Karolina Pliskova does not give in defending the title and Halep passes

Czech Karolina Pliskova, number 4 in the WTA ranking and current champion, advanced this Friday with a firm step to the cQuarterfinals of the Rome tournament after beating the Russian Anna Blinkova 6-3 and 6-4, number 65. Pliskova, who had already beaten Blinkova at the Australian Open in 2017, it took an hour and 19 to prolong his journey on Roman clay and in the quarterfinals he will face Belgian Elise Mertens, number 20.

The Czech player had no difficulty in eliminating Blinkova despite giving up service in the first game of the match and committing five double faults. However, he immediately recovered the bankruptcy and got another in the 10th game to close the set 6-4. He took advantage of two of his three break options in the second set, in the fourth and in the sixth game, and sentenced the duel with a final 6-3. His rival will be Mertens, who eliminated Kovinic this Friday with a double 6-4.

Halep surpasses Yastremska

Romanian Simona Halep, world number 2 and first favorite, beat Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska (n.29) this Friday 7-5 and 6-4 and stood in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Rome. Halep, who reached the final twice in the Roman tournament, losing both against the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (2017 and 2018), needed an hour and 27 minutes to beat Yastremska, in the second match of the day played on the center court of the Forum Italic.

The Romanian player, winner of Roland Garros 2018 and Wimbledon 2019, as happened in her triumph against Jasmine Paolini on Thursday, did not play a brilliant match, but drew experience to prevail over Yastremska, only 20 years old, in the first confrontation between the two. The Ukrainian quickly escaped with a 3-0 in the first set, but Halep managed to come back and got two breaks, in the fifth and the eleventh game, to win 7-5. In the second set, the Romanian twice took away Yastremska's serve in the first two games and paved the way for the final 6-4. Her opponent in the quarterfinals will be Kazakh Yulia Putintseva (n.30), who beat her compatriot Elena Rybakova (n.18) 4-6, 7-6 (3) and 6-2. Halep will arrive at that appointment with an open streak of ten consecutive victories, including titles in Dubai and Prague.

The Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, twice champion in Rome, beat the Russian Kuznetsova (7-6 (6) and 6-4) and will face the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, who beat the Slovak Polona Hercog in the last match of the day (1-6, 6-1 and 7-6 (5)).

Results of the day.