Sabalenka stunned by Cirstea in Rome after Paolini's title defence comes to end

[p]World number one and pre-tournament favourite for overall victory, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Sabalenka[/a] followed men's tennis icon [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a] in going out early from the Rome event following a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/cirstea-s-fBPsm3Iq/sabalenka-a-vyhksgUB/?mid=2RIJHM35"]2-6, 6-3, 7-5[/a] loss to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cirstea-sorana/fBPsm3Iq/"]Sorana Cirstea[/a].[/p][p]Sabalenka was visibly frustrated with her performance on centre court, muttering to herself with her shoulders slumped during an uncharacteristically sloppy display.[/p][embed guid="e783ea25-b532-4441-8ee6-815a8be08e1c" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6TwqVMycLQ&pp=0gcJCQMLAYcqIYzv" social-type="youtube" /][p]The 28-year-old had not been knocked out of a tournament in the round of 32 since the Qatar Open in February last year, and she looked set for a quick and clean victory after racing to the first set.[/p][p]But she failed in her bid for a first tournament victory in the Italian capital, with Cirstea facing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a] in the next round after beating a woman at the top of the world rankings for the first time in her career.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="425d9c7f-e112-4a29-8065-d182605587c5" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="bfef6e60-f221-4437-9cad-008ad1c2a019" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Sabalenka also had to have a time out for what appeared to be a problem with her left hip, casting doubt on her fitness ahead of Roland Garros later this month.[/p][h2]Gauff through, Paolini out[/h2][p]French Open champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a] is still in the hunt after taking over two hours to beat Argentina's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sierra-solana/E5xrmfn5/"]Solana Sierra[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/sierra-s-E5xrmfn5/?mid=A1aXPeKh"]5-7, 6-0, 6-4[/a].[/p][p]Gauff has struggled on clay this season, with a last-16 exit in the Madrid Open coming after a disappointing run to the quarter-finals in Stuttgart.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paolini-jasmine/noaX0EJn/"]Jasmine Paolini[/a]'s defence of her Italian Open title came to an early end after the home favourite was knocked out by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mertens-elise/Y1ZrrUtl/"]Elise Mertens[/a],[/b][/p][p]Local favourite Paolini lost [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mertens-e-Y1ZrrUtl/paolini-j-noaX0EJn/?mid=SKnhaxMh"]4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3[/a] to Mertens following an error-strewn performance.[/p][p]The 30-year-old is set to drop out of the top 10 of the women's world rankings after failing to reach the fourth round of a fourth consecutive tournament.[/p][embed guid="83a30a0b-3892-4eb7-a14d-c97954dacaf9" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmbNkIgSC6Y" social-type="youtube" /][p]Her fate turned on her failure to capitalise on three match points against the serve at 6-5 in the second set, after which she lost the first two points of the tie-break and never recovered.[/p][p][b]"I didn't make the most of my chances. I needed to keep a clearer head, keep my cool better in those moments," [/b]Paolini told reporters.[/p][p][b]"I'm very disappointed to lose, but there were moments in which I felt good on the court, and I was competitive and positive."[/b][/p][p]China's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zheng-qinwen/xCyEhjAS/"]Zheng Qinwen[/a] is also out on the women's side after losing to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ostapenko-jelena/Gloq9MUN/"]Jelena Ostapenko[/a], who won their clash [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/ostapenko-j-Gloq9MUN/zheng-q-xCyEhjAS/?mid=nHsKyOYj"]4-6, 6-4, 6-4[/a].[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/wta-singles/rome/"]Follow the women's side of the Italian Open here.[/a][/b][/p]