ITALY- - Third seed Carlos Alcaraz overcame a nervy start to beat Briton Jack Draper 6-4 6-4 on Wednesday and reach the Italian Open semi-finals for the first time.
However, women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka fell by the wayside after being toppled 6-4 6-3 Zheng Qinwen. The Chinese eighth seed will next face Coco Gauff for a place in the final.
Four-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who is gearing up to defend the French Open title later this month, fired off 24 winners in a strong performance to seal victory.
"The most important thing that I did today was not thinking about the results at all. Not thinking about if I was up, if I was down. Just trying to do the things that make me happy," Alcaraz said.
"I didn't let him dominate or stay long in the rallies. So I think that was a really good weapon today for me. I'm just really proud about the way that I approached the match."
The Spaniard looked slightly edgy at the beginning and a double fault at an inopportune moment left him trailing 4-2, but he quickly levelled the first set and used his drop shot intelligently to gain the upper hand.
The second set also began in chaotic fashion with a break apiece, but Alcaraz recovered and dug deep to defend two breakpoints for a hold, before breaking to love and taking a 5-4 lead with a wonderfully disguised drop shot.
The 22-year-old will next face either defending champion Alexander Zverev or home hero Lorenzo Musetti in the semi-finals.
Earlier on Wednesday, Norwegian Casper Ruud beat Jaume Munar 6-3 6-4 to set up a quarter-final meeting with world number one Jannik Sinner.
GAUFF BEATS ANDREEVA
In the women's singles, it was seventh time lucky for Zheng as she finally beat Sabalenka after losing all six of their previous encounters.
Sabalenka's frustration spilled over as she shouted an obscenity at a spectator, earning a code violation.
Zheng fired four aces en route to sealing a showdown with Gauff.
"I don’t know why I just play good in Italy. Thanks to the fans who came to support me here. Grazie," Zheng said.
World number three Gauff quelled the challenge of seventh seed Mirra Andreeva with a 6-4 7-6(5) victory to enter the semi-finals for a second successive year.
Gauff has dropped just one set in her five matches at the tournament so far.
"At the end, my defence, it was tough. We were both tight in the tiebreaker, it was whoever could make the last ball," said Gauff, who has reached the semi-finals in Rome three times.
Gauff came into the clash with a 3-0 head-to-head lead over Andreeva and there were no early signs that things would be any different this time, with the American dominating proceedings in the first set.
Gauff had a tougher time in the second set as Andreeva regained her focus and broke for a 3-2 lead, but the American, a relative veteran at 21 compared to her 18-year-old opponent, used the variety in her game to keep herself alive and force a tiebreaker.
The teenager struggled to match Gauff's level in the tiebreaker and hit a backhand long to surrender the contest.
