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Naomi Osaka loses in third round at Olympics
Japan's Osaka Naomi Xinhua

The Olympic cauldron lighter was eliminated from her competition at the Olympics.

Naomi Osaka lost on Tuesday in Tokyo in the women’s singles event at the Summer Olympics. The 23-year-old was defeated in straight sets by Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-4.

Osaka committed 32 unforced errors in the match and only had one ace. Her serve was broken five times by Vondrousova.

Osaka is the premier hardcourt women’s tennis player in the world, but she withdrew from the French Open after starting a controversy over her refusal to fulfill her media obligations. Osaka was struggling on clay entering the tournament and dealing with confidence issues on the playing surface.

Still bothered by mental issues, Osaka did not participate in Wimbledon. However, she chose to take part in the Olympics, where she lit the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony. The Olympics are taking part on hardcourt — her surface of choice — but Osaka exited with a disappointing finish.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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