Tennis-With 'Billie Jean Bling' and 'Arthur Flash,' Osaka gets her U.S. Open sparkle back

By Amy Tennery

NEW YORK, Aug 28 (Reuters) - After walking on court with her Labubu charm hanging from her racket bag, Naomi Osaka was left grinning from ear to ear as she reached the U.S. Open third round for the first time since 2021 with a 6-3 6-1 win over American Hailey Baptiste on Thursday.

The crystal-encrusted, racket-wielding Labubu charm she has nicknamed "Arthur Flash" - a nod to late pioneer Ashe - grabbed almost as much attention as Osaka's ferocious forehand winners as she took just 70 minutes to complete the lopsided win.

"I was just really trying to focus and not give her any free points and just be positive," said Osaka, who showed off a bejewelled red Labubu - nicknamed "Billie Jean Bling" after retired great King - during her first-round win over Belgian Greet Minnen.

Her collection of Labubus - Pop Mart's 9992.HK viral sensation, "ugly-cute" dolls - started as a bit of a joke, Osaka said, with the fan favourite finally having something to smile about after years of bitter disappointment in New York.

She exited in a tearful third-round defeat in 2021 that preceded an extended mental health break from the sport and in the first round of the 2022 edition amid stubborn back issues that hampered her movement.

After her second-round defeat in 2024, she told reporters bluntly: "My heart dies every time I lose."

But Osaka has shown glimpses of her winning form this year, as she reached the Montreal final earlier this month and fired down four aces and 13 winners to sprint past Baptiste.

The Japanese 23rd seed admitted to feeling rattled during her first-round win on Tuesday but said she had learned to tame her own nerves.

"I made progress in my attitude, which is the one thing that I really wanted to work on. I think Tuesday I was getting really down on myself in certain moments.

"Today I just really tried to be positive even if she hit a crazy winner or even if she did something incredible, and I tried to be very stable."

She will next play the winner of a match between 15th seed Daria Kasatkina and Kamilla Rakhimova.