Plucky Barty advances
djokovic goes through but Osaka falls to Pegula
World number one Ashleigh Barty advanced to the third round of the Italian Open in Rome on with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Kazakh Yaroslava Shvedova but second seed Naomi Osaka fell to American Jessica Pegula 6-7 (2-7), 2-6.
Days after her shock defeat in the Madrid Open final, Australia’s Barty overcame an early break of serve to see off Shvedova, a threetime Grand Slam quarter-finalist making her way back after giving birth to twins.
Playing with her left thigh strapped, Barty dropped her opening service game but rallied to level at 4-4, taking control of the match against Shvedova on the red clay of the Foro Italico.
Barty will next meet either Russian Veronika Kudermetova, ranked 28, or France’s 56th-ranked Caroline Garcia, as she bids for a first Rome quarter-final on her third appearance.
Former Rome champion Karolina Pliskova, seeded ninth, also advanced past Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-2, 6-3.
Czech Pliskova, winner in 2019 and runner-up last year, built on her powerful serve, and converted six of her 13 break point chances.
The former world number one next plays either fellow Czech Petra Kvitova or Russian Vera Zvonareva.
Fifth seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine dropped a set before advancing past American Amanda Anisimova 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In the men’s draw, world number one Novak Djokovic overcame a “strange” lengthy rain delay to beat American Taylor Fritz 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to reach the third round of the Italian Open.
Title holder Djokovic waited three hours on Tuesday to finish off the match despite Fritz’s efforts in the second set.
“It was a really strange match, to play in the rain, it was difficult,” the Serb said.
“It possibly helped me because the play was slower, and he has a good serve. He played really well.
“In these circumstances, you don’t know how much time it will go on for,” he added.
Djokovic, 33, playing his second tournament since winning his ninth Australian Open in February, will play Cameron Norrie or Alejandro Davidovich for a place in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Canadian Felix AugerAliassime beat last year’s runner up Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-3 and will face either Federico Delbonis or David Goffin, who meet later yesterday.
Earlier, sixteenth seed Grigor Dimitrov crashed out in the first round when he was beaten in straight sets by Spanish qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The world number 48 saved two set points in the second set as he dismissed the 2014 semi-finalist Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) to win in one hour and 43 minutes.
Tenth seed Roberto Bautista Agut booked his place in the second round with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 win over American Tommy Paul.
In other women’s matches, Argentinian Nadia Podoroska, ranked 44 in the world, assured herself of a second round meeting with Serena Williams, playing her first event since the Australian Open, when she came from a set down to beat German Laura Siegemund 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.
Madison Keys won the battle of the Americans when she overcame Sloane Stephens 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.