By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, May 16, 2019
Simona Halep arrived in Rome believing she shed the cold that left her feeling a little run down in Madrid.
The reigning Roland Garros could not shake the all-court aches Marketa Vondrousova posed.
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The 19-year-old Czech roared back from a set down to surprise Halep for the second time this season, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, and advance to the Rome round of 16.
Halep, who took treatment for a leg injury, praised Vondrousova as "very talented" and a future top player.
"A little bit in the second set I started to feel (the leg issue) from sliding," Halep said. "Yesterday, I didn't do much. I had two days off so it was a little bit tough to get back to this rhythm. But it's nothing like tired or something broken, it's just a little bit of an injury, which is a few days is gonna be okay, I'm sure."
The 44th-ranked Vondrousova scored her second win over the third-seeded Romanian in the last three months. At Indian Wells in March, Vondrousova topped Halep, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, one round after she defeated 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Madrid runner-up Halep rolled through the final four games of the opening set to seize a one-set lead after a half hour.
The left-handed Vondrousova showed her versatility mixing the pace and height of her shots with some well-timed drop shots breaking for the third time to take the second set and force a decider.
Vondrousova saved a break point holding for 4-3 then broke for 5-3 in the final set. The Czech served out her second win over Halep closing in two hours, 12 minutes.
The teenager has won 16 of her last 19 matches. Vondrousova will face 2018 Indian Wells finalist Daria Kasatkina for a quarterfinal spot. Kasatkina rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, triumph over Czech Katerina Siniakova. Vondrousova swept Kasatkina, 6-2, 6-1, at Indian Wells in March.
After rain washed out the day's play on Wednesday, today's packed Rome schedule offered several surprises.
French Open finalist Sloane Stephens joined Halep tumbling out of the draw.
Johanna Konta conquered Stephens, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-1, advancing to this afternoon's meeting with Venus Williams, who advanced to the third round when sister Serena Williams withdrew from the event due to a left knee injury.
World No. 1 Naomi Osaka won her first match of the day, 6-3, 6-3, over Dominika Cibulkova. The victory ensures Osaka will be seeded first at the French Open.
In an all-American clash, Sofia Kenin upset former Rome finalist Madison Keys, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4, reaching a round of 16 match vs. fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova.