ROME, May 17, 2018 (News Wires) - 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. 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. 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.
