April 01, (THEWILL) – Naomi Osaka came back from a set down to overcome Belinda Bencic and qualify for the final of the year’s Miami Open.
Bencic, the 22nd seed from Switzerland, clinched the first set, but Osaka, the former world number one, rallied to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 in two hours and six minutes.
The winner of the second semi-final – second seed Iga Swiatek of Poland or 16th seed Jessica Pegula of the United States – will face Osaka, who was unseeded for the Open.
Osaka will be competing in her first final since the Australian Open in 2021.
She has four grand slam championships under her belt, including the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and the US Open in 2018 and 2020, however she has plummeted to 77th in the rankings due to a lack of tournaments.
Osaka, who was brought to tears by a heckler during her second-round elimination at Indian Wells earlier this month, is competing in only her fourth tournament since returning to tennis in September.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
