But the old rhythm ebbed away, and Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova stormed back to win 3-6 6-4 6-4.

It's been more than four years since Osaka last lifted a major the 2021 Australian Open a stretch shaped by introspection, a battle with depression, and the birth of her child. And for a while on a sun-drenched Court Two, she summoned her vintage self painting lines, pummelling serves, playing with purpose in this third round clash.

But after dropping the second set, the momentum slowly slipped through her fingers. A double fault handed Pavlyuchenkova a 2-0 lead in the decider, and Osaka, despite flashes of brilliance, never fully recovered. The errors began to creep in, the confidence to ebb, and the comeback trail was quietly closed off.

No fourth-round debut this year  just a glimpse of what once was.

--Reuters--