- 'Something was wrong', defendant in French mass rape tells court
- Hezbollah chief admits 'unprecedented' blow in device blasts
- Sales of US existing homes slip slightly in August
- Fear, panic haunt Lebanese after devices explode
- Labuschagne sparks Australia fightback in England ODI opener
- S.Africa's HIV research power couple says fight goes on
- Why is Israel focusing on border with Lebanon?
- Mpox vaccines administered in Rwanda, first in Africa
- US Fed rate cut is 'very positive sign' for economy: Yellen
- Unknown Mozart string trio discovered in Germany
- 'Are we five-year-olds?' F1 drivers won't mind their language
- Brazil judge orders X to reimpose block or face hefty fine
- Munich to rename stadium street after Beckenbauer
- Champions Italy to face Argentina in Davis Cup Final 8
- The winding, fitful path to weight loss drug Ozempic
- Italians defeat American Magic to reach Louis Vuitton Cup final
- Norris has 'nothing to lose' as he hunts Verstappen in Singapore
- Kyiv 'outraged' at Swiss showing of Russian war film
- French city renames Abbe Pierre square after abuse claims
- Footballer charged after huge cannabis seizure at UK airport
- Vatican recognises Medjugorje shrine, but not Virgin's messages
- Israel bombs Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon after wave of deadly blasts
- Bank of England freezes rate after jumbo US cut
- Playing Nadal is 'kind of a nightmare', says Alcaraz
- Portugal tackles last of deadly northern forest fires
- Ton-up Ashwin lifts India to 339-6 against Bangladesh
- Departing NATO chief warns US against 'isolationism'
- Coming winter 'sternest test yet' for Ukraine energy grid
- Evacuations as tail of Storm Boris floods northeast Italy
- Lebanon's Hezbollah reeling after second wave of deadly blasts
- Taiwan recognises same-sex marriages between Chinese, Taiwanese
- Stock markets rally after jumbo US rate cut
- Gabon's ousted leader Bongo says renouncing politics for good
- Lebanon device blasts: what we know about deadly attacks
- Equity markets rally after jumbo US rate cut
- Late Harrods owner Al-Fayed accused of rape: BBC
- Hong Kong man sentenced 14 months for wearing 'seditious' T-shirt
- Lebanon's Hezbollah in disarray after second wave of deadly blasts
- Equity markets, yen rally after jumbo US rate cut
- Meta and Spotify blast EU decisions on AI
- Hasan takes three as Bangladesh rattle India in first Test
- Two killed during police operation in New Caledonia
- Flood-hit region leaders to meet in Poland to discuss EU aid
- Sri Lanka to vote in first poll since economic collapse
- Hong Kong probe finds Cathay Airbus defect could cause 'extensive' damage
- AI development cannot be left to market whim, UN experts warn
- All Blacks primed for 'hell' of a Wallabies clash
- Japan firm says no longer makes radio reportedly used in Lebanon blasts
- Zoom fatigue? Try some nature in your background: study
- Boeing to start large-scale furloughs with Seattle strike talks stalled
Dethroned Osaka to tumble below 80th after early Melbourne exit
Former world number one Naomi Osaka is set to plummet below 80th in the rankings after her Australian Open title defence met a shuddering halt in only the third round.
The four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan is currently ranked 14th -- already low by her standards -- but is set to fall after her early demise in Melbourne.
Osaka squandered two match points on Friday as 60th-ranked American Amanda Anisimova stunned her 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10/5) to set up a showdown with top seed and home hope Ashleigh Barty in the last 16.
The 24-year-old Osaka said that she was "not quite worried" about her tumble down the rankings -- the last time she was below 80 was in August 2016.
"I think that it will go up to where it needs to go up to if I keep playing like this throughout the year," said Osaka, who was happy with her performance despite losing.
"I'm just going to keep my head down and keep working hard. I think I'll get to where I need to get to."
It compounds a difficult six months for Osaka.
She beat American Jennifer Brady in last year's Melbourne Park final but then withdrew from the French Open -- having said she would not do press conferences to protect her mental health -- and did not play at Wimbledon.
She made a tearful early exit at the US Open in September and took an indefinite break from tennis, saying she had struggled with depression.
Osaka returned to action in Australia at the start of this year with a new outlook, saying she was determined to have more fun on court in 2022.
She denied lack of playing time had contributed to her loss to Anisimova, but revealed her coach Wim Fissette thought otherwise.
"Wim said it probably did because I didn't play a person that served and returned really well (until facing Anisimova).
"So he said if I played people that returned as well as she did before maybe I would have been more prepared, but those are the choices that I made."
Osaka was non-committal about what the new few months will hold.
"Honestly, I'm not so sure right now, I'm kind of just settling in what just happened," she said.
"But I guess I'll just think about it a lot and try to understand my body more because I feel when I suddenly play a lot of matches I kind of get a little niggle (injury) here and there, which I'd love to prevent.
"I'm not sure if it's something I have to do more during practice and training or if I just have to play more matches."
E.Schubert--BTB