Angry Pliskova knocked out by Sakkari in Rome

Karolina Pliskova smashed a hole in the umpire’s chair in anger after a contentious line call late in her loss to Maria Sakkari in the second round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

The sixth seed was tied at 5-5 in the deciding set with her Greek opponent when her smash was called out by a line judge.

Replays showed the ball landed inside the sideline but umpire Marta Mrozinska refused to accept Pliskova’s pleadings to overturn the call.

.@mariasakkari advances to the @InteBNLdItalia third round!

Defeats Karolina Pliskova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5! pic.twitter.com/rxPZ1WsMh6

— WTA (@WTA) May 16, 2018

Sakkari won the game and then served out the match to win 3-6 6-3 7-5.

Pliskova did not shake Mrozinska’s hand and instead smashed her racquet several times against the side of the umpire’s chair, breaking the wood.

“I see it as a good win, and I’m moving onto the next one,” Sakkari told wtatour.com following her first top-5 win.

The worst i have ever seen @wta and i hope this lady Marta Mrozinska will never ever judge any match of me or Karolina again #blacklistforever

— Kristyna Pliskova (@KrisPliskova) May 16, 2018

Things were a lot more straightforward for world No.1 Simona Halep, who won 12 straight games against exciting young Japanese Naomi Osaka in a 6-1 6-0 victory that lasted just 59 minutes.

“I just tried to build my points, to build a little bit of space and open the court, and tried to make winners,” said Halep.

“It’s tough to make winners on this court, for me, but it’s good when I can build the point.”

REPORT: Nadal and Djokovic through in Rome, Thiem beaten 

Second seed Caroline Wozniacki defeated Belgian qualifier Alison van Uytvanck 6-1 6-4.

Three-time champion Maria Sharapova battled past Dominika Cibulkova 3-6 6-4 6-2, and eighth seed Venus Williams beat Elena Vesnina 6-2 4-6 7-5.

US Open champion Sloane Stephens held off a comeback from Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi in a 6-0 5-7 6-4 victory; seventh-seeded Caroline Garcia defeated Timea Babos 6-3 6-4 and 14th-seeded Daria Kasatkina eliminated American qualifier Danielle Collins 6-2 6-3.

.@Naomi_Osaka_ reflects on her @InteBNLdItalia second round loss to Simona Halep. pic.twitter.com/NPCN8YyDD6

— WTA (@WTA) May 16, 2018