Naomi Osaka was eliminated from the Italian Open yesterday after losing to Peyton Stearns 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) as her struggles for form at the top level continued.
In the quarter-finals, Stearns will face either Danielle Collins, who knocked out reigning champion Iga Swiatek, or Elina Svitolina after coming through an attritional match which lasted the best part of three hours on a baking centre court.
Osaka is another big name that American Stearns has beaten in Rome after also knocking out fifth seed Madison Keys in the previous round.
Former world number one Osaka has looked a long way from the player who has won four Grand Slams since returning last year from a 15-month break from tennis for the birth of her daughter.
Her comeback was also hampered by an abdominal injury that forced her out of the Australian Open, after which early exits at Indian Wells and Madrid highlighted how far she was from her best.
Osaka warmed up for Rome by winning a minor event in Saint Malo in France earlier this month.
But she has failed to get past the last 16 of a tournament higher than the WTA 125 series since losing the Auckland final back in January.
Later, Jannik Sinner continues his bid for a first Rome title against lucky loser Jesper de Jong who will come up against not just the world number one but also a partisan crowd.
No Italian has won the men’s Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976, and Monday’s match will be seen as another warm-up as Sinner tries to find top form ahead of the French Open which starts later this month.
Sinner’s compatriot Jasmine Paolini cruised past Jelena Ostapenko and into the women’s quarter-finals, easing past her Latvian opponent in straight sets 7-5, 6-2.
Sixth seed Paolini will face Diana Shnaider in the last eight as she eyes another deep run in a 1000 series tournament after losing to world number Aryna Sabalenka, who later takes on Marta Kostyuk, in the Miami semi-finals.
Iwobi vows Fulham must end EPL season on positive note
Fulham midfielder, Alex Iwobi has said it is important for the Whites to end the season on a positive note after their 3-1 home loss to Everton.
Raul Jimenez scored the opener for Marco Silva’s side in the 20th minute.
Everton equalised on the stroke of half time and then scored twice after the break to secure maximum points.
The defeat put a dent on Fulham’s chances of qualifying for Europe next season.
Iwobi, however, stated that they must work to win their remaining two matches.
“Of course it was disappointing,” he was quoted by the club’s official website.
“We felt we controlled the first-half and then when they scored the equaliser, it probably boosted them for the second-half
“The season’s not done – let’s see what we can do.”