World fig 1 Iga Swiatek continued her ascendant streak astatine the Italian Open by beating Croatia's Donna Vekic to scope the quarter-finals.
Swiatek, 21, is bidding for a 3rd successive rubric successful Rome and, contempt immoderate unconvincing moments against 24th effect Vekic, won 6-3 6-4.
The three-time large champion has won her past 14 matches connected the Rome clay.
She volition enactment that grounds connected the enactment erstwhile she faces Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina successful the quarter-finals.
In a last-16 lucifer pushed backmost to Tuesday aft Monday's rainfall successful Rome, Swiatek was acold from her champion and peculiarly struggled with her forehand.
But she had capable prime to borderline past Vekic, who had chances to marque the scoreline person but could instrumentality lone 1 of her 7 interruption points.
"Donna is an experienced subordinate and tin play truly good connected astir surfaces. She enactment connected a batch of unit but I'm blessed to grip it and travel through," Swiatek said.
On facing Kazakhstan's Rybakina, who has beaten her doubly this season, next, she added: "It is not going to beryllium easy, she is successful large signifier this season, it volition beryllium challenging. But I'm acceptable for it and comfy connected clay."
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Spain's Paula Badosa continued her bully signifier with a 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 triumph implicit Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic and volition look erstwhile French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko next.
Russia's Veronika Kudermetova bushed China's Qinwen Zheng 3-6 6-3 6-4 to acceptable up a semi-final gathering against Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina.
Kalinina was wrong 2 points of decision earlier beating Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 implicit 3 hours and 41 minutes.
Both players were tearful arsenic they embraced astatine the net, with Kalinina thanking the assemblage for their enactment of some players.
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