Naomi Osaka in high spirits despite Rome exit

ROME – Naomi Osaka may have lost 6-2, 6-4 to world No. 7 Zheng Qinwen in the last 16 of the Rome Open on May 13, but the four-time Grand Slam tennis champion said she is leaving the event feeling “more confident” ahead of the French Open.

Osaka was playing at the Foro Italico for the first time in three years after taking a break from the tour to have her first child and is ranked No. 173 in the world.

The furthest she has gone in any WTA event so far this season was her run to the quarter-finals in Doha. While the former world No. 1 could not replicate that in the Italian capital, it was a positive tournament for Osaka.

The 26-year-old has never won a title on clay but beat a top-20 ranked player on the surface for the first time, against world No. 20 Marta Kostyuk in the second round on May 9, before taking out world No. 11 Daria Kasatkina.

“I’m happy with my performance in Rome,” Osaka said after facing a top-10 player for the first time this season.

“It’s been a while since I played well on – I guess I’ve never played well on clay – so I guess I’m happy.

“I definitely feel a lot more confident leaving than when I came.”

Zheng is also feeling better about her game after admitting in April that she had lost some of her drive following her run to the Australian Open final in Melbourne and some disappointing losses.

“Today is the match I feel really hungry, really excited,” the 21-year-old said.

“Before entering the match, actually I’m already hoping to play on court.”

Although Zheng was broken in her first service game, she did not face another break point for the rest of the match. 

“Today what I’m doing good is when I lost my service game in the first set, I’m able to come back and try to find a way to break her back again,” she said.

China’s Zheng breezed past Osaka in one hour and 24 minutes to set up a last-eight clash with American third seed Coco Gauff.

Gauff overcame Spain’s Paula Badosa 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 after two hours and 27 minutes.

Just before Osaka’s elimination, activists from climate group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) burst onto the Pietrangeli court where American Madison Keys was beating Sorana Cirstea, and on court 12 where a men’s doubles match was taking place.

Wearing orange vests, they threw a liquid and confetti onto the courts before being removed by security staff.

After a half-hour stoppage to clean the court, Keys completed her win over Romania’s Cirstea 6-2, 6-1.

There were also protesters in the stands, with a tournament spokesman telling AFP that at least one person had tried to glue their feet to the floor in order to slow their removal.

“Obviously it’s not the greatest feeling when you’re on court, your first reaction is kind of your own safety,” said Keys.

“Maybe banning cementing glue from bags would be a start.

“It’s obviously something that’s becoming more of an occurrence and something that tournaments are going to have to figure out how to stop.”

Three-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek, Keys’ quarter-final opponent, will take some stopping on clay.

The world No. 1 defeated Germany’s Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 in one hour 38 minutes.

Swiatek is bidding to become the third player after Russian Dinara Safina and American Serena Williams to complete the Madrid-Rome WTA 1000 double. The 22-year-old Pole has yet to drop a set this tournament.

In the men’s draw, fourth seed Andrey Rublev, winner of the Madrid Open, was shocked 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in his round-of-32 match by French qualifier Alexandre Muller, while sixth seed and Monte Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Briton Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-6 (7-1). AFP, REUTERS