Osaka survives huge first-round scare

Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 28, 2019. Japan's Naomi Osaka greets the crowd after winning her first round match against Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

PARIS (Reuters) - World number one and top seed Naomi Osaka flirted with an opening-round exit at the French Open on Tuesday but recovered from a first-set horror show to beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 0-6 7-6(4) 6-1.

The 21-year-old Japanese player, aiming for a third successive Grand Slam title, was allowed only nine points in the first set against the world number 90 from Slovakia.