Italian Open: Aryna Sabalenka breezes past Jelena Ostapenko

ROME: Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Wednesday after comfortably defeating Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

Second seed Sabalenka needed an hour and 13 minutes to see off Ostapenko and improve her record against her Latvian opponent to three wins and no defeats.

In the last four crowd favourite Sabalenka will face the winner of two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Danielle Collins, this year’s Miami Open winner, who face off later on centre court.

“With this amazing atmosphere and with this amazing support... that’s why I’m super motivated here, and that’s why I always say that this is the dream tournament for me to win,” said Sabalenka.

“I really enjoy playing here so I don’t have to think about being focused... I’m just here enjoying it and doing everything I can to win every point I play no matter what the score. I guess that’s the key.”

The 26-year-old could get a rematch of the Madrid final, which she lost dramatically to world number one Iga Swiatek earlier this month.

And Sabalenka, who has won the two most recent Australian Opens, was in a different class to Ostapenko, who could do nothing in the face of some punishing hitting.

Rome is the first time since the 2013 French Open that the top three women have reached the last four of a WTA event of 250 level or higher, with Swiatek and world number three Coco Gauff in the other semi-final. Gauff beat Qinwen Zheng 7-6, 6-1 in another quarterfinal.

In the men’s first quarterfinal, Alejandro Tabilo beat Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-4. Agencies

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