Italian Open: Zheng beats Osaka to move into quarter-finals

China’s Qinwen Zheng, the No 7 seed, reached the quarter-finals of the Italian Open by defeating Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4 at the Foro Italico in Roma on Monday.

This is the first time that Zheng has won three matches in a tournament since reaching her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open in January. She was only 5-6 on the tour since her breakthrough in Melbourne.

Osaka, who is now coached by Wim Fissette, who was earlier coaching Zheng but left the Chinese player last year to work with the Japanese player for a second time in their careers.

Zheng, ranked No 7, will play the winner of the match between American Coco Gauff, the No 3 seed, and Spaniard Paula Badosa next. She is through to the quarter-finals in Rome for the second year in a row.

The 21-year-old Chinese won against American Shelby Rogers (6-2, 6-0) and No 29 seed Linda Noskova (3-6, 6-1, 6-2) earlier in the week.

In the previous rounds of the tournament, Osaka, ranked No 173, beat Frenchwoman Clara Burel (7-6 (2), 6-1), Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, the No 19 seed (6-3, 6-2) and Russian Daria Kasatkina, the No 10 seed (6-3, 6-3).

Roma WTA 1000, other round of 16 results (Foro Italico, clay, USD 5,509,771):

• Elina Svitolina vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Maria Sakkari vs. Victoria Azarenka
• Danielle Collins vs. Irina-Camelia Begu
• Iga Swiatek vs. Angelique Kerber
• Rebecca Sramkova vs. Jelena Ostapenko
• Coco Gauff vs. Paula Badosa
• Madison Keys vs. Sorana Cirstea

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