ROME — Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open after beating USA’s Amanda Anisimova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and setting up a potential clash with world number one Iga Swiatek.
Third seed Sabalenka beat American Anisimova for the first time in five attempts and now awaits the result of Swiatek’s last-eight match with Bianca Andreescu to see who she faces in the semis.
Anisimova had ended Sabalenka’s Madrid title defence in the first round at the end of last month, AFP reported.
Swiatek, the reigning champion in Rome, is on a run of 25 straight wins and gunning for a fifth tournament victory in a row.
Alexander Zverev made the semi-finals in the men’s draw after comfortably seeing off Cristian Garin, the only unseeded player left in the tournament, 7-5, 6-2.
Shapovalov faces Casper Ruud knowing a win would give him a possible semi-final against Novak Djokovic, who is in action in the day’s final match against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
