Naomi Osaka in frosty exchange with Australian Open rival as row breaks out moments after match

Naomi Osaka and Sorana Cirstea had a frosty handshake at the end of their Australian Open match.

Osaka defeated Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to book her place in the third round in Melbourne.

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The Romanian was clearly irked about something during their Australian Open match, which led to the exchange at the net.

Former world number one Osaka was clearly confused about what had happened.

The 28-year-old was picked up on the on court microphones saying: “What was that for?”

Cirstea then went into a mini rant at her opponent that was not audible on the television coverage.

Osaka was then asked about what happened after the match in her on court interview.

Osaka said: “Apparently a lot of ‘come ons’ that she was angry about. Whatever.

“She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open. Sorry she was mad about it.”

Osaka will play Australian Maddison Inglis in the third round.

Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open outfit

Two-time Australian Open champion Osaka has already been the talk of the tournament down in Melbourne.

Her outfit for her first round match went completely viral.

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She walked out onto court in a jellyfish-inspired outfit, the like that a tennis court has never seen before.

Osaka later revealed that it was inspired by reading a storybook with her two-year-old daughter, Shai.

She said: “Reading to my daughter, discovering beauty in unexpected places like the underwater world, working with artists who care about meaning – those moments have all shaped the way I see this expression now.”

Former world number one Boris Becker, however, had mixed feelings about the look.

He said “These are, of course, images for the media.

“The way she entered the court is already iconic. No other player has dared to wear such an outfit.

“But there is also a contradiction: on the one hand, she doesn’t want to be under so much pressure, she doesn’t want to be in the public eye and in the media so much – and then she comes onto centre court in an outfit like that.

“Of course, that puts her back in the public spotlight. I would point out that she also needed a mental break a few years ago. For me, it’s generally important that the focus here is on the sport.”

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