Champion Alexander Zverev and world number one Aryna Sabalenka fell by the wayside in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open on Wednesday, while Carlos Alcaraz beat Briton's Jack Draper 6-4 6-4 to reach the last four for the first time at the claycourt event.

Carlos Alcaraz beat Jack Draper 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the semifinals of the Italian Open. Alcaraz saved six of the eight break points he faced. The third-ranked Alcaraz, who withdrew from the Madrid tournament due to an upper right leg problem that bothered him during the Barcelona Open final,

Draper is up into the top five of the world rankings and is producing the best clay-court form of his career, having reached the final in Madrid last week. The 23-year-old had to battle back from a set down to beat Corentin Moutet in the last-16 yesterday,