Karolína Plíšková advanced to the quarterfinals in Rome, Krejčíková did not use two matchwords against Šwiateková

Karolina Pliskova In Rome, she easily managed to deal with the former world number 11 Anastasia Sevastova at the beginning, and even in her ninth tournament this year she managed the opening match. After a 7-5 6-3 victory over the qualifier, former world number two and two-time grand slam finalist Vera Zvonareva, which repaid the defeat of Moscow in 2018, however, only for the third time in the season she won twice in a row and advanced to the quarterfinals.

Against the winner of Petra Kvitová from the previous round in the introductory set, she did not confirm the break three times, once in the state of 5-4, when she served to gain the set. However, the Czech number one managed to win and on the second attempt she served the opening act.

Last year’s finalist and last year’s champion entered the second set with another break, but she did not confirm it either, and at 1-2 she had to eliminate four breakball threats. She managed with everyone, she had the upper hand in the rest of the match and will play the quarterfinals in Foro Italic for the fourth time (balance 2-1).

“She’s a big fighter. She’s back at a certain level, so it’s pretty hard to beat her. I had to win it myself because she won’t give anything for free. I remember her playing before,” Plíšková told the former world pair Zvonareva.

The evens their H2H

Former champion @KaPliskova defeats Zvonareva in a tight encounter to advance to the quarterfinals!#IBI21 pic.twitter.com/GumEsqXSaq

– wta (@WTA) May 13, 2021

Plíšková will fight against her first semifinal since last September, when she gave up the title fight with Simona Halepová in Rome. Jelena Ostapenková. With Latvia five years younger, he is in balance 4-3, last beat her in three sets last month on clay court in Stuttgart.

Winner Roland Garros from 2017 Ostapenková today she defeated 4-6 6-3 6-4 Germany Angelique Kerberovou, which retaliated for a three-year-old defeat at Wimbledon, and for the first time since the 2019 Luxembourg triumph, won three consecutive matches.

Barbora Krejčíková, which played its biggest final in Dubai in mid-March, can definitely evaluate its debut in Foro Italica positively. She arrived in Rome with this year’s clay balance of 1-2 and masterfully lost Saisai Zheng and world number five Sofia Keninova (the premier scalp player of the Top 10).

Today she had another grand slam champion “on the shovel”, but after two unused matchballs, she ended up with an almost three-hour battle with Igou Šwiatekovou lost 6-3 6-7 (5) 5-7. She wasn’t even enough for the reigning French Open winner for the second time.

Until 6-3 2-0 for Krejčíková, the match was of appalling quality, in the opening act the players made a total of 45 unforced errors and hit only 14 winning strokes. Krejčíková failed to catch up with the lead 30-0 on serve and Šwiateková was awakened by the rib.

The match suddenly took a completely different direction, both players showed great tennis and there was only one break to see. At 5-6, Šwiateková deflected both matchwords with an active game, won a tie-break, in the decisive set she deflected three breakballs in one game and ended the match on the return after turning the second match ball.

“It’s hard to play against opponents like Barbora. They don’t make mistakes and wait for the other one to make a mistake. I’m usually not patient, but I’m glad I was today,” Polka said.

Nineteen-year-old Šwiateková will challenge Elina Svitolinová in her premiere quarterfinals at the WTA 1000 tournaments. Ukrainian champion from 2017 and 2018 today beat 6-2 6-4 another former Roland Garros winner Spain Garbiñe Muguruzaovou and adjusted the balance to 7-5.

Rebounded just in time @iga_swiatek outlasts Krejcikova in three sets to advance to the quarterfinals!#IBI21 pic.twitter.com/2Rt2w20QQb

– wta (@WTA) May 13, 2021

World number one Ashleigh Bartyová, which lost a series of 16 European clay victories in the final in Madrid on Saturday, managed twice 6-3 with Veronika Kuděrmetová, adjusted its balance this year to 27 wins and four defeats and advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in Rome. In it, surprisingly, he does not meet his last conqueror Aryna Sabalenkova, but 17 years old Cori Gauffovou.

Seven matches undefeated Sabalenková, who won her first clay trophy on Saturday in Madrid, was not enough for Gauff’s 5-7 3-6 after a performance full of unforced mistakes. The American will fight Barty for her biggest semifinal in her career.

Victory lap for @ashbarty as the fans are back in Rome

The World No.1 is through to face Gauff in the @InteBNLdItalia quarterfinals! pic.twitter.com/qtbKqMCHVf

– wta (@WTA) May 13, 2021

Coco go OFF

@CocoGauff stuns Madrid champion Sabalenka 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Rome quarterfinals!#IBI21 pic.twitter.com/sXD6wrmDwe

– wta (@WTA) May 13, 2021

Jessica Pegulaová in Rome she did not lose a set even in her third match and for the first time in her career she will play the clay quarterfinals on the main circuit. The defeated world number two Naomi Osaka from the previous round lost 6-2 6-4 Ekaterina Alexandrovova in the round of 16. The 27-year-old American will challenge in the quarterfinals Peter Martychev (H2H 1-3).

A perfect 7/7 on break points converted

@JLPegula reaches her first WTA quarterfinal on clay with a straight-sets win over Alexandrova!#IBI21 pic.twitter.com/3BapOZYv4Q

– wta (@WTA) May 13, 2021

Martičová arrived in Rome with a series of five defeats, yet she will play her first quarterfinals in the Foro Italic and only the third since last year’s restart. The 30-year-old Croatian advanced to it after a 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory over the winner of Serena Williams and the semifinalist of last year’s French Open Nadia Podoroska, and is fighting for her first semifinal since last August and the biggest in her career.

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