MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen won’t be repeating her surprising run to the Australian Open final in 2025 after a second-round upset loss to No. 97-ranked Laura Siegemund on Wednesday.

The 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova allowed Osaka to reach the third round at a major tournament for the first time since the 2022 season.

Naomi Osaka, ranked just No. 51 in the world after a disappointing 2024 season, shook off a slow start en route to a second-round upset win in the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Zheng lost the 2024 decider at Melbourne Park to Aryna Sabalenka and went on to win the Olympic gold medal in Paris

Osaka is back in the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2022, getting there with wins over two women who blocked her path last year.

In the end, Osaka won 1-6 6-1 6-3, and she looked every bit a real threat to make a deep run at the 2025 Australian Open, a tournament she has won twice before. While that was some time ago, she is still young enough, and clearly talented enough, to be a dangerous opponent for any player.

The Japanese, in the on-court interview, joked revealing that she felt satisfied for having avenged the defeat suffered against Muchova in Flushing Meadows, when the Japanese wore her best outfit ever!

Siegemund, 36 ... final appearance at Roland Garros in 2020. Osaka’s gutsy comeback sets up Bencic battle Dual Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka has come back from a set down to beat 20th ...

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Naomi Osaka’s second-round match ... a time violation and never managed to counter 97th-ranked Laura Siegemund’s strokes, bowing out 7-6 (3), 6-3 at John Cain ...

Gauff, who hasn’t lost a set in Melbourne, could face the No. 1 player in the semifinals after their 3rd-round wins; Osaka leaves with injury and Pegula falls

While there have been plenty of surprises in the men’s bracket so far, most of the top women have progressed through the draw without an issue.