Zheng Qinwen earned her first victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday in Rome to set up an Italian Open semifinal match against Coco Gauff.

Zheng, 22, the Olympic champion from China, had lost all six previous matches against Sabalenka. The eighth-ranked Zheng saved all five break points she faced and broke Sabalenka’s serve three times to reach the last four.

Rome is the last big warmup before the French Open starts on May 25.

Carlos Alcaraz beat Jack Draper 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semifinals. He 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, moved well on the court, often took to the net and used his trademark drop shots and groundstrokes to the best effect.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, who also had a left leg injury, had lost to Draper in their most recent meeting in the semifinals at Indian Wells in March.

Alcaraz rallied from 2-4 to claim the first set. A turning point then came in the eighth game of the second set, when Draped looked like he could force a decider. That game lasted almost 10 minutes and Alcaraz saved two break points before coming out on top. Alcaraz broke at love in the next game and sealed the match.

“The most important thing that I did today was not thinking about the shots at all,” Alcaraz said. “Not thinking about the fact that I was down, just trying to do the things that make me happy. On court I just tried to be aggressive, play good shots, drop shots, go to the net. That’s what I like to do on the court, and I think that made the difference today.”

Alacaraz’s next opponent will be either defending champion Alexander Zverev or Lorenzo Musetti.

Gauff extended her unbeaten streak against Mirra Andreeva to advance to the last four at the clay-court tournament. She played aggressively throughout in a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win.

Both players hit high-quality shots in the tiebreaker, including Andreeva’s superb drop shot just behind the net from a tight angle that allowed her to level at 5-5 before Gauff won the last two points to seal the match.

Gauff has won all four of her matches against Andreeva, 18, having also beaten her at the French Open and U.S. Open in 2023, and two weeks ago in Madrid.

Jasmine Paolini and Peyton Stearns face off in the other semifinal.

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner visited the new pope, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner. Leo XIV, the first American pope, is an avid tennis player.

NFL

The Baltimore Ravens agreed to a two-year contract extension with star running back Derrick Henry.

The deal is worth $30 million — $25 million guaranteed — according to multiple reports.

“Thank you Flock Nation for always supporting,” Henry said on social media. “Working as hard I can to be able to contribute to us holding up that trophy when it’s all said & done.”

Henry was an outstanding addition for the Ravens last season, rushing for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns and forming a devastating pairing with quarterback Lamar Jackson — himself a significant running threat.

That was the first season of a two-year contract that was worth up to $20 million, but now Baltimore has worked out a new deal that lasts through the 2026 season.

HOCKEY

Tage Thompson completed his hat trick with a power-play goal in overtime to give the United States a 6-5 win over Norway after the Americans squandered a four-goal lead at the ice hockey world championship in Herning, Denmark.

Norway forced overtime when defenseman Stian Solberg scored with 1:27 left in regulation, as the Ducks prospect completed a hat trick of his own.

Thompson, a Buffalo Sabres center, scored the winner 4:09 into overtime for the U.S., which has eight points in Group B while Norway earned its first point.

For the Americans, captain Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists, and Cutter Gauthier and Michael McCarron added a goal each as the U.S. rebounded from a loss to Sweden.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had an assist for the U.S. in his first game at the worlds. He arrived Monday but his equipment was delayed and he couldn’t play in the 3-0 loss to Switzerland later that day.

Werenski is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy for the the NHL’s top defenseman.

Sweden shut out Latvia 6-0 for its fourth straight win to take the Group A lead in Stockholm with 12 points. Canada trails by three but has played one game fewer.

Elias Lindholm and Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist and Rasmus Andersson, Anton Bengtsson, Adam Larsson and Mika Zibanejad also scored one each for Sweden.

Goalie Samuel Ersson made 20 saves.

In Stockholm, Slovakia beat France 2-1.

CYCLING

Overall leader Mads Pedersen made it three wins out of five at this year’s Giro d’Italia as he won a bunch sprint at the end of the fifth stage.

Pedersen just managed to edge out Edoardo Zambanini in a finish that was so close the Lidl-Trek rider had to ask a teammate: “Did I win? Are you sure?”

Tom Pidcock was third at the end of the 94-mile route from Ceglie Messapica to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Matera.

Pedersen, 29, also won two of the three opening stages in Albania to take the leader’s pink jersey back to Italy.