Italian Open: new upset in the WTA draw, Mertens defeats Pegula
Elise Mertens defeated Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-1 on Saturday evening. She’ll play Russian Diana Shnaider, the No 13 seed, in the next round
Jessica Pegula US Open 2023 – Zuma / Panoramic
Belgian Elise Mertens, the No 25 seed, won against American Jessica Pegula, the No 3 seed, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the last 16 of the Italian Open at the Foro Italico in Roma, in the last match of the night session on Saturday evening.
Mertens, ranked No 24, will play Russian Diana Shnaider, the No 13 seed, next.
This half of the draw has now lost Iga Swiatek (N.2), Jessica Pegula (N.3) and Madison Keys (N.5), the three best ranked players.
In the previous round of the Rome tournament, Pegula, ranked No 4, won against Ashlyn Krueger (6-4, 6-2).
Roma WTA 1000, other third-round results (Foro Italico, clay, EUR 6.009.593, most recent results first):
- Linda Noskova vs. Mirra Andreeva
- Magdalena Frech vs. Qinwen Zheng
- Emma Navarro vs. Clara Tauson
- Elena Rybakina vs. Bianca Andreescu
- Coco Gauff vs. Magda Linette
- Emma Raducanu vs. Veronika Kudermetova
- Leylah Fernandez vs. Marta Kostyuk
- Aryna Sabalenka vs. Sofia Kenin
- Naomi Osaka beat Marie Bouzkova: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
- Jelena Ostapenko vs. Laura Siegemund
- Jasmine Paolini (6) beat Ons Jabeur (27): 6-4, 6-3
- Elina Svitolina (16) beat Hailey Baptiste (Q): 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
- Danielle Collins (29) beat Iga Swiatek (2): 6-1, 7-5
- Diana Shnaider beat Jaqueline Cristian: 6-3, 6-3
- Peyton Stearns beat Madison Keys (5): 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3)
