World No.1 Naomi Osaka won her second match on Thursday to reach her maiden Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarterfinal, defeating Mihaela Buzarnescu in straight sets. Of those on double duty at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Naomi Osaka has been the most efficient: her 6-3, 6-3 third-round win over Mihaela Buzarnescu makes the No.1 seed the only player to have won two matches in straight sets today so far, wtatennis.com informs.
Osaka defeated Dominika Cibulkova 6-3, 6-3 in the morning match.
Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzărnescu (31, 29th WTA) has qualified Thursday morning to last sixteen round of the WTA tournament in Rome, with a total prizes USD 3,452,538, after opponent Julia Goerges (Germany) abandoned the game at the score of 6-4, 3-6, 4-4.
Goerges (30, 18th WTA), seeded 16th, withdrew after two hours and 35 minutes, due to an injury to the inguinal. Goerges received medical care at the score of 4-3, 0-30 in the decisive set, coming back from the locker with a bandage on the thigh, lost the two points played on her service and the game, showing difficulty in moving, then she abandoned.
Buzărnescu will face Naomi Osaka later in the evening. Due to the rain on Wednesday, the players have to play two matches on Thursday. Osaka defeated Dominika Cibulkova 6-3, 6-3 in the morning match.
In another match on Thursday, Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova scored a statement win over reigning Roland Garros champion Simona Halep. The World No.44 came from a set down to shock the No.3 seed and two-time defending finalist in the round of 16 on Thursday, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, wtatennis.com informs.
Vondrousova previously beat Halep for the best win of her career in terms of ranking in Indian Wells, winning another three-setter in the round of 16 at the Premier Mandatory event, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.
After being blitzed in the opening set in just about a half hour, losing the last four games, Vondrousova worked her way back into the match to seal an upset in two hours, and 12 minutes.
Vondrousova will face Daria Kasatkina later on Thursday in the second matches for both on the day. The Russian also rallied from a set down in her second round win over Katerina Siniakova, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
It should be mentioned that Halep received medical care on court in the third set against Vondrousova, having moving issues.