"She's the cleanest & hardest-hitting player, it's really hard to stop her" - Daniela Hantuchova on why Naomi Osaka is one of the Australian Open favorites

In the latest episode of Inside-In, former World No. 5 Daniela Hantuchova heaped rich praise on Naomi Osaka. Pointing out that Osaka knows what it takes to win in Melbourne, Hantuchova claimed the Japanese she is "one of the favorites" to lift the Australian Open title this year.

Osaka raced past Madison Brengle in the second round of the tournament on Wednesday. The World No. 14 was dominant almost throughout the match, and eventually won it 6-0, 6-4.

Against that background, Daniela Hantuchova stated that Naomi Osaka is the "cleanest" and "hardest-hitting player" on the WTA tour at the moment. She also remarked that the two-time Australian Open champion is "refreshed" after moving past her mental health issues from last year, and that it would be tough for the others to beat her.

"The way she strikes the ball, she's the cleanest, I guess the hardest-hitting player out there, and it's really hard to stop her," Hantuchova said about Osaka. "She knows what it takes to win in Melbourne and like you said, she is refreshed and I'm sure she has so much appreciation for the game."

Further pointing out that Osaka is "hungry," Hantuchova asserted that the former World No. 1 is timing the ball "incredibly well" on the court right now.

"She's hungry. So, for me, she is one of the favorites if not the biggest one," Hantuchova said. "She looks great and she is timing the ball incredibly well."

Naomi Osaka set to lock horns with Amanda Anisimova in Australian Open 3r

Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open 2022

Naomi Osaka will square off against Amanda Anisimova at the 2022 Australian Open on Friday. Anisimova booked her place in the third round of the Melbourne Slam after beating Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic in straight sets on Wednesday.

Anisimova is currently on a seven-match winning streak, and is yet to lose a match in the 2022 season. The American won the Melbourne Summer Set 2 title last week, the second of her career.

Osaka and Anisimova have never faced each other on the tour, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Osaka, the defending champion at the Australian Open, is eyeing her fifth Grand Slam title in Melbourne this year. Anisimova, on the other hand, would be hoping to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open for just the second time in her young career.