Novak Djokovic eased past Cameron Norrie to reach the quarter-finals of the Italian Open, but the match was not without some tension.
Djokovic will face Holger Rooney in a rematch of last year’s Paris Masters final. Djokovic, a six-time clay champion in Rome, has a good chance of winning another title as world number one Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out on Monday.
Djokovic won the first set against Nouri without any problems, but in the second set, Nouri broke Djokovic’s back with a smash, infuriating the top seed. After the match, Djokovic explained that Nouri was doing things that players know aren’t fair play, and he wasn’t going to let him go unchallenged. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4 and held a cool hand at the net, avoiding eye contact with Nuri.
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Daniel Medvedev, Caspar Rudd and Borna Coric won their respective matches, while world number 101 Yank Heinfman upset Andre Rublev. Italian eighth seed Janic Senar was sent packing by Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.
In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek continued her winning streak by defeating Donna Vecic in Rome. In the quarter-finals, Svitek will face Elena Rybakina. The top six seeds have been eliminated in the women’s draw, increasing Switek’s chances of a third straight title.
Djokovic’s quarter-final match against Rune promises to be a physical contest as Djokovic expects a stiff challenge from the young Dane. Meanwhile, Djokovic hopes to maintain his dominance on clay and claim another title in Rome.
