[Doubles First Round]
○ Natsumi Kawaguchi / Sara Saito  6-1, 6-4  ● Hayu Kinoshita / Wakana Sonobe

■Four promising Japanese women—17-year-old Wakana Sonobe, 18-year-old Hayu Kinoshita, 19-year-old Sara Saito, and 23-year-old Natsumi Kawaguchi—stood on the court for this match. All four have delivered outstanding performances in junior doubles at the Grand Slam tournaments. Kawaguchi claimed the Australian Open title in 2019; Kinoshita and Saito were runners-up at the 2023 Australian Open; and Saito has been a runner-up at two other Grand Slams as well. While Sonobe’s best result in doubles is a semifinal finish, she won the singles title at this year’s Australian Open. The explosive Kawaguchi teamed up with the steady and reliable Saito. On the other side, Sonobe—known for her powerful groundstrokes—paired with the highly skilled all-rounder, Kinoshita.

■In the first set, Kawaguchi and Saito found their rhythm early and dominated. In the second set, Kinoshita and Sonobe managed to break serve first and took a 4-2 lead. However, Kawaguchi and Saito responded by winning four straight games to close out the match. Saito expressed her gratitude for Kawaguchi’s strong presence and said "Natsumi’s momentum was great. I just focused on holding things down from the back, and she’d step up with volleys right away. It made playing really fun."
Kawaguchi praised her partner in return by saying "Sara’s groundstrokes and serves were excellent, which made it much easier for me to finish points at the net."

■Reflecting on the second set, Saito said, "The opponents had gotten used to the match and picked up their pace, so I tried to be a bit more aggressive than in the first set. I went down the line earlier and added some fake moves at the net to create openings." 
Despite it being their first match as a team, Kawaguchi and Saito displayed outstanding chemistry and secured a convincing victory.

(Japan Tennis Association)