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Osaka wants to 'play with the big dogs' after Miami win

Related Topics: Osaka, Miami, Camila Osorio

Former world number one Naomi Osaka wants to "play with the big dogs" again after battling to a three-set win against Yuliia Starodubtseva in the first round of the Miami Open.

Osaka came from a set down to beat Ukraine's Starodubtseva 3-6 6-4 6-3 to claim her first victory since the Australian Open second round in January.

It comes after the Japanese player described her recent first-round loss against Camila Osorio at Indian Wells as the "worst match I've ever played in my life".

"I want to play with the big dogs so bad, and I just see everyone playing so well, and I want to do the same," she said after her two-and-a-half-hour epic against Starodubtseva.