A big match at Wimbledon 2025. One of the biggest stars in tennis, Naomi Osaka, lost in the third round to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Despite the excitement of the match, Osaka didn’t make it to the 4th round. Let’s go through what happened in this thrilling match between Naomi Osaka and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Naomi Osaka arrived at Wimbledon 2025 with high hopes. On grass, a surface she has struggled with, she’s been getting into her groove. Osakans were thrilled after Osaka defeated Katerina Siniakova in the 2nd round 6-3, 6-2. She was precise, hitting hard and moving around the hard grass courts like never before. Many thought she could go further and this was her best Wimbledon since 2018.
It wasn’t easy to beat the 53rd ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 34 year old Russian is good on grass and has a lot of experience this year. Before facing Osaka, she defeated 31st seed Ashlyn Krueger in straight sets. Naomi Osaka had a 2-1 head to head advantage over Pavlyuchenkova but their last meeting was in 2017 when Pavlyuchenkova beat her. This was supposed to be a real test for both players.
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Naomi Osaka seemed to be back to her old self at the start of the match. She took control from the get go, winning the first set 4-1. Pavlyuchenkova was overwhelmed by her strong serves (15 aces) and powerful groundstrokes. Osaka sealed the first set 6-3 with an ace and it looked like osaka tennis was back in full force. The crowd expected her to cruise into the 4th round and cheered.
But Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had more to say. She found her rhythm in the 2nd set, hitting low and powerful shots that pushed Osaka behind the baseline. Pavlyuchenkova’s forehand was on fire and with a scorching winner she took the set 6-4. The osaka pavlyuchenkova match became a roller coaster as the momentum shifted. Osaka’s initial optimism started to wane as Pavlyuchenkova’s experience took over.
The third set was a thriller. Osaka came back after Pavlyuchenkova broke to go up 3-0 and the score was 3-3. Everyone in the crowd was on edge and watching every point. But Osaka’s game fell apart at 4-4. Pavlyuchenkova stayed calm despite her three unforced forehand errors and broke Osaka to win 6-4. Tough for Naomi Osaka fans.
Naomi Osaka will have to wait another year for the 4th round of Wimbledon. This was her best chance in years but she’s never gone past the 3rd round. Pavlyuchenkova is back in the 4th round for the first time since 2016. Her next opponent will be either Diane Parry or Sonay Kartal. The Osaka-Pavlyuchenkova match showed how small mistakes can change the whole game of tennis.
Mark Phury is a dynamic sports enthusiast with a knack for capturing the thrill of the game. With 3 years at Hindustan Times, he delivers sharp, engaging stories that resonate with fans. Reach him at markphury@gmail.com for insights that score every time.