'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAIY8Gr//xAAhEAABAwMEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEAAURBgcSEyFBUv/aAAgBAQABPwCFqGZcbHAebIirnslckskjKsccp+fAFT9wLwzOkN97yuDik571D3X/xAAZEQADAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMAEWH/2gAIAQIBAT8Ai7Ce+nP/xAAbEQACAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADERIxsf/aAAgBAwEBPwAUkcnIX1yf/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details
Fixture: (7) Zheng Qinwen vs (PR) Naomi Osaka
Date: May 13, 2024
Tournament: Italian Open 2024
Round: Fourth Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $5,509,771
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Zheng Qinwen vs Naomi Osaka preview
World No. 7 Zheng Qinwen will take on four-time Major champion Naomi Osaka in the fourth round of the 2024 Italian Open on Monday.
Trending
Zheng handed Shelby Rogers a 6-0, 6-2 beatdown to make the third round, where she was up against Linda Noskova. The Chinese rallied from a break down twice to lose the first set.
Zheng regrouped quickly, taking the second set for the loss of just one game. She didn't let go of the reins in the third set, reeling off five straight games for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 comeback win.
Osaka, meanwhile, ousted Clara Burel and Marta Kostyuk to book a third-round date with 10th seed Daria Kasatkina. The Japanese was off to a great start as she went up 3-0 in the first set before Kostyuk fought back.
Osaka then snagged another break to lead 5-3 and served out the set. The second set played out in similar fashion as the former World No. 1 squandered a break advantage before taking a 6-3, 6-3 win.
Zheng Qinwen vs Naomi Osaka head-to-head
Osaka leads Zheng 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Silicon Valley Classic in three sets.
Zheng Qinwen vs Naomi Osaka odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Zheng Qinwen vs Naomi Osaka prediction
Just a day after securing her best-ever win on clay by defeating Kostyuk, Osaka bettered the record by getting the better of Kasatkina. She has won three matches in a row on clay for the first time since the 2019 Madrid Open.
Zheng, meanwhile, is having one of her best weeks of the season since reaching the final of the Australian Open in January. She won against Noskova in a decisive manner after dropping the first set.
Osaka will have a good insight on Zheng's game, as her coach, Wim Fissette, used to work with the Chinese until September last year. Despite winning all of her matches in straight sets this week, the Japanese will be the underdog once again.
The two can match each other shot for shot from the baseline and are quite solid on serve, but Osaka's serve is one of the best in the business when she's on.
Zheng is the slight favorite to win this encounter, but the Japanese could surprise everyone once again given how she has played this week.
Pick: Zheng Qinwen to win in three sets
Who is Naomi Osaka's boyfriend? All you need to know about the tennis star's dating history timeline
