Even in the absence of spectators at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre there was still a palpable tension when Simone Biles left the arena after finishing just one event in the women's team final on Tuesday.
An eager press tribune ready to witness the star attraction of these Games fell flat in concern when Biles, after one unconvincing performance on the vault which yielded the lowest score of the first rotation, headed to the back with a trainer while the team were involved in frantic discussions.
The warning signs had been there during the warm-up when Biles failed to complete an Amanar, a difficult vault but routine for someone of her immense talent. When it happened again in competition there was almost a stunned silence, Biles seemed to be nearing tears and her team-mates flabbergasted by what had transpired.
She would return but, donned in a tracksuit, it was announced Biles would take no further part and the team of Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum would complete the night for Team USA. The United States could only take silver, marking their first team defeat at a Worlds or Olympics since 2010.
USA Gymnastics later announced Biles had been pulled due to an unspecified "medical issue" and that her condition for the other five events she is scheduled to appear at will be "assessed daily", while NBC Sports attributed a Team USA coach with saying Biles' withdrawal was not injury related and due to a "mental issue she is having".
Biles had opened up on the pressures the Olympics brings following Sunday's qualifying, during which she made some uncharacteristic mistakes in an error-strewn team performance that saw USA outscored by the Russian Olympic Committee in what proved an eerie prelude.
"It wasn't an easy day or my best but I got through it," Biles posted.
"I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me, but damn sometimes it's hard hahaha!
"The Olympics is no joke. BUT I'm happy my family was able to be with me virtually. They mean the world to me."
The concerns over Biles' well-being will stretch far beyond the watching press pack at the arena. Those tuning in around the world will greatly hope this is not the way this megastar's Games come to an end.
Moreover, so will the organisers of the Games, who are desperately relying on the biggest stars to bring some positive PR to an Olympics many never wanted.
Having already had cauldron lighter Naomi Osaka, who returned to represent Japan after a self-imposed two-month hiatus during which she opened up about her battles with depression and anxiety, beaten in the third round of the women's tennis earlier in the day, to see Biles not compete would represent another hammer blow.
The IOC had earlier described its digital audience figures for Tokyo 2020 as "very good", but as the only way for fans to watch these Games is from the comfort of their own homes, you would kind of expect that to be the case.
If you want an idea of how important Biles is to these Games, consider that IOC president Thomas Bach was seen in conversation with the star attraction before congratulating the gold medallists. Biles herself had shown her textbook humility by being among the first to congratulate the victors in a moment of sheer class.
For these Olympics, held in the midst of a deadly pandemic, to actually be remembered for the right reasons, Tokyo 2020 needs to showcase the successes of athletes securing their crowning glories despite the unthinkable challenges posed for over a year and a half.
Such concerns are of course secondary to the welfare of a 24-year-old woman, who confirmed she is not injured, carrying so many hopes and pressures, whose delivery of the message "put mental health first" is as, if not more, inspiring than her brilliance on the floor.
This was the first of six gold-medal opportunities for Biles. Her stacked programme includes what many predicted to be a routine defence of her all-around crown, while she is slated to appear in the finals of the beam, uneven bars, vault and floor exercise.
She has designs on winning the most gymnastic gold medals at a single Games (she already owns the co-record with four following her haul at Rio 2016), while three more would see her overtake Shannon Miller as America's most decorated Olympic gymnast.
Biles later said she is "dealing with something internally" and that things would be taken day by day for the rest of the Games.
Speaking at a news conference, she would elaborate on the issues she has been contending with.
"It's been really stressful this Olympic Games on the whole, with no fans, it's been a long process, a long year, and lots of variable," she said.
"We're all a little bit too stressed out, we should be enjoying ourselves.
"Today was really stressful, we had a workout this morning, it went okay then that five-and-a-half-hour wait I was shaking, I could barely nap. I've never felt that way before a competition."
That we all hope she will compete again at this Olympics goes without saying.
But, perhaps save for Osaka, there is arguably no athlete more important to these Games. And, as Osaka has gone to great lengths to demonstrate this year, protection of mental health and well-being must come before all else.
Simone Biles is "dealing with things internally" after she withdrew from the women's team final at Tokyo 2020 after just one rotation.
Biles was confirmed to have pulled out with a "medical issue" following a disappointing performance on the vault.
She landed awkwardly after failing to execute an Amanar and completing only a Yurchenko 1.5 twist.
Biles posted the lowest score of the first rotation on Tuesday before pulling out, with NBC reporting her withdrawal was down to a "mental issue she is having", according to comments from a Team USA coach.
Team USA were unable to defend their title and had to settle for silver, losing out to the Russian Olympic Committee, with Great Britain taking bronze.
But they were satisfied with the resilience they showed in the face of adversity, Biles indicating she would return for the women's all-around final on Thursday.
The now six-time Olympic medallist told BBC Sport: "I'm okay, just dealing with things internally that will get fixed out in the next couple of days.
"It's made us stronger [as a team] for sure."
Asked if she would be back on Thursday, Biles replied: "Yes."
Biles is the defending champion in the all-around from Rio 2016, where she also won gold in the vault and floor exercise.
Kei Nishikori was as surprised as anybody by Naomi Osaka going out of the Tokyo Olympics, but stressed it did not add to pressure on his shoulders.
Japan's two standard-setters in tennis are at opposite ends of their careers, with Nishikori seemingly in a slow decline and Osaka expected to add significantly to her four grand slams.
But the focus on the Japanese public looks set to switch to Nishikori for the rest of the tennis, after he reached the last-16 stage with a 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-1 win over American Marcos Giron on Tuesday.
Former world number four Nishikori and Ben McLachlan are through to the doubles quarter-finals too, which may be a likelier route to a medal.
Nishikori already has a bronze to his name from the 2016 Games, where he beat Rafael Nadal in the third-place match.
When asked whether he felt expectations shifting from Osaka on to his shoulders, after she lost to Marketa Vondrousova, Nishikori said: "Not really. I just need to focus on what I have to do on the court.
"It's very sad, of course, that Naomi lost and a surprise. But I knew she had a lot of pressure, this is her first time in the Olympics and I know it's not easy.
"I didn't see her match today, so I cannot say much."
Should Nishikori, now down at 69th in the rankings, beat Ilya Ivashka of Belarus on Wednesday, that could set up a quarter-final against hot favourite Novak Djokovic.
REVENGE FOR VILLAGE FAN TSITSIPAS
It was a weary Stefanos Tsitsipas who was pummelled in the first round of Wimbledon by Frances Tiafoe last month. On Tuesday, a more predictable outcome manifested as Greece's great hope scored a 6-3 6-4 victory over his American opponent.
That loss in London came barely a fortnight after Tsitsipas suffered a heartbreaking loss to Djokovic in the French Open final, from two sets up, and he was succinct with his verdict about what was different this time.
"Concentration and attention levels," was the Tsitsipas assessment.
Next for him is a testing third-round tussle with French shot-maker Ugo Humbert, and Tsitsipas will want to hang around, having been charmed by the Olympic Village experience after so long in the tennis bubble.
"It's a different contrast, it's a different approach completely," Tsitsipas said. "I've made friendships, connected with some other athletes. It's nice to be able to experience something like this. I find the Olympics are really a nice sports event.
"I met a big tennis enthusiast from India. He's doing shooting and we became good friends. I met some of the other Greek athletes, table tennis players, and rowers from different countries."
BRILLIANT BROADY
Liam Broady was a late addition to the Olympics draw and is making the most of the opportunity, with the unheralded British left-hander scoring a terrific 7-5 3-6 6-3 second-round win over Wimbledon semi-finalist Hubert Hurkacz.
Frenchman Jeremy Chardy awaits Broady after beating Russian Olympic Committee's Aslan Karatsev in three sets.
There were also wins on Tuesday for Karatsev's countryman Karen Khachanov and Argentinian Diego Schwartzman, while Wednesday's programme features the entire third-round line-up, including Djokovic's clash with Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Naomi Osaka was never preordained to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics but it had felt that way until she ran into Marketa Vondrousova.
The surprising 6-1 6-4 loss that a lacklustre Osaka suffered on Tuesday could be explained away by the fact the 23-year-old had not played any competitive tennis since pulling out of the French Open at the end of May.
All the same, it was a major upset as world number 42 Vondrousova took out the highest remaining seed in the draw – the Japanese star who lit the Olympic cauldron on Friday.
Osaka's exit, after previous shock defeats for top seed Ash Barty and number three Aryna Sabalenka, has raised the prospect of a shock champion, just as occurred five years ago at the Rio Games when Monica Puig of Puerto Rico caused a sensation.
Now at the quarter-final stage, there is one former grand slam champion left in the field and two finalists at that level, but it really looks like anyone's title.
VONDROUSOVA SENSES AN OPPORTUNITY
It was remarkably straightforward for Vondrousova at Ariake Tennis Park, as she cruised through the opening set and soon reeled in Osaka's early break in the second.
Osaka saved two match points when serving to stay in the contest, but not a third, planting a backhand wide.
Considering Vondrousova reached the French Open final two years ago, in front of packed grandstands rather than the empty seats in Tokyo, it was no surprise she hesitated when asked whether this win over Osaka was the biggest of her career. It probably doesn't have that cachet, good a win though it was.
"Of course it's one of the biggest," Vondrousova said.
"Naomi is a great player, she has so many grand slams, so I knew it would be a tough match. But I'm just very happy with my play. I played amazingly in the first set, and then the second set was really tough. I'm just happy to be through.
"I think she was struggling a bit with my serving. Also, I use drop-shots very well. I'm just very happy with my game today."
She faces Spain Paula Badosa next and said: "It's very open now. I think every girl is playing really well. Now it's the quarter-final, so we'll see."
HAS SVITOLINA'S TIME ARRIVED?
A fixture in the top 10 over recent seasons, Svitolina has been unable to transfer her regular tour form onto the major stage on a consistent basis.
Maybe the Olympics will be a platform towards success on that stage, with Svitolina now the highest seed remaining in the draw, at number four. The Ukrainian is also on a high on the personal front, having married French tennis star Gael Monfils shortly before heading to Tokyo.
Two semi-finals, at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2019, have been her deepest runs in the majors, and this season has been one of diminishing returns, with a fourth-round run in Australia followed by a third-round Roland Garros exit and a round-two loss at Wimbledon.
Svitolina beat Maria Sakkari of Greece 5-7 6-3 6-4 on Tuesday, setting up a quarter-final against Italian Camila Giorgi who won 6-4 6-2 against Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova.
"I don't think I'm a favourite because there are lots of good players here and everyone is quite equal," Svitolina said.
A MUG SHOT?
Should Spain's Garbine Muguruza be considered the favourite from this point? With French Open and Wimbledon titles in her trophy room, Muguruza has shown she has what it takes to triumph on a big stage, and a clinical 6-4 6-1 win over Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck on Tuesday was just the job.
She goes on to face Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who edged past Croatian Donna Vekic.
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland caused a surprise by ousting the in-form reigning French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, springing a 1-6 6-2 6-3 win that means there will be no repeat of the Roland Garros final in the quarter-finals.
That had been on the cards, but Bencic will be the player who takes on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the final four.
Pavlyuchenkova scored an impressive 6-1 6-3 victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain, the player who knocked out Barty in round one.
Russian Olympic Committee's Pavyluchenkova is looking to harness the form that took her to a maiden slam final, describing her Paris run as "a great experience to have".
"But every week is a new week and this is a new event," said the 30-year-old. "The Olympic Games is a very special event. It's different. It's nothing like the others."
Liverpool forward Diogo Jota hopes it is only a matter of time before he can experience playing in front of a full capacity crowd at Anfield for the first time.
The 24-year-old is gearing up for his second season with the Reds after joining from Wolves in September 2020.
Although playing to an empty Kop for almost the entirety of 2020-21, Jota made a blistering start to life on Merseyside with seven goals in his opening 10 appearances, making him the first Liverpool player to achieve that feat since Robbie Fowler in 1993.
The Portugal international, who represented his nation at Euro 2020, would go on to find the net 13 times for Jurgen Klopp’s side in all competitions – a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah (31) and Sadio Mane (16).
That goals return was all the more impressive considering he missed three months of his maiden campaign with a knee injury sustained during the Champions League clash with Midtjylland in December.
Upon his return to action, Jota sampled playing in front of a reduced Anfield crowd as spectators were gradually reintegrated towards the end of the season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Simone Biles managed just one event before being pulled from the rest of the women's team final in the artistic gymnastics with what was described as a "medical issue".
The usually brilliant Biles struggled on the vault, landing awkwardly after making a hash of an Amanar and completing only a Yurchenko 1.5 twist.
Biles posted the lowest score of the first rotation on Tuesday, which saw Team USA fall behind the Russian Olympic Committee, with a 13.766.
In worrying scenes, Biles then left the floor with a trainer immediately after the first rotation, with the team in deep discussion. While she did return to the floor in a tracksuit, it was later announced that she would take no further part in proceedings.
"Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue," USA Gymnastics tweeted.
"She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions. Thinking of you, Simone!"
This event was the first of six for Biles at Tokyo 2020, where she entered as the overwhelming favourite to defend the all-around title she won at Rio 2016.
Uncertainty is now sure to surround Biles' fate for the rest of these Games with any further absence representing a huge blow, given her status as one of the marquee athletes for an Olympics delayed by a year due the coronavirus pandemic.
NBC reported during the broadcast that Biles' withdrawal was not related to injury and was down to a "mental issue she is having", according to comments from a Team USA coach.
The 24-year-old gymnast had revealed on Instagram how she felt the "weight of the world" was on her shoulders after helping Team USA qualify for the final in Tokyo.
"It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it," Biles wrote.
"I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me, but damn sometimes it's hard hahaha!
"The Olympics is no joke. BUT I'm happy my family was able to be with me virtually. They mean the world to me."
Carissa Moore stormed to Olympic gold medal glory on surfing's Games debut as she dazzled in waters made choppier than normal by the nearby tropical cyclone.
Born in Hawaii, where she still lives, and a former student of the Punahou prep school that was also attended by Barack Obama and Michelle Wie, Moore added to her four world titles with the Tokyo 2020 top prize.
The 28-year-old had been a favourite for the new addition to the Olympic programme and did not disappoint, producing big runs on her fourth and fifth attempts on the waves at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach. She scored 7.33 followed by 7.60 for a combined 14.93 to comprehensively defeat Bianca Buitendag in the final.
Buitendag's best two scores were 3.23 and 5.23 as she failed to impress the judges in the way Moore's eye-catching performances had.
Few at the Olympics welcomed the threat of an incoming storm, but the surfers are a breed apart and thrive on the powerful waves, the likes of which Moore is familiar with from home.
If anything weighed on her shoulders, it appeared to be the medal more than the pressure.
"It's quite heavy," Moore said as she tried the gold on for size.
"I'm very proud and honoured. It's been a crazy couple of days, a little bit of a rollercoaster of emotions just trying to figure out the break, find my rhythm, learning how to trust myself without my family here.
"I feel super blessed, super fortunate. It's been an incredible experience."
Moore started her life in surfing at the age of five, on Waikiki beach in Honolulu, and she had described it as "a cherry on top" of her Olympic experience to reach the final.
While Buitendag took silver, bronze went to Japan's Amuro Tsuzuki.
Gold in the men's event went to Brazil's Italo Ferreira, who scored a resounding win over Japan's Kanoa Igarashi, prevailing by 15.14 to 6.60 in the final.
Igarashi had scored impressively on his way through the rounds, notably with a 17.00 combined score in the semi-final, but could not produce that level when it mattered most.
Ferreira said: "It's one of the best days of my life for sure. I was so nervous at the beginning but I just tried to surf and have fun because two months ago I was busy with training and thinking and dreaming and now I've got the gold medal. The dream came true."
Warren Gatland has selected Mako Vunipola to start for the British and Irish Lions in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
Head coach Gatland makes three changes to the side that beat the Springboks 22-17 last weekend, with Conor Murray and Chris Harris also coming into the starting XV to face the world champions on Saturday.
Vunipola replaces Rory Sutherland as he joins Luke Cowan-Dickie and Tadhg Furlong in the front row, while captain Alun Wyn Jones wins his 11th successive Lions Test cap as he partners Maro Itoje in an unchanged back row.
Murray comes in for Ali Price at scrum-half to partner Dan Biggar, while Harris is preferred to Elliot Daly to play alongside Robbie Henshaw in the centres.
The back three of Anthony Watson, Duhan van der Merwe and Stuart Hogg is unchanged, while Taulupe Faletau joins Sutherland, Price and Daly on the bench.
The Lions have only lost two series after winning the first Test, with the most recent occasion coming against Australia in 2001.
"As always, selection was incredibly tough," Gatland said. "However, we've made the changes we think are the right calls for the weekend's game.
"We feel we can go up another level from where we were in the first Test and I would expect us to improve.
"It's the biggest game on the Tour and we have to embrace the expectation that comes with it. As players and coaches, these are the games you want to be involved in.
"We’re relishing the opportunity to face the Springboks again on Saturday and potentially seal a series win."
British and Irish Lions: Stuart Hogg, Anthony Watson, Chris Harris, Robbie Henshaw, Duhan van der Merwe, Dan Biggar, Conor Murray; Mako Vunipola, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones (captain), Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Ken Owens, Rory Sutherland, Kyle Sinckler, Tadhg Beirne, Taulupe Faletau, Ali Price, Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly.
Andy Murray said the quad injury that ruled him out of defending his men's singles title at Tokyo 2020 has not been troubling him in matches, but his withdrawal was due to concerns over results showing up in scans.
The Olympic champion in 2012 and 2016 opted to pull out of the singles prior to his scheduled first-round showdown against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday.
Instead, Murray decided to continue in the doubles alongside Joe Salisbury, where the pair made the quarter-finals on Tuesday by beating German duo Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-2 7-6 (7-2).
It means Murray remains on track for a third straight Olympic gold and he offered a bit of insight behind his decision not to play in the singles.
"I've had a bit of an issue with my quad," he said.
"It's actually not really been causing me many issues on the court like in practice or anything, there was just some stuff showing on the scans that made all the medical team a bit wary about it.
"I said to Joe that if he picked me to play doubles with him then I'd prioritise the doubles over the singles if I had any physical issues and that was the case.
"It's disappointing for me because I do feel like I've been playing well, and I've loved the Olympics and I would've liked the opportunity to defend my title.
"But that wasn't to be and now all the focus and energy goes towards the doubles and to try our best to get a medal there."
Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig await Murray and Salisbury in the last eight.
Shohei Ohtani once again starred for the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, leading Joe Maddon to declare nobody else is even in the running for this season's MVP award in the American League.
The two-way superstar produced another inspired performance during the Angels' 6-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Ohtani gave up just one run during a dominant seven innings at Angel Stadium, lowering his ERA for the season to 3.04.
The 27-year-old, who became the first player to start as a pitcher and a hitter in an All-Star game earlier this year, also recorded his 100th strikeout of 2021 after pitching at well over 100mph.
Then there is his tally of 35 home runs before the end of July - the best in the MLB. He is the first pitcher to hit more than nine while recording triple-digit strikeouts in the same season.
Not only that, but Ohtani became only the fourth pitcher in the past 30 seasons to have a hit, run, RBI and stolen base in a single inning.
Angels manager Maddon thinks the numbers make a strong case as to why the Japanese player is a clear favourite to be named MVP.
"To me, it's not even close," he said. "When people talk about it being close, it's not.
"What he's doing is so unique. It's just so different compared to anybody else right now.
"Nobody's doing what he's doing, and nobody's done what he's doing, if that makes any sense. He is so motivated."
Naomi Osaka saw her Tokyo 2020 gold medal hopes go up in smoke after a painful defeat and admitted: "This one sucks more than the others."
The world number two had seen top-ranked Ash Barty bounced out in the first round, and the face of Japan's Games looked primed for a run deep into the tournament.
But the prospects of home glory in women's tennis were dashed in round three when Osaka crumbled 6-1 6-4 to Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.
Osaka, who lit the Olympic cauldron in Friday's opening ceremony, was left scrambling for answers as to why she underperformed.
"How disappointed am I? I mean, I'm disappointed in every loss, but I feel like this one sucks more than the others," she said.
"I definitely feel like there was a lot of pressure for this. I think it's maybe because I haven't played in the Olympics before and for the first year [it] was a bit much."
Asked what went wrong against the world number 42, Osaka said: "Everything – if you watch the match then you would probably see. I feel like there's a lot of things that I counted on that I couldn't rely on today."
There were certainly mitigating circumstances that the 23-year-old might have pointed to, given she had not played since the French Open before heading into the Olympics.
Osaka pulled out of Roland Garros after winning through her first-round match, citing anxiety and pointing to episodes of depression as she explained why she refused to take part in news conferences during the tournament.
Her declarations in Paris came after the four grand slam tournaments warned she could be thrown out of their events if she persistently refused to talk to the media.
Already a four-time grand slam winner, Osaka has found plenty of public support and there was criticism of the tennis authorities for their stance.
To many in Japan, she can do little wrong, although she could also do little right against Vondrousova. Osaka had 32 unforced errors to just 10 from Vondrousova, who also hit more winners.
After saving two match points, Osaka swung a backhand wide on a third to seal her exit.
Despite her disappointment, Osaka felt she had given a reasonable account following a recent absence from the tour, which saw her miss Wimbledon.
But the Games called for more than that, and it was a deflated Osaka who spoke afterwards, explaining how the pressure on her shoulders proved overbearing.
"I've taken long breaks before and I've managed to do well," she said. "I'm not saying that I did bad right now, but I do know that my expectations were a lot higher.
"I feel like my attitude wasn't that great because I don't really know how to cope with that pressure, so that's the best that I could have done in this situation."
Olympic chiefs have declared any "flagrant abuses" of Games principles will be dealt with firmly after an Israeli judoka was controversially left without a round-of-32 opponent.
Algerian Fethi Nourine was suspended by the International Judo Federation on Saturday and ordered to leave Tokyo after pulling out of the men's 73kg event to avoid Israel's Tohar Butbul.
Nourine had been due to face Sudan's Mohamed Abdalrasool in an eliminator for the right to face Butbul but abandoned his Tokyo 2020 mission, citing political support for the Palestinian cause.
Abdalrasool, handed a bye through to a match against Butbul on Monday, then also failed to compete. No reason has been forthcoming for his absence, although it was confirmed he weighed in for the event.
Butbul was waved through to the next round and went on to finish seventh overall in the competition.
Speaking in a media briefing on Tuesday, International Olympic Committee director of solidarity James Macleod said: "Obviously the IOC is always concerned in these cases and is monitoring it very closely.
"If there are flagrant abuses of the Olympic charter, the IOC will take all necessary measures in that respect.
"The IOC is looking at every case that's brought to us. We will investigate every case that's brought to us, even from third parties.
"The IOC has been very clear that non-discrimination, autonomy, all these principles in the Olympic charter, are things we will not flinch from and we will adopt a strict position on all of those."
Within its list of fundamental principles, the Olympic charter says there can be no place for "discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status".
Japanese superstar Naomi Osaka crashed out of the Tokyo Olympics tennis with a 6-1 6-4 defeat to Czech world number 42 Marketa Vondrousova.
Osaka, who lit the flame at Friday's opening ceremony, had won her opening two matches but bowed out in straight sets, with Vondrousova reaching the quarter-finals.
In the first set, Vondrousova dominated on her first serve and broke three times, before the Japanese hit back with an early break in the second. But the Czech fought back to win, with Osaka finishing with 32 unforced errors to just 10 by her opponent.
"Of course it's one of the biggest wins of my career," Vondrousova said. "Naomi is a great player, she has so many grand slams, so I knew it would be a tough match. I'm very happy with my play. I played amazingly in the first set, and then the second set was really tough. I'm just happy to be through."
World number two Osaka joins top seed and Wimbledon champion Ash Barty in being eliminated early at the Tokyo Games.
In the men's singles second round, fourth-ranked Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas eased past American Francis Tiafoe 6-3 6-4, avenging a shock Wimbledon defeat.
DUFFY DELIGHT
Flora Duffy won Bermuda's first-ever Olympic gold medal with victory in the women's triathlon on Tuesday at Odaiba Marine Park.
The four-time Olympian failed to finish in Beijing, came 45th in London and improved to eighth in Rio de Janeiro.
Duffy took the Tokyo title in a time of one hour, 55 minutes and 36 seconds, finishing more than a minute ahead of Britain's Georgia Taylor-Brown who took silver, with USA's Katie Zaferes claiming bronze.
“It's always been my dream to race at the Olympics and be a professional athlete with the goal of being an Olympic champion," Duffy said.
"That's not the easiest thing to do regardless of where you're from. Bermuda is a small country, but it's really passionate about its sport.
“I'm so grateful that I could achieve a personal dream here of winning an Olympic medal, but this is bigger than me, this is going to inspire the youth of Bermuda and everyone back home that competing on the world stage from a small island is really possible."
The 33-year-old broke clear in a group of seven early in the bike stage, before dominating the 10km run.
Bermuda, which has a population of just over 70,000, had only claimed one medal previously in Olympic history, a bronze in 1976.
MCKEOWN BREAKS OLYMPIC RECORD
Australia secured a second gold medal in the pool as Kaylee McKeown broke the Olympic record in the women's 100m backstroke.
McKeown won in 57.47, finishing ahead of Canada's Kylie Masse by 0.25 seconds, with USA's Regan Smith taking bronze. Masse had led at the turn.
In the men's 100m backstroke, Russian Olympic Committee claimed a one-two finish as Evgeny Rylov edged out countryman Kliment Kolesnikov, who holds the 50m world record. Ryan Murphy, who is the world record holder across 100m, claimed bronze.
Great Britain's Tom Dean won the men's 200m freestyle by 0.04, marginally ahead of compatriot Duncan Scott, with Brazil's Fernando Scheffer coming in third. The result meant two British male swimmers stood on the same Olympic podium for the first time since 1908.
World record holder Lilly King finished third as US teenager Lydia Jacoby triumphed in the women's 50m breaststroke. South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmaker claimed silver.
CHINESE PAIR ON TARGET
China claimed another gold medal in the final of the 10m air pistol mixed team at the Asaka Shooting Range.
China's Ranxin Jiang and Wei Pang won 16-14 over Russian Olympic Committee pair Vitalina Batsarashkina and Artem Chernousov.
Ukraine duo Olena Kostevych and Oleh Omelchuk won the bronze by beating Serbia.
The 10m air rifle mixed team bronze and gold medal matches were taking place later on Tuesday.
AUSSIES SINGING IN MEN'S HOCKEY
World number two side Australia knocked off reigning Olympic gold medallists Argentina 5-2 in the men's hockey group stage.
Australia claimed their third consecutive victory and top Group A, this time being aided by two goals from Blake Govers.
The Kookaburras have only won one Olympic gold despite often being a dominant side in men's hockey and are one of the favourites to triumph in Tokyo.
Japan and New Zealand, who both previously lost to Australia, drew 2-2 in the other Group A game.
In Group B, world number four India won 3-0 over Spain, while fifth-ranked Germany beat Great Britain 5-1.
Shohei Ohtani continues to amaze after doing it all again as the Los Angeles Angels won 6-2 over the Colorado Rockies in the MLS on Monday.
In the first inning, Ohtani drove in an RBI single as David Fletcher scored, before stealing a base to second.
Ohtani stepped up on the mound throughout too, tossing down five strikeouts, including a handful of outstanding sliders across seven innings, allowing five hits.
Jack Mayfield came up with a two-run shot down the line in the seventh inning to put the Angels 4-1 up.
The Angels added another two in the eighth inning to round out the win which lifts them to 50-49.
Walkoffs and a go-ahead grand slam
Andrew McCutchen launched a massive three-run home run to earn the Philadelphia Phillies an exhilarating 6-5 walk-off win over the Washington Nationals.
With two runners on base down 5-3 in the ninth inning, McCutchen hit Brad Hand high over Juan Soto's head in right-field for a homer.
Javier Baez also walked it off with an RBI single to lead the Chicago Cubs past the Cincinnati Reds 6-5.
Alex Verdugo hit a two-run go-ahead homer as the Boston Red Sox continued their recent dominance over the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5-4 win. Boston now have 33 comeback wins this season.
Kyle Tucker hit a three-run home run as the Houston Astros raced to a 6-0 first inning lead which they surrendered, eventually losing 11-8 to the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners trailed 8-7 at the bottom of the eighth inning when Dylan Moore hit a decisive go-ahead grand slam to left field from Brooks Raley.
Rockies rocky road
Ohtani claimed the win against the Rockies, but Colorado's road record is a major concern, suffering their third straight away defeat. The Rockies have the worst road record in the majors, going at 10-37, compared to 33-20 at home.
Cabrera closes in on 500
The Detroit Tigers may have lost 6-5 to the Minnesota Twins but veteran slugger Miguel Cabrera moved a step closer to his 500th home run, with a two-run homer. Cabrera, 38, now has 495 career home runs.
Monday's results
Atlanta Braves 2-0 New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox 5-4 Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago Cubs 6-5 Cincinnati Reds
Kansas City Royals 4-3 Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins 6-5 Detroit Tigers
New York Mets 1-0 Atlanta Braves
Los Angeles Angels 6-2 Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners 11-8 Houston Astros
Yankees at Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays (60-40) take on American League East contenders, the New York Yankees (51-47), in the opening game of their series.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
