Dodig Granollers Upset Top Seeds In Rome Highlights 2017
Dodig Granollers Upset Top Seeds In Rome Highlights 2017
May202017
World number two Novak Djokovic is through to the Italian Open final after losing just one game against Dominic Thiem in Rome.
The 29-year-old Serb beat Austrian Thiem 6-1 6-0 in 59 minutes.
Djokovic will meet Alexander Zverev, 20, in Sunday’s final after the German beat John Isner 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-1.
Meanwhile, French Open champion Garbine Muguruza retired from her semi-final against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina with a neck injury.
Svitolina will face Simona Halep in the women’s final on Sunday after the Romanian beat Kiki Bertens.
It was a second appearance of the day for Djokovic, having earlier beaten Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 6-1 6-4 in a rain-affected match carried over from Friday.
There was little sign of fatigue as the men’s French Open champion looked back to his best, serving well and hitting ruthless ground strokes as he raced away with the first set against 23-year-old Thiem.
Thiem, who knocked out Rafael Nadal on Friday, struggled to find any rhythm in the second set as Djokovic broke his opponent’s serve three more times to see out a convincing win.
Zverev, currently ranked 17 in the world, dominated the first set against Isner, 32, winning it in just under half an hour.
Isner levelled the match after a second-set tie-break, but Zverev resumed control, comfortably winning the deciding set.
He guarantees himself a world ranking of 14 but, should he upset Djokovic in the final, he will move into the world’s top 10.
At 20 years and one month, Zverev becomes the youngest Masters finalist since Djokovic himself won the 2007 Miami Open.
Halep, 25, booked her place in the final with a 7-5 6-1 win over 25-year-old Dutchwoman Bertens.
After a hard-fought first set, Halep won the second more convincingly to complete the victory in one hour and 17 minutes.
Svitolina, 22, advanced after Muguruza called the trainer 22 minutes into the match.
Muguruza, who upset Serena Williams to win the French Open last year, will be hoping to recover in time to defend her title at Roland Garros with the second Grand Slam of the year beginning on 28 May.
#NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev thrived under the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 spotlight on Saturday, producing some of his best tennis to advance to his first Masters 1000 final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Zverev battled past the unseeded John Isner, beating the 32-year-old American 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in just under two hours. Zverev becomes the youngest Masters 1000 finalist since a 19-year-old Novak Djokovic in 2007. The Serbian won the Miami Open presented by Itau final that year.
The 20-year-old Zverev will look to win his first Masters 1000 crown on Sunday and could face Djokovic in the Rome final. Zverev will meet the winner of Djokovic and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who are scheduled to face off Saturday evening. Zverev and Djokovic have never played but Thiem leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 4-1, including all three meetings on clay.
Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, Zverev will climb to a new career high in the Emirates ATP Rankings, at No. 14. If he wins the Masters 1000 title, the #NextGenATP star will break into the Top 10 at No. 10.
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The 20-year-old Zverev, who had won both of his FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Isner, controlled the early goings and looked as if he was going to cruise to a straight-sets win. The 6’6” Zverev tapped a drop shot winner to break for a 3-2 lead and, behind 14 winners, had a one-set cushion after less than a half hour.
Isner mixed it up in the second set, though, serving and volleying with success. Neither player saw a break point, and to the tie-break they headed, where Isner jumped out to a 5/0 lead before levelling the match with a forehand winner.
In the third set, however, Zverev was ready for the serve and volley. Isner charged the net after a second serve at 30/40, 0-1, and Zverev looped a backhand past him for the break. He celebrated with a shout and a clenched fist.
The American had a chance to get back in the match in the third set, with Zverev serving at 3-1. For the first time, Isner had break points, but the German erased all three and served out the set to advance.
Zverev is currently leading the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, which will determine seven of the eight 21-and-under players who will compete at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held 7-11 November in Milan. The eighth player will be determined by wild card.
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Novak Djokovic extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head dominance against Juan Martin del Potro, prevailing past the Argentine 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday afternoon after rain and lightning delayed their quarter-final match on Friday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Djokovic now leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 14-4 and has won their past three matches. The Serbian advances to his second consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final on clay, including his last-four run last week at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Nadal).
The World No. 2 will tackle double duty on Saturday: Djokovic will meet Austrian Dominic Thiem in the Rome semi-finals not before 8 p.m. local time.
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The 29-year-old Serbian is an undefeated 4-0 against Thiem in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Djokovic captured their only prior match-up on clay, last year at Roland Garros, in straight sets.
Another stat in Djokovic’s favour: He has never lost a semi-final match in Rome. Against Thiem, Djokovic will be looking to improve to 8-0 in last-four matches in the Italian capital.
Djokovic and del Potro resumed their quarter-final match at 6-1, 1-2, with Djokovic serving, and the Belgrade native picked up where he stopped on Friday. Djokovic hammered del Potro’s backhand, pinning the Argentine in his backhand corner and keeping him behind the baseline.
With del Potro serving at 2-2, 30/30, Djokovic engaged del Potro in a back-and-forth backhand exchange before lifting a backhand winner up the line. The next point, Djokovic followed a similar script but ended the point with a drop shot winner for the first break of the set. Djokovic served out the match to advance in one hour and 32 minutes.
Rain and lightning suspend play on Friday night
Second seed Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro were in for a late night on Friday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, but they’ll return to the court on Saturday to finish their quarter-final match. Rain and lightning forced them off with Djokovic serving at 6-1, 1-2.
Djokovic dropped serve in the opening game, but won the next six games to take the 44-minute opening set. The Serbian hit 15 winners to a tidy 10 unforced errors in the first set, controlling the points by moving del Potro from side to side. Meanwhile, del Potro struggled for form and didn’t hit a backhand winner in the opening set, finishing with six winners to 11 unforced errors.
The Argentine reigned his serve in for the second set and both men traded holds until the elements brought a conclusion to Friday’s play.
The winner will play eighth seed Dominic Thiem on Saturday night after the Austrian shocked Rafael Nadal in their quarter-final. Djokovic leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with del Potro 13-4 and has won both of their matches this year in Acapulco and Indian Wells.
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View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the following matches at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia & vote for who you think will win!
SF: Zverev v Isner | QF: Djokovic v del Potro
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