Victoria Azarenka trumps Caroline Wozniacki in Rome

Victoria Azarenka has overcome Caroline Wozniacki to reach the third round of the Italian Open.

Both players dropped serve at the start of the contest, but it was world number 29 Azarenka who broke twice more on her way to claiming it 6-2.

Service holds were hard to come by in the second as the two women struggled to take the initiative in the encounter.

Azarenka failed to convert four match points when she edged 5-4 ahead, though she eventually came through the tie-break 6-2 7-6(2) to set up a third-round clash with either Angelique Kerber or Irina-Camelia Begu.