Four-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic recorded his 34th match win of the year on Wednesday when he booked his place in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia third round with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over qualifier Stephane Robert in 87 minutes.

World No. 1 Djokovic, who will next challenge Thomaz Bellucci, has lifted five trophies this year, including three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns. Bellucci advanced to the third round for the third time (also 2010 and 2015) with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Nicolas Mahut.

Djokovic saved one break point at 1-1, 30/40 in the first set and had to wait until the 12th game to break, when he converted his second set point opportunity.

Robert hit a stunning backhand winner to break Djokovic for a 2-1 lead in the second set. Djokovic had to wait patiently until the eighth game for his chance to break back. He sealed the win by breaking in the final game. Robert hit 33 winners, but committed 32 unforced errors. Djokovic won nine of his 15 points at the net, committing 14 unforced errors.

Robert, who turns 36 on 17 May, has qualified for all four ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments this season.

Much has been expected of Lucas Pouille on the ATP World Tour and for a while, that pressure took its toll on the young Frenchman. But in 2016, significant investment in managing his on-court mentality is paying off for the 22-year-old Pouille and with it has finally come a sense of belonging at the top of professional tennis.

With the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon close to or just past 30 years old, France has been looking for its next tennis star. The spotlight has been firmly focussed in Pouille’s direction for the past few years. But the endless comparisons with current stars and questions about his potential added extra pressure to Pouille during his early days on the ATP World Tour.

As such, 2016 has been as much about proving his own potential to himself as to proving it to the watching media and fans. Wise words from his coach, Emmanuel Planque, and former French Roland Garros champion, Yannick Noah, look to have set Pouille on the right path to realising his potential.

“We’ve been working on my mental strength,” Pouille told ATPWorldTour.com ahead of his third-round match at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, where he made the most of his opportunity as a lucky loser to beat Ernests Gulbis in the second round.

“Sometimes I’m not able to play well because I put too much pressure on myself. I’m trying to be more relaxed and trying to focus on my game and trying to improve every day. Every time I’m on the court, I just think about my tennis and about improving. I think that’s made the difference between this year and last year. I’ve been working on it with my coach and Yannick Noah was working with us and is still helping us with this. I think it’s working well.

“When I want to talk to Yannick, or ask him a question, he’s always here to help me. He tells me to try to focus. He says, ‘You’re always going to miss a lot of shots, but carry yourself and every time try to improve on every shot and just think about what you’re doing at the moment and not what the consequences are going to be.’

“[The pressure] used to play on my mind, especially a year and a half ago when everyone was saying ‘You’re the next French player’. It was tough for me to deal with it. But now I just think about trying to play. The fact that I beat Richard (Gasquet, in Monte-Carlo) is a good thing. It means I’m one of the best players in France. I’m trying to focus on myself and my game and trying to work as hard as possible to get where I want to be.”

It hasn’t just been about the mental switch for Pouille, who also made the decision to move his training base to the warmer and sunnier climes of Dubai in August 2015, leaving behind his family and friends in France to give himself the best chance of improving his game.

A six-week training block in Dubai in the off-season quickly paid dividends for Pouille, who has recorded major milestone moments in the first four months of 2016. He claimed his first Top 10 win over No. 8 Ferrer to reach the fourth round in Miami, beat countrymen Nicolas Mahut and No. 10 Richard Gasquet to reach the third round in Monte-Carlo and a week later advanced to his first ATP World Tour final on clay in Bucharest, finishing runner-up to Fernando Verdasco in a rain-delayed Monday final.

“I have a lot of confidence right now,” said Pouille. “Making my first final in Bucharest was a great thing for me and qualifying in Madrid is proving to myself that now I’m playing great tennis and I’m part of the great players on the tour.”

His results this season have seen him jump almost 40 places from No. 91 in February to a career-high No. 52 in the Emirates ATP Rankings this week. The Top 50 is within Pouille’s grasp, but the Frenchman has set his sights much higher.

“Top 50 isn’t far away, but my goal is not to be Top 50. It’s to be much more. Top 50 is just one step. If you reach this ranking, you’re sure to be in all the tournaments and that’s a goal. If I’m 48 or 45 or 42, it’s the same. I want to be Top 10, Top 5, winning Grand Slams. Top 50 will be a good step, though.

“I think I need to improve physically, get stronger, play match after match. After the match with Ferrer (in Miami), I was a bit tired and it was tough against Gilles [Simon]. I need to be stronger and able to play two, three, four, five long matches if I want to be a potential Grand Slam winner. It will take a lot of work, but I can improve everything.”

Coming into the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, in 52 of the past 56 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (since ’10 Monte-Carlo), one of the Big Four: Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Rafael Nadal have lifted the trophy. During that stretch, Djokovic has won 24 titles, Nadal 13, Federer 8 and Murray 7. Since 2013, one of the Big Four has reached the past 31 ATP Masters 1000 finals. On Wednesday, all four play their opening round matches.

In the opening match on Center Court, Federer and Next Generation star Alexander Zverev meet  for the first time. Federer is making his 16th appearance in Rome and looking for his first title after four runner-up showings (2003, 2006, 2013, 2015). The 34-year-old Swiss superstar is playing in only his fourth tournament of the season and he comes in with a 10-3 match record. The 19-year-old German, playing in Rome for the first time, enters with a 17-11 match record, already surpassing last year’s mark (14-17). He is trying to post his first career Top 10 win (0-7).

In the next match on, World No. 1 and two-time reigning champion Djokovic takes on French qualifier Stephane Robert for the first time. Djokovic, a four-time overall winner in Rome, comes in fresh off his record 29th career ATP Masters 1000 crown in Madrid and fifth title of the season. The 28-year-old Serb has a 33-2 match record on the season. The 35-year-old Robert is 1-7 lifetime against Top 10 opponents and his lone win came over No. 6 Berdych at 2011 Roland Garros.

In the evening session, top German Philipp Kohlschreiber meets seven-time Rome champion Nadal, who has won 12 of the previous 13 meetings (5-0 on clay). The Spaniard won the last meeting 63 63 in the semi-finals of Barcelona last month en route to the title. Kohlschreiber is playing a Top 10 opponent for the 101st time in his career (22-78), the eighth time this season (1-6). Nadal leads the ATP World Tour this year with a 17-3 clay court record and his 13-match winning streak came to an end with his SF loss last weekend at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Murray).

On Grandstand, in the second match on, Portugal’s No. 1 player, Joao Sousa, who is a career-high No. 30 this week in the Emirates ATP Rankings, takes on No. 13 seed Dominic Thiem, who is 4-1 in their FedEx ATP Head 2 Head meetings. In the next match on, qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, squares off with Murray, who is 3-0 in their head-to-head meetings (first on clay). Sousa is coming off his best result of the season, a QF at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid, while Murray was runner-up. In the last match on, Spaniards Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and No. 9 David Ferrer collide for the 11th time (Ferrer leads 9-1, including 5-0 on clay), second week in a row (Madrid).

On Pietrangeli, in the third match on, the No. 2 players from their respective country are featured as No. 11 seed Richard Gasquet of France, takes on Italian Andreas Seppi. Gasquet owns a 5-1 advantage in their head-to-head. In the next match on, the youngest player in the Top 10 Emirates ATP Rankings, No. 10 Milos Raonic (25), squares off with the youngest player in the Top 20, No. 20-ranked Next Generation star Nick Kyrgios (21). They have split the previous four meetings.

Coming into the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, in 52 of the past 56 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments (since ’10 Monte-Carlo), one of the Big Four – Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – have lifted the trophy. During that stretch, Djokovic has won 24 titles, Nadal 13, Federer 8 and Murray 7. Since 2013, one of the Big Four has reached the past 31 Masters 1000 finals. On Wednesday, all four play their opening round matches.

In the opening match on Center Court, Federer and Next Generation star Alexander Zverev meet for the first time. Federer is making his 16th appearance in Rome and looking for his first title after four runner-up showings (2003, 2006, 2013, 2015). The 34-year-old Swiss superstar is playing in only his fourth tournament of the season and he comes in with a 10-3 match record. The 19-year-old German, playing in Rome for the first time, enters with a 17-11 match record, already surpassing last year’s mark (14-17). He is trying to post his first career Top 10 win (0-7).

In the next match on, World No. 1 and two-time reigning champion Djokovic takes on French qualifier Stephane Robert for the first time. Djokovic, a four-time overall winner in Rome, comes in fresh off his record 29th career ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown in Madrid and fifth title of the season. The 28-year-old Serb has a 33-2 match record on the season. The 35-year-old Robert is 1-7 lifetime against Top 10 opponents and his lone win came over No. 6 Berdych at 2011 Roland Garros.

In the evening session, top German Philipp Kohlschreiber meets seven-time Rome champion Nadal, who has won 12 of the previous 13 meetings (5-0 on clay). The Spaniard won the last meeting 63 63 in the semi-finals of Barcelona last month en route to the title. Kohlschreiber is playing a Top 10 opponent for the 101st time in his career (22-78), the eighth time this season (1-6). Nadal leads the ATP World Tour this year with a 17-3 clay court record and his 13-match winning streak came to an end with his semi-final loss last weekend at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Murray).

On Grandstand, in the second match on, Portugal’s No. 1 player, Joao Sousa, who is a career-high No. 30 this week in the Emirates ATP Rankings, takes on No. 13 seed Dominic Thiem, who is 4-1 in their FedEx ATP Head 2 Head meetings. In the next match on, qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, squares off with Murray, who is 3-0 in their head-to-head meetings (first on clay). Sousa is coming off his best result of the season, a quarter-final in Madrid, while Murray was runner-up. In the last match on, Spaniards Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and No. 9 David Ferrer collide for the 11th time (Ferrer leads 9-1, including 5-0 on clay), second week in a row (Madrid).

On Pietrangeli, in the third match on, the No. 2 players from their respective country are featured as No. 11 seed Richard Gasquet of France, takes on Italian Andreas Seppi. Gasquet owns a 5-1 advantage in their head-to-head. In the next match on, the youngest player in the Top 10 Emirates ATP Rankings, No. 10 Milos Raonic (25), squares off with the youngest player in the Top 20, No. 20-ranked Next Generation star Nick Kyrgios (21). They have split the previous four meetings.

Rafael Nadal has played at hundreds of tournaments all over the globe during his 16-year career. But even for the well-traveled veteran, this week’s destination carries extra meaning.

“If Rome is not a special place for the players, I don’t know which place can be special,” Nadal said Tuesday during his pre-tournament press conference. “It’s one of the most historic events on our tour and one of the most important tournaments in our tour. I think everybody has a special feeling here. For me especially because I have a lot of success in the past.”

The 28 year old is the most successful player in the history of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The Spaniard has won the event seven times and holds a 47-4 career record in Rome. He’s reached the final in six of the past seven years and nine of the 11 years he’s played there. The only two years Nadal didn’t make the final was in 2008, when he lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round, and last year, when he fell to Stan Wawrinka in the quarter-finals.

“I am happy to be here in Rome another year,” Nadal said.

Ferrero retired years ago and Nadal will have to face Wawrinka only if both players make the final. But another familiar foe looms only two rounds ahead of the Spaniard: four-time champion Novak Djokovic, who’s won the past two Rome titles. The Serb also is coming off his record 29^th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Mutua Madrid Open on Sunday.

He and Nadal are the only players who have won titles in Rome since 2005. The last player to win a title there besides them was former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, who’s now coaching Milos Raonic. Nadal could face Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

“No. No, no, for sure I’m not happy,” Nadal said amid laughs when asked if he was happy about being drawn in the same quarter with Djokovic. “But the real thing is I’m not going to play against Novak tomorrow.”

Nadal opens with World No. 26 Philipp Kohlschreiber. The 32-year-old German won the BMW Open by FWU AG on clay last month in Munich. But Nadal beat him in straight sets the last time they played, at the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open BancSabadell. The left-hander also leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 12-1.

“He’s playing great,” Nadal said. “He’s a very good player on clay… I am worried about that now.”

One of the biggest appeals for fans of the ATP Challenger Tour is catching a rising star before they reach the upper echelons of the sports. In the case of #NextGen star Karen Khachanov, it may not be long before he makes that move.

The 19-year-old Russian won his first ATP Challenger Tour title last September in Istanbul, Turkey, and has continued to build on that milestone moment since then. He reached his second ATP Challenger Tour final last March in Jonkoping, Sweden, and broke through on the main stage last March at the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Barcelona, Spain, defeating Top 20 player Roberto Bautista Agut en route to a third-round finish.

Khachanov is back on the ATP Challenger Tour this week as the No. 1 seed at the tournament in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He credits his time in Challengers with helping him achieve his recent success and said it was important for him to keep playing these events as he continues to make a push up the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“My success in Challengers has helped, of course,” said Khachanov. “Passing through the Challengers helped make my character stronger and developed my willpower and patience, which is one of the reasons I performed so well in Barcelona.”

Khachanov has made several trips to Uzbekistan in recent years, winning a Futures title last year and advancing to the quarter-finals of ATP Challenger Tour events in Samarkand, Karshi and Fergana. Although he admitted traveling there is a long process, he said it’s worth it once he arrives.

“It’s a bit complicated to get to Uzbekistan, but the Challengers here are really well-organized,” said Khachanov. “There are also some really beautiful places in Uzbekistan with great historic value that are nice to visit.”

The teenager credited a rigorous off-season for helping to take his game to the next level in 2016, which included plenty of gym work and “lot of hours of practise on court with specific exercises.” With a long career likely ahead for Khachanov, he said his main priority is to simply keep improving.

“I’d like to finish this season with the highest Emirates ATP Ranking possible,” said Khachanov. “The main thing for me though is to improve in every aspect of my profession.”

Stan Wawrinka battled back to beat his good friend Benoit Paire and move into the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Tuesday. Wawrinka, the No. 4 seed in Rome, won 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 against the World No. 21.

After Paire grabbed the opener, Wawrinka earned three breaks to cruise in the second set. During the final set, Paire double faulted to give Wawrinka the break at 1-2, and the Swiss held at love to go up 4-1. He wouldn’t drop a game the remainder of the one-hour and 50-minute match. Paire fell to 5-22 against Top 10 opponents.

Wawrinka next will play Juan Monaco, who also came back from a set down to win his second-round match. The Argentine beat No. 16 seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

David Goffin also advanced into the third round. The No. 12 seed won 74 per cent of his first-serve points to beat American Jack Sock in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. Goffin will face Tomas Berdych in the third round. Berdych leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 2-0, but both matches were on hard courts.

No. 15 seed Roberto Bautista Agut improved his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against home-favorite Paolo Lorenzi to 2-0. Bautista Agut won 6-3, 6-1 against the Italian in the first-round matchup. He will face Jeremy Chardy in the second round.

Lucky loser Lucas Pouille took advantage of his luck with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win against Ernests Gulbis to move into the third round.