Italian Open: Danielle Collins beats Iga Swiatek in third spherical

American Danielle Collins accomplished a complete straight-set victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek within the third spherical of the Italian Open.

Collins capitalised on a poor serving show from world quantity two Swiatek to cruise to the opening set earlier than battling again from a break down within the second to clinch a 6-1 7-5 victory.

It was simply her second win in 9 matches in opposition to the five-time Grand Slam champion and first on clay – the 23-year-old Pole’s most well-liked floor.

Collins, 31, will face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina within the fourth spherical, whereas Swiatek should now regroup earlier than the French Open, which begins on 25 Might.

The five-time Grand Slam champion had gained the Italian Open in three of the previous 4 seasons however struggled for her greatest kind within the run-up to this yr’s occasion in Rome.

Swiatek has not gained a WTA event since claiming her fourth French Open girls’s singles title in 5 years at Roland Garros 12 months in the past.

She began poorly, serving double faults when dealing with break level in her first two service video games, and misplaced her third to like as twenty ninth seed Collins raced right into a 5-0 lead.

Swiatek lastly obtained on the board within the sixth sport, however was promptly damaged for a fourth time to lose the opening set in simply 24 minutes.

She broke Collins within the opening sport of the second set, however was once more unable to cement the break.

Collins battled laborious to maintain on degree phrases for the rest of the second set earlier than pouncing within the twelfth sport, claiming a sixth break of serve within the match to seal victory along with her second match level as Swiatek flashed a backhand huge.

Collins’ subsequent opponent, sixteenth seed Svitolina, got here by means of a three-set battle with 23-year-old American Hailey Baptiste, beating the world quantity 90 6-4 3-6 6-4.

Elsewhere, Italian primary Jasmine Paolini – the sixth seed – obtained previous an out-of-sorts Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-3 to seal a spot within the final 16, the place she is going to meet seventeenth seed Jelena Ostapenko, of Latvia.

Fifth seed Madison Keys misplaced to fellow American Peyton Stearns in one other shock, with the Australian Open champion edged out in a final-set tie-breaker.

Stearns will play Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who battled again from a set right down to beat Czech participant Marie Bouzkova.

Russian Diana Shnaider beat Jaqueline Cristian and awaits the winner of Saturday’s final match due on centre courtroom between Belgium’s Elise Mertens and American third seed Jessica Pegula.