BERLIN – World number one Naomi Osaka will have a chance for revenge on Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei when the two meet in the second round of the WTA tournament in Stuttgart on Thursday.
Hsieh came from behind to beat China's Wang Qiang in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday to set up a second round clash with Osaka, whom she beat in Miami last month.
Osaka had beaten Hsieh on the way to her Australian Open triumph in January.
Each of Osaka's three previous meetings with world number 24 Hsieh has gone to three sets.
“I think we love each other too much,” Hsieh jokingly told WTA Insider on Wednesday. “We just want to see more of each other on court!”
Switzerland's Belinda Bencic, who beat Osaka at Indian Wells last month, is also in the second round after overcoming Mandy Minella in straight sets.
There were also straight sets wins on for Belarus's Victoria Azarenka over Russia's Vera Zvonareva and for Croatian Donna Vekic against Italian Giulia Gatto-Monticone.
Wang Qiang of China in action against Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan in Stuttgart on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/Ronald Wittek
Former world number one Azarenka admitted jetlag had been a major problem having flown in from Australia where she had played in a Fed Cup tie in Brisbane at the weekend.
“I have no idea right now of the time or what's happening,” she said. “The flight from Australia was so long I felt like it was never going to end.”
There was disappointment for the home crowd when Germany's Julia Goerges was forced to retire hurt at 4-0 down in the third set against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova complaining of a problem with her hand.
Pavlyuchenkova will face eighth seed Anett Kontaveit, after the Estonian eased past France's Caroline Garcia in straight sets.
Third seed Petra Kvitova, meanwhile, is already in the last eight after she was made to work hard in the second set to complete a 6-1, 6-4 win over Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen.