Two of the world’s top three WTA stars, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula, were knocked out of the 2023 Italian Open second round by players outside the world’s Top 100 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, defending champion Novak Djokovic planted the latest seed of uncertainty over his future in the sport of tennis despite being one of the favourites to win it all, according to the SBOTOP Italian Open 2023 odds.
And another ATP player that made headlines is Andy Murray, as the former world No. 1 exploded into a fit of rage when he suffered yet another early tournament exit.
Learn more about the latest Italian Open 2023 updates by continuing to read below.
Sabalenka and Pegula stunned by their unheralded counterparts
Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula were two of the biggest favourites here at the Italian Open, as they entered this tournament in fine form.
Sabalenka was fresh from winning the Madrid Open, beating world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the final, while Pegula had been through to at least the second round in all of her tournaments since the 2021 Indian Wells Masters.
However, that didn’t matter when they faced Sofia Kenin and Taylor Townsend, ranked 134 and 168, respectively.
In a stand-off between two Australian Open winners, the 2020 titlist got the better of the current champion. The first set saw a couple of exchanges of breaks, but it was Kenin who grew stronger as the match went on, eventually outlasting Sabalenka in straight sets after one hour and 38 minutes.
It was the first loss before the quarter-finals for Sabalenka at any event this year, although she’s still solid on clay courts this year with a 9-2 record. She later admitted that fatigue played a role in her poor performance.
Sofia Kenin will play Anhelina Kalinina in the third round, where she owns a 4-2 head-to-head record.
Following her latest win, Taylor Townsend now owns a 3-1 head-to-head record over her compatriot, Jessica Pegula.
The two Americans exchanged the first two sets, but Townsend proved to be too much for Pegula in the decider, as she was impenetrable behind her serve, landing 85-per cent of her first serves and dropping just five points in five service games.
Taylor Townsend is set to take on Wang Xiyu in the third round, who also scored a second-round upset over Irina-Camelia Begu.
With Sabalenka and Pegula eliminated, the Red Sea has parted for Iga Swiatek to possibly win her third straight Italian Open crown. She opened her three-peat bid with a rout of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the Round of 64.
Murray left Italy red-faced
Andy Murray suffered a frustrating loss to his old foe, Fabio Fognini, in the first round of the Italian Open. His chances of securing a seeded berth for Wimbledon are severely damaged as a result of the defeat.
Murray entered this match in fine form after his title run at the Aix-en-Provence ATP Challenger last week. However, he struggled to keep up with his Italian opponent in the opening set.
The key moment of the first set was when Murray fought back valiantly to make the score 5-3. The line judge called in a lob that Fognini hit, but Murray protested the ruling, and the umpire disagreed.
This certainly incensed Murray because he was right, as the Hawkeye showed that Fognini’s shot had landed just outside the baseline.
Unfortunately for Murray, the Italian Open doesn’t use Hawkeye for line calls, so the umpire holds the final decision, and he upheld the original decision.
Murray eventually lost in three sets to Fognini, leaving Italy disappointed with the outcome of the match after a positive start to this year.
Djokovic gunning for No. 23 but drops retirement hint
On Friday, Tomas Martin Etcheverry put defending titlist Novak Djokovic to the test in his quest for a seventh victory on the red clay.
Etcheverry actually led in certain moments, but Djokovic dug deep and took control for good. After this win, Djokovic will be taking on Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Stan Wawrinka in his opening match.
The Serb was returning from a three-week layoff due to a nagging elbow injury, which was a huge reason why he looked rusty early on.
In a recent interview prior to the Etcheverry match, Djokovic admitted that he “doesn’t know how much time he has left.”
But as his opening game showed, Djokovic certainly isn’t done just yet, especially since he’s aiming to become the first singles player with 23 career Grand Slams.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE TENNIS STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
