Jelena Ostapenko hits back to sink Johanna Konta, Venus Williams crashes out

ByEurosport

Updated 17/05/2018 at 14:26 GMT

French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko showed her class to recover from losing the first set in a 2-6 6-3 6-4 win over Johanna Konta in the Italian Open last 16.

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia signs autographs following victory in her singles match against Johanna Konta of Great Britain during day four of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2018 tennis at Foro Italico.

Image credit: Eurosport

The Latvian will face Maria Sharapova or Daria Gavrilova in the quarter-finals in Rome as British number one Konta slumped to a fifth straight defeat against a top-10 player.

The world number 22 Konta led 4-1 in the first set in only 17 minutes, but could not maintain the momentum on her 27th birthday.

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Konta played well, but will be concerned about her inability to build upon a promising start.

This was the fourth straight match when she has blown a first-set lead against an opponent ranked inside the world's top 10.

World number one Simona Halep was given a walkover after Madison Keys withdrew due to a rib problem.

Halep will extend her stay as world number one as a result.

Halep needed to reach at least the quarter-finals and go further than world number two Caroline Wozniacki to retain the top-ranking going into the French Open.

Keys, runner-up in Rome in 2016, was unable to take to court because of a right rib injury.

"I felt my rib in my match yesterday and after trying to warm up this morning it was still painful," she said.

Halep, runner-up last year, will play either Sloane Stephens or Caroline Garcia in the last eight

Defending champion Elina Svitolina overcame Russian Daria Kasatkina 0-6 6-3 6-2.

Eighth seed Venus Williams crashed out as she was beaten by Anett Kontaveit in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(3).

Venus struggled to get going and she was broken in the third game as Kontaveit took control of the opening set.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner responded well in the second but Kontaveit forced the game to a tie-break, where she progressed to the next round.

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