'Great' win for Novak in front of Rome fans
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Top-ranked Serb Novak Djokovic was happy to see the fans back during his win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain at the Rome Masters.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
ROME • World No. 1 Novak Djokovic swept into the Italian Open quarter-finals yesterday with a straight-sets wins over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in front of spectators who were allowed to watch in the Foro Italico for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic.
The five-time Rome champion won 6-2, 6-1 in 1hr 10min against the 48th-ranked Spaniard with the venue at 25 per cent of capacity. "It was not good, it was great. I missed the crowd," said the 33-year-old. "It was nice to see them back."
After losing his opening service game, Djokovic powered back with five breaks of serve, outclassing his 21-year-old rival to seal the win on his sixth match point.
"He started well, but I managed to break back straight away and establish the control and consistency," said the Serb.
"I thought I played at least 20-30 per cent better than on Monday."
The 18-time Grand Slam winner next plays Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat ninth seed Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 for a place in the semi-final.
In the bottom half of the draw, world No. 3 Rafael Nadal saved two match points to force a third-set tiebreaker, before defeating Canadian Denis Shapovalov 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). His reward for coming back from 0-3 down in the second set and surviving the 3hr 27min battle is a meeting with either German Alexander Zverev or Japan's Kei Nishikori. Nadal is bidding for a record-extending 10th title here.
In the women's draw, US teenager Coco Gauff ousted Madrid winner Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to advance to the quarter-finals. The Belarusian, the world No. 4 and seventh seed, fell 7-5, 6-3 to the 17-year-old Gauff, ranked 35th, who reached her fourth quarter-final of the year.
Six of the top 10 WTA players have already exited the Foro Italico, including second seed Naomi Osaka of Japan, four-time Rome winner Serena Williams, Sofia Kenin and Petra Kvitova.
Gauff will play world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty of Australia, who beat Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 6-3, for a place in her second semi-final this year after Adelaide.
Williams, playing the 1,000th WTA match of her career, lost on her return after nearly three months away, to Nadia Podoroska in Wednesday's second round.
The 39-year-old eighth seed fell 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 to the 44th-ranked Argentinian, a surprise semi-finalist at Roland Garros last year.
Williams, a four-time Rome winner and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, had not played since her semi-final defeat in the Australian Open this year.
The early exit is a blow three weeks before the French Open starting on May 30 in Paris, where the American continues her bid to equal Australia's Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam trophies.
"You know, it's tough to have a first match on clay," said Williams.
"It was definitely kind of good to go the distance and to try to be out there, but clearly I can do legions better."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
ATP ROME MASTERS
Q-finals: StarHub Ch211, 4pm
WTA ITALIAN OPEN
Q-finals: Ch201, 4pm