ROME – Iga Swiatek was dumped out of the Italian Open on May 10 after the reigning Rome champion suffered a shock 6-1, 7-5 loss at the hands of Danielle Collins.

World No. 2 Swiatek was hunting a fourth title at the Foro Italico but failed to get past the third round of the last major tournament before the French Open following an uncharacteristically bad display against unfancied Collins.

“I played Iga so many times. The winning favour is in her favour. When you play that many close matches and play some of your best tennis but lose, you learn a lot. I feel like I applied that today,” Collins, 31, said.

Veteran Collins, 31, will now face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina or fellow American Hailey Baptiste in the last 16 as the world No. 35 hunts an unlikely second WTA 1000 title after winning in Miami in 2024.

Swiatek’s early exit is a major shock as the Pole usually dominates her rivals on clay and has a hugely impressive record in the Italian capital.

The manner of her defeat is another worrying sign ahead of Roland Garros as she was also thrashed in straight sets by Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open earlier in May.

Swiatek was barely recognisable from the player who has won four French Open titles, being broken four times in the first set and failing to impose herself at all on Collins, against whom she had previously won eight of nine meetings.

The 23-year-old’s elimination opens up her side of the women’s draw with Naomi Osaka, who could have been her opponent in the quarter-finals, taking on Marie Bouzkova later on Saturday.

Osaka, who is still finding form after a 15-month break from tennis, will face Peyton Stearns in the last 16 if she gets past Bouzkova. Stearns upset fifth seed Madison Keys 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) on May 10.

Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will take to a packed and partisan centre court late on May 10 against Argentina’s Mariano Navone, hoping to shake off the cobwebs as he eyes a run at Roland Garros later in May. The match ended after press time.

Sinner has not swung a racket in a tournament since claiming his third Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open in January, due to a suspension agreed with the World Anti-Doping Agency in February.

His rise to the top of the game in 2024, when he won eight titles including his first two Slams and the ATP Finals, was dogged by the controversy which followed his two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March 2024.

Both Wada and the International Tenn...