Italian Open: Zheng Qinwen overcomes Naomi Osaka to reach quarters, protesters disrupt two matches
Updated 13/05/2024 at 20:02 GMT+1
Naomi Osaka's journey at this year's Italian Open has come to an end after she suffered a straight-sets defeat at the hands of No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen. Osaka missed out on the chance of reaching the quarter-finals after losing 6-2 6-4 on Monday. Elsewhere, there were two incidents where Italian Open matches were disrupted after several protesters entered the courts.
Osaka 'a lot more confident' heading to Roland-Garros after Italian Open efforts
Video credit: SNTV
Naomi Osaka has been knocked out of the Italian Open after suffering a straight-sets last-16 defeat at the hands of No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen on Monday.
Osaka's run in Rome came to an end after she lost 6-2 6-4 to the Australian Open finalist in one hour and 24 minutes.
Zheng progresses into the quarter-finals of the tournament where she will face Coco Gauff for a place in the last four.
Osaka was enjoying a fine run at this year's edition after winning three consecutive matches on clay for just the third time in her career.
However, her serve let her down on Monday as she was broken three times in the opening set, and then again in the first game of the second set which proved to be decisive.
Zheng managed to convert all four break points that she was offered during the match as she stormed into the next round.
It was only the second meeting between both players after Osaka had come away victorious in their first match during the San Jose Open in 2022.
"If you really want to compare [to their previous match], I want to say maybe the return [was most improved]," Zheng said after the match.
"I'm able to return her serve today. I try to make her play as more as I can compare to the last time. I remember last time the match went in third set. In the third set I lose my service game really fast.
"But today what I'm doing good is when I lost my service game in the first set, I'm able to come back and trying to find a way to break her back again."
PROTESTS DISRUPT Two MATCHES
Meanwhile, the Italian Open was hit with disruptions to a couple of matches on Monday, with protesters entering the courts.
The last-16 match between Madison Keys and Sorana Cirstea was briefly suspended after environmental protesters - as confirmed by an official statement from Rome organisers - found their way onto the court and scattered it with confetti, before security stepped in to remove them.
Keys managed to overcome the disruption and went on to claim a 6-2 6-1 win over Cirstea to book her place in the next round.
There was another incident on Court 12 just moments later in the doubles match where Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Santiago Gonzalez were up against Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.
Two protesters ran onto the court and scattered confetti everywhere, which once again caused a halt in play.
When the action resumed, Arevalo and Pavic claimed a 6-1 6-2 victory.
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