Photo: EPA / MICHAEL REYNOLDS / EFE
Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, who lit the Tokyo Olympic flame 2020 on Friday, she was already eliminated after suffering a surprise defeat against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, number 42 in the world rankings.
The Japanese, who came to the Olympic competition as number 2 in the ranking fell in two sets (6-1, 6-4) in a match in which his opponent European Union managed to get her out of her comfort zone with dropouts at the net.
With the defeat of Osaka, the tennis of Tokyo 2021 is left without two of its greatest figures, after Ash Barty, world number one and Wimbledon champion, fell in the first round.
In another surprise news from Tokyo, the great est gymnastics relay Simone Biles was withdrawn from the team competition “after an uncomfortable and low-scoring attempt at the jump, leaving the United States, who were already engrossed in a tough battle with Russia, in serious trouble as it seeks its third consecutive gold medal ”, reported Yahoo News.
In an official statement on Twitter, the USA Gymnastics Team reported that “Simone Biles has been withdrawn from the final team competition due to a medical problem. It will be evaluated daily to determine medical authorization for future competitions ”. According to the live broadcast of Peacock, Biles’s withdrawal did not It was due to a physical injury, but to a “mental problem that is having”.
Osaka had won their previous two matches with relative ease after a two-month break. But the conditions were different this Tuesday, with the game being played under a roof closed by the rain, he said BBC News.
The tennis player of 23 years was one of Japan’s great hopes for a medal in these games given their previous streak – reigning champion in US and Australian Open -, and because also I was playing at home.
Tokyo 2020 were his first Olympics and also the first tournament Osaka played after withdrawing from the French Open in June, when he revealed that he had “suffered long bouts of depression ” since winning his first Grand Slam title in 2018.
After impressive victory s In the first two rounds, Osaka appeared to be heading for a medal on Tuesday, but committed 32 unforced errors against Vondrousova, who only committed 10. “I definitely feel like there was a lot of pressure,” said after the loss. in the Olympic Games before and for the first year it was too much ”.
Official statement: “Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue. She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”
Thinking of you, Simone! pic.twitter.com/QA1GYHwWTv
– USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 27, 2021
Naomi Osaka 🇯🇵 is out of the # Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The Japanese tennis superstar, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, lost to Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, ranked No. 42, in a stunning upset. https://t.co/1cHrv8SAdS pic.twitter.com/TqBPxv6d5S
– The New York Times (@nytimes) July 27, 2021