and third games as Osaka struggled to find her footing. Although Osaka rallied and won four consecutive games to take the set, Samsonova kept her composure.

In the deciding set, both players exchanged breaks before Samsonova managed to break Osaka in the 11th game, ultimately sealing the victory on her serve. Samsonova's next challenge will be against Madison Keys.

Later on Thursday, top-ranked Iga Swiatek, last year's Madrid Open runner-up, will face China's Wang Xiyu.