Naomi Osaka into Rome quarters, wraps up French Open top seeding

Japan’s Naomi Osaka won twice on Thursday to reach the Italian Open quarterfinals, retaining the world number one ranking ahead of the start of the French Open next week.

She eased into the last eight in Rome with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Osaka beat the 29th-ranked Romanian in 78 minutes after earlier beating Slovak Dominika Cibulkova by the same scoreline in one hour and 42 minutes in the second round, as players doubled up after the previous day was washed out.

At the start of the day, the 21-year-old had needed to make the quarterfinals to ensure Romanian Simona Halep could not swipe the number one ranking and with it top seeding in the French Open.

But Osaka’s top spot was guaranteed when reigning Roland Garros champion Halep fell to Czech Marketa Vondrousova 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the second round.

“I have to think about winning tournaments. That’s sort of what I’ve been thinking about this entire tournament,” said Osaka.

“Of course, it’s a relief (to be top seed at Roland Garros) because that definitely was a very big goal of mine.”

Osaka next meets Madrid Open champion and sixth seed Kiki Bertens for a place in the final four.

The two players have met twice before, but never on clay, with Bertens winning at the WTA Finals last year to avenge a straight sets loss to the Japanese star in Acapulco in 2016.

Osaka, who broke through by winning the US Open last year and Australian Open this year, did not survive the second round in her two previous appearances in Rome.

Before this year Osaka had never made the last eight of any clay tournament, but has now also reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart and quarterfinals in Madrid as she warms up for the French Open start on May 26.


With a game often pigeon-holed as ideal for harder courts than clay, Osaka insists she is getting used to the slower European surface.

“One of the biggest things is instead of complaining about it, I’m just trying to figure out how to adapt to it. This is, like, an inevitable part of the season.

“This is the clay season, I can’t just skip this entire swing. I also feel like I want to be a player that’s great on all surfaces. I think one of the biggest steps is, of course, starting to do well on clay, learning how to adapt.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

French Open: Serena sweeps aside Svitolina, schedule fears

Defending champion Serena Williams brushed off concerns about a busy playing schedule after powering into the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Williams reached the last eight at Roland Garros for the 10th time after pulverizing 18th seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour on Court Philippe Chatrier.

But the world number one, who next plays Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, faces the challenge of playing four matches in four days in her pursuit of a record-equalling 22nd Open era Grand Slam title.

“Four in a row? I think for us…when we play regular tournaments you play four, five matches in a row. It’s what happens,” said Williams.

“In Rome I played four in a row? Five? I don’t know. But, you know, in Miami and Indian Wells you just play every day. It’s something you just get used to. It’s totally fine I think for me and for everyone.”

Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky dumped out sister Venus 6-2, 6-4 to rule out the prospect of the two Williams siblings meeting in the semi-finals.

Bacsinszky, who reached the semi-finals in Paris a year ago, reeled off nine of 10 games after trailing 0-2 in the first set to lay the foundation for her victory.

“If I could play here every day of my life, I would do it,” said Bacsinszky, who will meet unseeded Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens next.

“Being in a quarter-final in a slam is like every player’s dream. Like some have achieved it way more times than others, but for me it’s my third.

“I still sometimes cannot believe it, especially if you have a great win over such a good player.”

Bertens reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final after defeating American 15th seed Madison Keys 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

The world number 58, conqueror of Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the first round, has now won 11 straight matches after arriving in Paris fresh from lifting the Nuremberg clay-court title as a qualifier.

Putintseva, 21, the youngest player left in the draw, extended her best run at a major with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro.

“I think I have been always playing well. It’s just in last few years I had some troubles with like sometimes fitness, sometimes my game that I have to change a little bit in the more aggressive way.

“But I think it’s just the moment came and now I’m playing better in this tournament,” said Putintseva, the world number 60, who was beaten in straight sets by Serena at Indian Wells this year.

“She’s a legend. I’m just gonna go there and show my game, show my best, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.

“Like I have nothing to lose obviously against her. Yeah, I’m just gonna go and play. What else can I do?”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Serena Williams reinforces huge rankings lead

Serena Williams reinforced her huge lead at the top of the WTA rankings a week out from the start of the French Open after winning the Italian Open on Sunday.

Williams beat fellow American Madison Keys in the final in Rome to set herself up nicely for Roland Garros.

Second place in the rankings was reclaimed by Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska from Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who suffered an early exit in the Italian capital.

Elsewhere, Victoria Azarenka moved up a place to fifth at the expense of Romania’s Simona Halep and Timea Bacsinszky and Flavia Pennetta were also climbers in the top 10.

WTA top 20

1. Serena Williams (USA) 9,030 pts

2. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 5,850 (+1)

3. Angelique Kerber (GER) 5,740 (-1)

4. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 5,196

5. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 4,341 (+1)

6. Simona Halep (ROM) 4,301 (-1)

7. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 3,505

8. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 3,330

9. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 3,150 (+1)

10. Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 2,963 (+3)

11. Venus Williams (USA) 2,886 (+3)

12. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 2,878 (-3)

13. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 2,843 (+2)

14. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 2,585 (-3)

15. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 2,585 (+4)

16. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 2,560

17. Madison Keys (USA) 2,541 (+7)

18. Sara Errani (ITA) 2,450

19. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 2,420 (+1)

20. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 2,416 (-3)

source: sports.inquirer.net