ROME: Three-time champion Iga Swiatek battled into the third round of the Italian Open on Friday with a 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 win over Caty McNally. Swiatek dropped serve in the opening game at the Foro Italico but rattled off the next six to seize control against the 63rd-ranked American. The Pole seemed on course for a routine victory when she pulled 4-2 in front in the second set, but McNally twice broke Swiatek as the Pole served for the match and then snatched the tie-break. Swiatek again nudged ahead with a break for a 3-1 lead in the decider. McNally clawed herself level at 3-all before Swiatek took the final three games to book her place in the next round, to her visible relief. &quot;It was a tough match, Caty really played great,&quot; said Swiatek. &quot;I had to be patient. For sure, some mistakes happened. It was not an easy match. I&#39;m really happy I was solid at the end and in the important moments. I kept it together.&quot; Swiatek will play US 28th seed Emma Navarro or Italy&#39;s Elisabetta Cocciaretto this weekend for a place in the last 16. The Pole suffered her earliest exit in five appearances in Madrid last month when she retired in third round due to a viral illness. She was knocked out at the same stage in Rome last year as defending champion. Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, has not won a clay tournament since capturing the last of her four French Open titles in 2024. Alexandra Eala of the Philippines advanced with a straight-sets win over Chinese 31st seed Wang Xinyu. Canadian 10th seed Victoria Mboko withdrew from the event on Friday due to illness. She will be replaced in the draw by Czech lucky loser Nikola Bartunkova. Novak Djokovic is set for his first appearance on clay this season when he plays 20-year-old Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic. The 38-year-old Djokovic has not played since losing in the last 16 at Indian Wells in March. He pulled out of tournaments in Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid while recovering from a shoulder injury.

Poland's Iga Swiatek serves to US Caty McNally during their women's singles match of the WTA Rome Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome on May 8, 2026. (AFP)

Tennis

Iga Swiatek beats Caty McNally to reach the Italian Open third round in Rome after a tough three-set match, recovering from a second-set loss to finish strongly in the decider.

Iga Swiatek battles into Italian Open third round

MADRID: World number one&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/sabalenka-into-third-straight-brisbane-final-ahead-of-australian-open" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aryna Sabalenka</a>&nbsp;overcame Naomi Osaka 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-2 in a gripping battle on Monday to reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals. Sabalenka, who has claimed titles at Miami, Indian Wells and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/sabalenka-into-third-straight-brisbane-final-ahead-of-australian-open" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brisbane</a>&nbsp;this year, was tested by her Japanese opponent in the fourth-round clash but came back from a set and a break down to triumph. &quot;I was just trying to take one ball at a time and my team was there for me, they really (pushed) me to keep fighting, and I&#39;m really happy that I didn&#39;t give up and I was pushing until the very last point,&quot; said Sabalenka. The first set between the two four-time Grand Slam winners was tight, with only one break point forced, by Sabalenka, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/naomi-osaka-rallies-to-beat-leylah-fernandez-at-wuhan-open" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Osaka</a>&nbsp;saved to hold for 2-1. Osaka dominated in the tie-break, ripping into a 5-0 lead and then triumphing when Sabalenka lashed a return wide. Sabalenka stepped up a gear in the second frame, although world number 15 Osaka dug deep to survive three break points and then managed to engineer a break for herself to take a 2-1 lead. However, the Belarusian immediately broke to love and then again in the eighth game, serving out to take the second set. Only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/rybakina-wins-ningbo-title-to-close-in-on-wta-finals" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elena Rybakina</a>&nbsp;has beaten Sabalenka this year, in the Australian Open final, and the 27-year-old dominated in the third set, securing breaks in the fifth and seventh games while Osaka could not put pressure on her opponent&#39;s serve. Sabalenka sealed her victory serving to love with an ace to reach the last eight, where she will face American Hailey Baptiste. &quot;She&#39;s an incredible player, we had a really tight match in Miami, and especially here in Madrid I think this surface suits her game,&quot; added Sabalenka. Later, Rybakina and Coco Gauff are in action against Anastasia Potapova and Linda Noskova respectively, while in the men&#39;s draw second seed Alexander Zverev faces Frenchman Terence Atmane in the third round. Casper Ruud eased to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to reach the last 16, while Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Daniel Merida 6-4, 6-2.

Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka returns the ball to Japan’s Naomi Osaka during their 2026 WTA Tour Madrid Open tennis tournament women's singles match at the Caja Magica in Madrid, on April 27, 2026. (AFP)

The Belarusian rallied from a set down to defeat her Japanese opponent in three sets, reaching the Madrid Open quarterfinals after a hard-fought fourth-round clash on Monday.

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Iga Swiatek battles into Italian Open third round

Aryna Sabalenka downs Naomi Osaka to reach Madrid Open quarter-finals