Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng Preview & Prediction | 2024 Italian Open | Round of 16
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THE FACTS
What is this tournament classed as in terms of ranking points? WTA 1000
When is Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng on and what time does it start? Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng will take place on Monday 13th May, 2024 – not before 10:00 (UK)
Where is Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng taking place? Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng will take place at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy
What surface is Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng being played on? Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng will take place on an outdoor clay court
Where can I get tickets for Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng
What channel is Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng on in the UK? Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng will be televised live on Sky Sports in the UK
Where can I stream Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream Naomi Osaka vs Qinwen Zheng live on Sky Go
THE PREDICTION
Former world number one Naomi Osaka grabbed perhaps her most impressive result of her comeback season yet with a straight-sets upset of 10th seed Daria Kasatkina on Saturday. 26-year-old Osaka never really found her best level on clay, even at her peak, but she has reached the round of 16 in Rome without yet dropping a set to make this a hugely intriguing clash with world number seven Qinwen Zheng, who is improving again after a lull of her own.
21-year-old Zheng finished runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open in January before struggling to recalibrate back on tour but she has won back-to-back matches for only the second time since, coming back from a set down to oust Linda Noskova on Saturday. The Chinese reached the round of 16 at Roland-Garros on her debut two years ago to look comfortable in these conditions and she picked up her maiden WTA title on the surface last summer, on Italian clay in Palermo, to back that up.
Osaka’s run has been vastly impressive but there will be an extra bit of needle in this encounter as her coach, Wim Fissette, dropped Zheng rather unceremoniously to join back up with the Japanese once she had announced her return from maternity leave. A spot of vengeance should give Zheng a boost in resolve and she took Osaka to three sets before defeat in their previous encounter at the San Jose Open in 2022. Back Zheng to earn at least a set to leave the victor up to chance.
TIP: QINWEN ZHENG TO WIN A SET
