Miami Open Match Preview
Osaka fans, like Gauff fans, are waiting for the big turnaround. In her case, though, they’ve been waiting for 15 months.
Like Coco, Osaka got off to a fast start in 2025, reaching a final in Auckland before having to retire with an ab issue. That injury, as well as one that forced her out of the Australian Open, set her back, and she failed to win a match for two months. After getting a first-round W in Miami, she gave her game a rating of 75 out of 100. That number looked higher in her straight-set second-round win over Liudmila Samsonova.
Now Osaka will play a new opponent in Baptiste. The 23-year-old D.C. native has been on tour for six years, has a career-high ranking of No. 80, and is currently 98th. She has had a micro-surge in Indian Wells and Miami, going 5-1 at the two events, and pushing Danielle Collins to 6-4 in the third in her one defeat. Baptiste’s weapon is her heavy topspin forehand, which she can take crosscourt or inside-out for winners.
Osaka and Baptiste have played once, earlier this year in Auckland, and Osaka won in three sets. Both women are probably sharper now than they were then, but Osaka looks ready to climb higher. Winner: Osaka—Steve Tignor
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