Aryna Sabalenka crashes out of WTA Italian Open in shock quarter-final defeat to eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in Rome

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is out of the Italian Open after a shock straight sets defeat to Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals.

It is the first time she has ever lost to the Chinese player in seven matches.

The opening four games in Rome were evenly contested, before Zheng broke in the fifth to go 3-2 up. That proved to be a pivotal moment, before she continued her consistent style of play to take the opening set against a visibly frustrated Sabalenka.

Zheng then paved the way for a win by breaking her opponent in the opening game of the second set.

Despite some tense moments against an experienced player, she managed to hold her nerve in the second half of the match and also broke Sabalenka in the final game to clinch the win 6-4 6-3.

“I just tried to do what I had to do on court and play more consistently,” she told Sky Sports.

“I played right in the game and tried to be really focussed from beginning to end.

“At the beginning of the year I had some struggles with my arm, but now I’m perfectly in shape.”

Defeat at Foro Italico ended a run of eight straight wins for Sabalenka, who had to fight back to beat Sofia Kenin in the third round.

The world’s top tennis player has been in fine form this year, reaching six finals. She enjoyed wins in Brisbane and Miami, before arriving in Italy on the back of victory at the Madrid Open, where she beat America’s Coco Gauff in the final.

The pair last played each other in the 2024 season-ending WTA finals in Riyadh, which Gauff won in three sets.

“I think the game on clay will be much more physical and I’m expecting a tough match,” Zheng added.

“She’s such a good player and has a good, consistent game on clay.

“It’s not going to be easy, but I’m going to fight until the end.”

In the other semi-final on Thursday, Italy’s Jasmine Paolini will have support from the home crowd when she goes up against America’s Peyton Stearns.

The winners will go head-to-head in the final at Foro Italico on Saturday, May 17.