Djokovic Clinches First Set Against Nadal Rome 2016
Djokovic Clinches First Set Against Nadal Rome 2016
May132016
Serb saves five set points in pulsating second set
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic edged Rafael Nadal 7-5, 7-6(4) in a thrilling quarter-final clash on Friday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
In their closest contest for almost two years, in which the Serb saved five set points when Nadal served for the second set at 5-4, Djokovic rallied from a break down in both sets to thwart Nadal in two hours and 25 minutes. It marked the Serb’s seventh straight win over Nadal and saw him improve to a 26-23 advantage in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. He has won 15 straight sets against Nadal since the Spaniard prevailed in their 2014 Roland Garros final contest.
“I held my nerve at the clutch moments,” said Djokovic in an on-court TV interview. “Even though I had nervy beginnings to both sets, with some good games and good play in the crucial moments, I managed to win. It’s a straight-sets win, but it feels like we played five sets.
“Winning against Nadal is the ultimate challenge on clay courts and one of the toughest challenges we have in sport. I have to be very pleased with the way I handled myself in the big moments today. I won against one of my biggest rivals on his preferred surface. We must not forget he’s in form. He won Monte-Carlo and Barcelona and has played well the past couple of weeks. That gives me confidence for the rest of this tournament.”
In pursuit of his 30th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, Djokovic now goes on to face either Kei Nishikori or Dominic Thiem in Saturday’s semi-finals at the Foro Italico.
The Serb had a slow start against Thomaz Bellucci in the third round, and struggled to match Nadal’s energy and intensity in the opening exchanges of their 49th tour-level meeting. But Djokovic worked his way into the match, raising his level as the set went on.
Nadal drew first blood with a break to lead 3-2 as Djokovic netted a forehand. But the Belgrade native fired himself up after prevailing in an 11-minute, six-second game to hold serve in the seventh game and stay in touch. Djokovic then levelled in the eighth game, converting his third break point as Nadal miss-fired on a forehand.
In a pulsating 12th game, Djokovic kept the pressure on Nadal and was rewarded on his fourth set point. The Serb hung in the rally with strong defence, before being drawn into the net by a Nadal drop shot and exhibiting superb reflexes to poke away a high forehand volley, stealing the set from the Spaniard.
Nadal again started the stronger of the two in the second set, engineering a 3-1 lead as Djokovic’s frustrations crept to the surface. But at the crunch moment in the set, it was Djokovic who found his best tennis. Nadal served to level the match at 5-4, but failed to convert five set points. Djokovic then took his first break point, attacking Nadal with his backhand to force the error and level at 5-5.
In the ensuing tie-break, Nadal was always behind and despite twice rallying from a mini-break deficit, he couldn’t stop Djokovic sealing victory on his first match point at 6-4.
“I was fortunate in important moments,” said Djokovic. “But I managed to take him out of his comfort zone in important moments and didn’t give him always the same look. I thought he played high quality tennis. He tried to step in. He was trying to play aggressive. But towards the end, I guess I was a bit more fortunate.”
Between them, Nadal and Djokovic have accounted for the past 11 editions of this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. Nadal has lifted the trophy seven times, with Djokovic winning the title in the past two years to add to his victories in 2008 and 2011.
Djokovic came into Rome on the back of winning his 64th tour-level title in Madrid, where he defeated defending champion Andy Murray in the final. The right-hander is chasing his sixth title of the season, having also triumphed in Doha (d. Nadal), at the Australian Open (d. Murray) and in Indian Wells (d. Raonic) and Miami (d. Nishikori).
World number one Serena Williams waltzed through to the Italian Open semi-finals by defeating ninth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets.
The top seed, who ate dog food before her win over fellow American Christina McHale in the last round, beat Russian Kuznetsova 6-2 6-0 in 51 minutes.
Williams will now play Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu after she beat Japan’s Misaki Doi 6-2-7-6.
In the other semi America’s Madison Keys faces Spain’s Garbine Muguruza.
Keys, 21, despatched Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-4 4-6 6-3, while 2015 Wimbledon finalist Muguruza beat Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky 7-5 6-2.
Williams, who admitted being sick after eating dog food ordered off a menu for her Yorkshire Terrier, is aiming for a fourth Italian Open title.
Britain’s Andy Murray reached the semi-finals of the Italian Open with a 6-1 7-5 win over Belgium’s David Goffin.
The second seed lost his first service game to love but then won six games in a row to take the first set.
Goffin, who beat Tomas Berdych 6-0 6-0 on Thursday, challenged Murray in the second set, but the Scot battled through on a windy day in Rome.
Murray, 28, will face Lucas Pouille in the last four after the Frenchman’s opponent Juan Monaco withdrew.
Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal and world number one Novak Djokovic meet later in another quarter-final tie.
Murray, after dominating the first set, had to dig deep in a fluctuating second set as both players struggled to hold serve.
Goffin, the world number 13, broke serve in the fourth game to lead 3-1, in the eight game when Murray twice double-faulted, and again when Murray was serving for the match at 5-4.
But Murray kept breaking back and won a nine-minute 11th game to set up another chance to serve for victory.
Murray, who has yet to drop a set in Rome this year, completed the job to reach his second Italian Open semi-final after one hour and 34 minutes on court.
Pouille’s walkover win against the injured Monaco was the second time he has advanced in the tournament without hitting a ball.
After falling in the final round of qualifying, the 22-year-old Frenchman was granted a place in the main draw when countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga withdrew.
The world number 52 beat Ernests Gulbis in the second round and reached his first ATP Masters quarter-final by ousting ninth seed David Ferrer 6-4 6-1.
Jamie Murray’s hopes of regaining the number one doubles ranking he lost last week ended – for now at least – with defeat in Rome.
A win would have taken the Scot back to the top of the rankings but he and Brazil’s Bruno Soares were seen off with little fuss by the formidable Bryan brothers.
The Americans won 6-3 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals.
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Bernard Tomic has ruled himself out of the Rio Olympics because of an “extremely busy” schedule – and will play at an ATP event in Mexico instead.
Tomic and Nick Kyrgios had been warned by Australia’s Olympic team boss that their behaviour was being monitored in the build-up to this summer’s Games.
Tomic, 23, was criticised for holding his racquet by the strings when facing a match point at the Madrid Open.
He says he made himself unavailable for Rio “with a heavy sense of regret”.
The world number 22 added: “On the basis of my extremely busy playing schedule and my own personal circumstances, I am regrettably unable to commit to this year’s tournament.”
Tomic plans to play in the Abierto Mexicano Los Cabos, which starts on 8 August – two days after the Olympic tennis tournament begins.
Australia’s Olympic chef de mission Kitty Chiller said Tomic’s behaviour when facing Fabio Fognini in Madrid was “appalling” and added she would not “twist anyone’s arm to go to Rio”.
DAY 6 PREVIEW: The quarter-finals on Friday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia are headlined by three of the Big Four: Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic and Nadal meet for the 49th time, the most in the Open Era. They have combined to win the last 11titles in Rome.
In the second match on, No. 12 seed David Goffin looks for his first win (0-3) against Murray, who is appearing in the Rome quarter-finals for the third time in the last six years. Goffin is coming off a 60 60 win over No. 8 Tomas Berdych on Thursday, his third career Top 10 win (3-26). The 25-year-old Belgian is back in the quarter-finals for the second straight year. Murray, who is 26-3 on clay in 2015-16, will return to No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday. He is trying to reach the semi-finals here for the first time since 2011.
In the highly-anticipated third match on, four-time Rome champion Djokovic brings a 25-23 head-to-head record (6-14 on clay) against seven-time Rome winner Nadal. Djokovic has won the last six meetings and 13 sets (10 of last 11 matches, 22-4 sets). Nadal’s last win came in the final of 2014 Roland Garros. This is their sixth meeting in Rome (Nadal leads 3-2) and earliest meeting here since the quarter-finals in 2007. Djokovic, who has won 15 straight matches against Top 10 opponents (33-2 in sets), is the all-time leader with 29 career ATP Masters 1000 titles followed by Nadal with 28. Djokovic is appearing in the quarter-finals or better here for the 10th consecutive year. He’s won his last 12 matches in Rome and is 35-2 on the season. Nadal leads the ATP World Tour this year with an 19-3 clay court record, winning 15 of his past 16 matches. This is the Spaniard’s 11th quarter-finals in Rome in 12 appearances. He is 9-1 in quarter-final matches here.
In the evening session, No. 13 seed Dominic Thiem and No. 6 Kei Nishikori meet for the second time. Nishikori won the previous meeting 76 75 in the first round of Halle last June. The 22-year-old Thiem, who is the second-youngest player in the Top 20 Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 15, is appearing in his second career ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finals (2015 Miami). He is the first Austrian to reach the quarter-finals in Rome since Thomas Muster won the title in 1996. He comes in with a 32-9 match record on the season (16-4 on clay), the second-most match wins behind Djokovic (35). Nishikori is appearing in the quarter-finals for the second straight year and this is the Japanese star’s fourth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final in five tournaments this season.
On Grandstand, French lucky loser Lucas Pouille squares off with Argentine Juan Monaco for the third time (tied 1-1). Pouille, who is 12-4 in his last five tournaments after a 2-5 start, is the first lucky loser to reach the quarter-finals in Rome since Alberto Martin in 2005. Pouille, appearing in his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, will crack the Top 50 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time next week around No. 37. Monaco is coming off a three-set win over World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, his highest ranked win since 2010 Valencia (d. No. 4 Murray). Monaco, who is ranked No. 114, is appearing in the quarter-finals here for the first time since 2009. He is trying to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final since 2012 Miami.
In an early candidate for shot of the year, Blaz Rola produced a stunning behind-the-back winner during his second-round match on Thursday against Nikoloz Basilashvili at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Heilbronn, Germany.
Serving at 1-2 in the second set, a strong backhand from Basilashvili left Rola flicking his racquet behind his back in desperation. His shot landed just over the net, producing an improbable drop shot winner that left the crowd laughing in approval.
“It’s something that me and my coach have been working on for a couple of weeks,” Rola joked. “Nothing was really going through my mind because the ball was coming in so fast. I just wanted to make contact and this was the only way. It was a great shot, but too bad it didn’t win me the match.”
Rola narrowly lost the match to Basilashvili, 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(5). Basilashvili will next play the winner of the match between Carlos Berlocq and Jozef Kovalik.
The German veteran is back after being sidelined for more than seven months due to injury
After several frustrating years battling injuries, Florian Mayer is finally healthy and ready to make a run back up the Emirates ATP Rankings.
The 32-year-old missed more than seven months following last year’s US Open because of a torn right adductor tendon. He returned to the tour last month and, perhaps surprisingly, has shown no signs of rust. In just his third tournament back at this week’s $75,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Heilbronn, Germany, Mayer upset No. 2 seed Horacio Zeballos in the opening round before defeating #NextGen star Frances Tiafoe in a marathon second-round match on Wednesday.
“This is the one of the best Challengers I’ve ever taken part in,” said Mayer. “Everything is super-organised, the courts are fast and it’s good preparation for Roland Garros.”
In addition to his most recent injury woes, Mayer also missed more than a year on tour due to a hip injury before returning in April 2015. Although he finds the rehab process frustrating, he admitted that it’s taught him patience that will serve him well in his comeback.
“The rehab took a long time, but the important thing was to build my strength slowly,” said Mayer. “I started with cycling and small amounts of running, then started practising again last month before my first tournament back.”
Although Mayer has competed sparsely on the ATP Challenger Tour in recent years, he’s enjoyed great success whenever he has. He’s won 11 ATP Challenger Tour singles titles throughout his career, most recently in 2013 at the illustrious event in Braunschweig, Germany. Mayer intends to play more ATP Challenger Tour events as he looks to make it back to the upper echelons of tennis, but given his recent battles with injuries, he’s simply happy to be playing.
“I hope to try and re-enter the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings next year,” said Mayer. “The most important thing for me though is to stay healthy and have fun with the game.”
Serb moves into Rome QFs for 10th consecutive year
Novak Djokovic overcame a sluggish start to beat Thomaz Bellucci 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 and move into the Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarter-finals on Thursday.
It marks the 10th consecutive year Djokovic has made the quarter-finals in Rome. He’ll face No. 5 seed Rafael Nadal, who beat Nick Kyrgios in three sets.
Djokovic will try to avoid a similar start to what he experienced against Bellucci. The World No. 1 looked out of sorts, missing routine shots and failing to push the Brazilian. Djokovic won only eight points and lost all three break points faced. He also didn’t earn a break point against Bellucci in the first set, which ended after just 24 minutes.
“After the first set I had to change. First set was a complete Bellucci storm, and I was blown away from the court,” Djokovic said. “Fortunately the matches are played in best of three, so I had another opportunity to come back and to restart, which I did.”
The Serb quickly got on the board in the second set, holding serve in the first game. He even celebrated what had been a rare occasion, raising his arms to cheers from the packed Centre Court. The Serb later earned a break and served out the set at 5-3.
“The crucial game was the first game of the second set where I held my serve, and then I felt that things started to go my way as I tactically changed certain things, started to change the pace, get him on the move from one corner to another… And it worked well,” Djokovic said.
Bellucci brought more fight into the third set but Djokovic was as focused as ever and earned two breaks to set up his 49th meeting against Nadal. Djokovic leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 25-23 and has won their past six matches. Nadal last beat him at Roland Garros in 2014.
“Tomorrow is a big challenge playing against Rafa. The fact that I played against a left-handed player today hopefully will get myself positioned well for the next match,” Djokovic said. “I’ve played him in Rome several times… I have watched his match. I’m going to try to get myself ready. I’m hoping I can start better than I did today.”