Stearns makes history in Rome with third straight win in final-set tiebreak

American Peyton Stearns edged out Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the No 16 seed, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4) to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open at the Foro Italico in Rome.

Stearns, ranked No 42, will face Italian Jasmine Paolini, the No 6 seed, next. It’s the first time in WTA history that a player has won three consecutive matches in final-set tiebreaks.

In the previous rounds, the American won against Italian wildcard Nuria Brancaccio (6-3, 6-2), Russian Anna Kalinskaya, the No 28 seed (6-2, 6-3), No 5 seed Madison Keys (2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3)) and Japanese Naomi Osaka (6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4)).

Svitolina, ranked No 14, beat Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (6-4, 7-6 (2)), American qualifier Hailey Baptiste (6-4, 3-6, 6-4) and American Danielle Collins, the No 29 seed (6-4, 6-2) earlier in the tournament.

Rome WTA 1000, other last-eight results (Foro Italico, clay, EUR 6.009.593, most recent results first):

• Aryna Sabalenka vs. Qinwen Zheng
• Coco Gauff vs. Mirra Andreeva
• Jasmine Paolini beat Diana Shnaider (13): 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2