Osaka into Bad Homburg final which has been moved forward due to heat

Naomi Osaka defeated Wang Xinhu 6-3, 6-3 at the Bad Homburg Open on Friday to reach a first career grass court final.

Four-time grand slam champion and former world number one Osaka claimed victory in sweltering conditions in 70 minutes when her Chinese opponent double faulted.

In Saturday’s final, sixth-seeded Osaka faces either Czech fourth-seed Karolina Muchová or Belgium’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

Osaka has not won a title in more than five years since the 2021 Australian Open. Bad Homburg is her fourth tour-level final since then.

Temperatures were in the high 30s Celsius, and with possibly even higher temperatures scheduled for Saturday organizers have decided to move the final forward by two-and-a-half hours.

The final will start at 11am (0900 GMT) instead of 1.30pm.

“This schedule adjustment has been made in response to exceptional weather conditions beyond the tournament’s reasonable control and reflects our commitment to prioritizing the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone attending the event,” a statement said.

Bad Homburg is an important tune-up for the Wimbledon grand slam which starts on Monday and where Osaka has never gone beyond the third round.