Naomi Osaka said it was 'really surreal' to earn praise from Andy Murray during her Australian Open match

• Andy Murray tweeted praise for superstar Naomi Osaka during her Australian Open match on Wednesday.
• After the straight-set win, Osaka replied by complimenting the Brit's passion and fight.

Plenty of tennis fans are fond of Naomi Osaka's game, and now, one of the men's side's biggest stars is joining the chorus.

British great Andy Murray took to Twitter during Osaka's Australian Open match on Wednesday to praise the 24-year-old's smooth stroke on the court.

"Anyone hit the ball cleaner from the baseline than @naomiosaka ? " he wrote.

After taking down American Madison Brengle 6-0, 6-4 to advance to the third round, Osaka told the media that it was "a little bit shocking" to read such kind words from the former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion "because when you're playing, you never really think about [how] the TV is broadcasting it and other people are watching."

Still, she fired off a quick — and equally kind — reply to Murray:

"Anyone put their heart on their sleeve and fight harder than @andy_murray ? " Osaka wrote.

—NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 19, 2022

The four-time Grand Slam champion — who is currently defending her Australian Open victory from last year — went on to further explain how much the interaction meant to her during her post-match press conference.

"It definitely means a lot for me. It was a really cool moment," Osaka said. "Definitely really surreal."

"It was really cool just to have someone like him talking about my game," she added.

On Monday, Murray beat No. 21 Nikoloz Basilashvili in a five-set thriller in the first round of the Open. He'll face Japan's Taro Daniel Thursday at 5:30 p.m. local time, or 1:30 a.m. EST, for a shot at the third round.

Osaka, meanwhile, is already through to round three. She's set to face American Amanda Anisimova on Thursday. Should she win, Osaka could be faced with a megawatt fourth-round showdown against world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty — the Australian superstar who won Wimbledon last year.