Naomi Osaka’s resurgence on clay came to an abrupt end in the fourth round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, as she succumbed to the power and consistency of Zheng Qinwen in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
Despite her struggles on the surface, Osaka had shown promising signs in Rome, notching back-to-back victories over Top 20 opponents. However, the No. 7 seed proved too formidable for the four-time Grand Slam champion, who bowed out in 84 minutes on Campo Centrale.
Osaka’s determination to improve her clay-court results was evident in her early arrival to the swing and her participation in a 250 event in Rouen. She carried that momentum into Madrid, where she reached the second round before falling to Liudmila Samsonova.
In Rome, Osaka strung together her most impressive results on clay since 2019, when she reached the quarterfinals of both Madrid and Rome. She dispatched Porsche Tennis Grand Prix runner-up Marta Kostyuk and 2022 Roland Garros semifinalist Daria Kasatkina in straight sets, marking the first time in five years that she had won three consecutive matches on the surface.
However, Zheng, another big hitter with a proven track record on clay, proved to be a formidable opponent. The 21-year-old Chinese star had reached the quarterfinals of Rome last year and made a strong start to the 2024 season, reaching her first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open.
Despite an injury setback in Stuttgart, Zheng looked in fine form in Rome, dispatching Shelby Rogers and Linda Noskova to set up her second career meeting with Osaka.
The match began with an exchange of breaks, but Zheng quickly gained the upper hand, taking advantage of Osaka’s inconsistent first serve percentage (27%) to break three times and claim the opening set in under 40 minutes.
Zheng maintained her momentum in the second set, breaking Osaka early and holding on to a 5-4 lead with a chance to serve for the match. Osaka complained to the umpire about a potential hindrance from Zheng’s delayed grunt, but her protest was dismissed. Zheng converted her second match point to reach another quarterfinal in Rome, where she will face either Coco Gauff or Paula Badosa for a spot in the semifinals.
