Swiatek, Osaka roll to set up fourth-round showdown in Rome
Iga Swiatek defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0 in 65 minutes Sunday to attain the Rome fourth spherical for the fifth time. She joined No. 15 seed Naomi Osaka, who earlier in the day scored an equally dominant win over No. 19 seed Diana Shanider to advance to her third straight Round of 16 in Rome.
Rome: Scores | Draws | Order of play
Osaka wanted simply 54 minutes to dispatch Shnaider, dropping solely three video games in a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
As a consequence, the 2 multi-time Grand Slam champions — who account for 10 Major titles mixed — will meet in a marquee fourth-round matchup on the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. It might be their fourth assembly on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz degree and their first since 2024. Swiatek leads the head-to-head 2-1.
Their most up-to-date conflict was an on the spot traditional: a second-round thriller at Roland Garros in which the then No. 1-ranked Swiatek outlasted Osaka 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 after saving a match level en route to a 3rd straight French Open title.
The now-World No. 3 expects an analogous problem this time.
“She’s a great player,” Swiatek stated in her on-court interview after beating Cocciaretto. “We’ve played a lot and (had) a really tough match at Roland Garros two years ago, so I know what she can bring and how well she can play when she feels the ball. So I’ll prepare technically and I’ll be ready.”
Seeing double: Swiatek beats Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0 in Rome for second straight yr
If you are saying to your self, “That scoreline looks familiar,” you are proper. Swiatek and Cocciaretto met for the primary time final yr in the second spherical in Rome, and Swiatek gained handily, dropping only one sport.
Sunday was a case of wash, rinse, repeat for the three-time Rome champion. She stormed out of the gates, breaking in the second sport and once more in the sixth to take a commanding 5-1 lead. Moments later, she closed the opening set the identical means she began it — with an ace.
Cocciaretto appeared on observe to safe a uncommon maintain whereas trailing 2-0 in the second set earlier than a short rain delay halted play for a couple of minutes. Swiatek gained 4 straight factors after play resumed, ending the sport with a forehand winner to break for 3-0.
Swiatek gained the final 9 video games towards a seemingly hampered Cocciaretto, who obtained a short go to from the physio late in the primary set. But no matter Cocciaretto’s situation, it was a much-needed present of dominance from Swiatek, whose focus all through was on his execution.
“I just wanted to be solid and focus on myself no matter what the score was,” Swiatek stated. “Sometimes at the end of the match it’s easy for the opponent to let go and just go for it. So I wanted to just play as I planned and how I played the whole match, and at the end it worked. I really liked how I played today. My serve was good, I was opening up the court, so it was really nice.”
Cocciaretto did let go on the finish, saving three match factors and incomes her first three break factors in the ultimate sport, however Swiatek did not waver. Instead, she transformed her fourth match level to safe the win. Swiatek completed with 17 winners to 11 unforced errors and gained 72% of her service factors, a degree she’ll hope to carry into her assembly with Osaka.
Osaka’s whirlwind week: From Met Gala to Rome fourth spherical
If there was one phrase to describe Osaka’s week, beautiful may do the trick — first on the Met Gala, after which on court docket, particularly on Sunday. In what was maybe her most full efficiency of the 2026 season, Osaka dismantled Shnaider, who reached the Rome quarterfinals final yr earlier than falling to eventual champion Jasmine Paolini in three units.
Like Swiatek, Osaka broke in the second sport and once more in the sixth for a 5-1 lead earlier than taking the primary set in 24 minutes. She continued to face little resistance in the second, unleashing a backhand winner from outdoors the court docket to assist her break for 3-2, then breaking once more in the penultimate sport to extra inside one sport of victory.
Moments later, she served it out, watching one ultimate Shnaider forehand discover the web to sign the win. Osaka completed with 10 winners to seven unforced errors, gained 78% of her first-serve factors and broke 5 occasions to advance.
On the road towards Swiatek: a second profession Rome quarterfinal and her first since 2019.
