Ostapenko beats Kasatkina to reach third career quarterfinal in Rome

Former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko moved through to the quarterfinals in Rome for the third time in her career with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 win over Daria Kasatkina on Monday in Rome.

Ostapenko, the No.20 seed, previously reached the last eight in 2018 and 2021, and this week, she added a Top 10 win over Kasatkina to the Top 15 win over No.13 (and No.10 seed) Barbora Krejcikova that she scored in the previous round. 

In one minute short of 2 hours, Ostapenko extended her career head-to-head lead over Kasatkina to 5-2, but Friday's win was her first on clay over Kasatkina at tour-level.

How the match was won: Ostapenko came from a break down twice in the first set, at 1-0 and 4-3. After winning three straight games to capture the opener, though, the Latvian lost serve in a titanic five-deuce game to open the second set, and never got even before she raced away with the decider. 

In a middle set that lasted nearly an hour, Kasatkina saved four break points in a six-deuce second game of the second set, and saved three more in another six-deuce eighth game. 

However, the third set was all the Latvian, particularly in clutch moments: She broke Kasatkina twice after deuce in the first four games, and saved the lone break point she faced to go up 5-0. 

Up next: Ostapenko will next face either Paula Badosa or Karolina Muchova for a spot in the semifinals. The match the pair were expected to play on Monday was rained out.