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Australian Ajla Tomljanovic has advanced to the second round of the rain-hit Italian Open while Ash Barty has breezed through to the round of 16.
World No.1 Ash Barty has marched into the last 16 of the Italian Open in Rome, as the build-up to the French Open intensifies.
Barty overcame the challenge of Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova - a three-time major quarter-finalist and former world No.25 - with relative ease before winning 6-4 6-1.
The Australian will now meet the winner of Caroline Garcia and Veronika Kudermetova for a place in the quarter-finals.
Earlier, compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic overcame a three-hour rain delay and a former French Open finalist to advance to the second round.
The world No.80 closed out a 6-4 6-2 victory over Marketa Vondrousova at the WTA 1000 premier event.
Tomljanovic rallied from a set down in each of her two qualifying matches but cruised past world No.21 Vondrousova.
After breaking serve in the third game of the match, Tomljanovic was never headed as she maintained her advantage in the 95-minute encounter.
Tomljanovic staved off four break points in the opening set before playing faultless tennis in the second to break serve twice more and set up a meeting with 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who ousted 16th-seeded Johanna Konta 6-3 6-1.
Nadia Podoroska will play Serena Williams in the American superstar's 1000th career match after the Argentine accounted for Laura Siegemund 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-1.
Angelique Kerber defeated French qualifier Alize Cornet 6-2 7-5 to advance to a showdown with fellow grand slam champion Simona Halep, the third seed.
Spanish 12th seed Garbine Muguruza, a semi-finalist in Rome last year, eased past lucky loser Patricia Maria Tig 6-1 6-2 while Madison Keys won the All-American battle against Sloane Stephens 4-6 6-2 7-5.
France's Kristina Mladenovic upset 10th-seeded Belinda Bencic 6-3 6-4 while Belgian 14th seed Elise Mertens fell 4-6 6-2 6-3 to Kudermetova.
No.9 seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic beat Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova 6-2 6-3 to progress.
