WATCH: ‘Sorry, sorry!’ – Naomi Osaka embarrassed by Australian Open blunder
Up a set and a break in her Australian Open first round match, Naomi Osaka accidentally struck the chair empire with a wandering return.
Facing 20-year-old Colombian Camila Osorio, Osaka went 6-3, 5-3 up in the match.
As he opponent served to stay in the match, a strong serve out wide on the deuce side could not be returned by Osaka, at least not in.
Her return struck the chair umpire in the leg with some force, prompting an immediate reaction from Osaka.
“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” the two-time Australian Open champion exclasimed from across the court.
“It’s okay, but it was hard!” the umpire responded while laughing off the incident.
Osaka broke to seal victory that same game to reach the second round and, as defending champion, extend her winning streak at the Melbourne Slam to eight.
Following the win, Osaka spoke on how she played as well as the level displayed by her young opponent.
“I think I played really well in the circumstances,” she said.
“I didn’t really have any information on my opponent, but I thought [Osorio] played amazingly.
“She was fighting for every point and I think that was really good quality. I’m sure we’re going to see her on this court pretty frequently. Overall, I’m just really happy to be here.”
Prior to the Australian Open, Osaka played the WTA 250 Melbourne Summer Set 1, reaching the quarter-finals before withdrawing due to injury in preparation for the first Slam of the season.
Next up, Osaka will face American Madison Brengle before taking on either Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic or another American in Amanda Anisimova should she win.
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