Naomi Osaka rallies in epic comeback win over Leylah Fernandez at Wuhan Open

While Emma Raducanu couldn't cope with the heat and many others have struggled this week, the heat was ramped up in regards to the scoreline at the Wuhan Open for Naomi Osaka but she dealt with it against Leylah Fernandez.

Osaka rallied from a set down to defeat Fernandez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in two and a half hours to earn her first victory at the Wuhan Open. She will now face Liudmila Samsonova for the fourth time this season in the second round.

It has been a long time coming even in regards to a return for the former World No.1 who has not played in Wuhan since 2017 when she lost a three-set first round tie against Elise Mertens after dropping the opening set 4-6. Eight years later, she was in the same sort of scenario and it was bend or fold against the former US Open finalist.

She lost the first set 6-4 to Fernandez in the opening round but this time she managed to seal a comeback win. She rallied back to win the next two sets 7-5, 6-3 to win the tie in just over two and a half hours. This earned her first career win in Wuhan and advanced to the second round for the first time.

She also continued her hot streak of winning at least her opener at WTA 1000 level winning four in total so far this season. She double faulted on the opening point in a shaky start and held serve after a seven minute game but the riposte from Fernandez was to come as she managed to break first to seal a 3-2 lead early in the first set.

Heat strikes but so does Osaka

She dropped just five points on serve to close out the first set in 42 minutes and looked well in the ascendancy. Albeit the second was more of a war of attrition as it saw five breaks of serve and 13 break points in all. Osaka surged into a 3-0 lead and then 4-2 but six double faults allowed Fernandez in reality a pretty easy route back. She levelled at 4-4 and saved three break points at 4-3. But she couldn't escape later in the set, Osaka then broke to claim the near hour long set and force a decider.

Unlike the ATP, a heat rule was in place with temperatures hitting around 85 fahrenheit and 90 humidity, both players left the court before returning for the third set to cool off. It has been a heavy talking point this week with Jannik Sinner retiring with cramp in Shanghai, Raducanu liked alluded to having to retire with dizziness and other players hobbling through matches in pure exhaustion.