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Osaka pushes Halep to the edge, but lack of experience takes its toll

Related Topics: Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep

Eighteen-year-old Naomi Osaka, Roland Garros debutante and the youngest player left in the draw, pushed Simona Halep very close to the tournament's exit door during their third-round encounter, before allowing the Romanian's experience to prevail.

Already in the third game of the match, the 101st-ranked Osaka confidently broke Halep's serve and although the world number six won three straight games from that point on to go from 1-2 to 4-2, the Japanese youngster capitalized on her opponent's insecure first and second serves and went on a roll to take the first set.

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In the six-minute first game of the second set, Osaka had a nice chance to continue the momentum, but a missed chance at the net gave Halep an opportunity to win the game and that missed chance must have shaken Osaka's confidence, as Halep raced to a 3-0 lead.