WTA roundup: Naomi Osaka easily wins opener in Osaka

Top seed Naomi Osaka overwhelmed 17-year-old Wakana Sonobe 6-0, 6-4 in the opening round of the Japan Open in Osaka on Monday.

Osaka needed just 76 minutes to oust her Japanese countrywoman, using eight aces and winning 83% of her first serves (15 of 18). Osaka also converted five of 13 break opportunities.

Katie Boulter of Great Britain eliminated Czech Linda Noskova, the No. 2 seed, 7-6 (3), 6-3, to post her second Top 20 win of 2025. Ashlyn Krueger needed three sets to defeat Maria Sakkari of Greece 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands easily defeated Colombia's Emiliana Arango 6-1, 6-2, while Romania's Sorana Cirstea came from behind to defeat Moyuka Uchijima of Japan 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Ningbo Open

Sixth-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland fought off all eight break points she faced and defeated Magda Linette of Poland 6-3, 6-2 in the first round in Ningbo, China.

No. 7 seed Diana Shnaider defeated Chinese wild card Xiyu Wang 7-5, 6-3. Shnaider trailed 3-0 in the first set and 3-1 in the second set before rallying.

In a match between qualifiers, Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva beat Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-2 for her first tour-level win since July. Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey topped Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, and McCartney Kessler crushed Sofia Kenin 6-1, 6-0 in 53 minutes in an all-American clash.