Novak Djokovic fought his means into the third spherical of the Italian Open on Friday, beating Tomas Etcheverry 7-5 (7/6), 6-2 in a surprisingly tight encounter.
A six-time winner in Rome, the world primary was made to work by the 61st-ranked Argentine, prevailing in a single hour, 51 minutes to arrange a 3rd spherical conflict with Grigor Dimitrov who beat Stan Wawrinka.
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Djokovic, a 22-time Grand Slam title winner, has not been knocked out of an ATP Tour occasion on the first try because the Monte Carlo Masters final 12 months.
Still nursing an harm to his proper elbow he needed to battle his well past Etcheverry, profitable the primary set by way of a tie-break earlier than lastly making certain passage into the subsequent spherical.
“I’ve mentioned earlier than that this floor requires extra time for me than perhaps for different gamers to get myself to degree, transfer nicely and hit the ball nicely. Rome has at all times been a event that I would like for Roland Garros,” mentioned Djokovic who was tormented by 21 unforced errors within the opener.
Djokovic appeared unwell at 5-5 in the first set and took a tablet in the changeover.
“You act like you’re 100 per cent,” Djokovic mentioned.
“Most of the occasions I assume you’re not, however you need to present your opponent that you simply’re on the market attempting to combat for each ball. I assume that’s what occurred, it’s sort of cat-and-mouse at all times on clay.”
Djokovic, 35, has made 12 finals in Rome and said Thursday that he was feeling good ahead of the tournament despite missing last week’s Madrid Masters.
Wearing an elbow brace he made a slow start, dropping his serve in the first game and struggling to deal with the Argentine’s powerful shots.
The first set hinged on a scrappy game six, in which Djokovic broke to level the scores following a battle at deuce.
From there, the set went with the serve until Djokovic won the final four points in the tie-break to take the lead.
Djokovic then kicked up a level, breaking serve in the first and seventh games of the second set to give the match a more straightforward look than Etcheverry’s performance deserved.
World number seven Holger Rune marked his Rome debut with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Arthur Fils of France.
“He made it tough. He’s young, younger than me. It feels kind of crazy because I think this is the second time in my life I’m playing someone that’s younger,” mentioned 20-year-old Rune.
World primary Iga Swiatek began her bid to win a 3rd straight Italian Open WTA title by demolishing Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-0, 6-0.
Losing finalist in Madrid final weekend, Swiatek seemed in nice type within the event she received final 12 months earlier than occurring to blitz the French Open although she is shaking off a rib harm suffered at Indian Wells.
“I nonetheless could really feel some discomfort, however it’s actually, actually low. Even once I withdrew from Miami, the ache was low. It was simply the chance of getting it worse that stopped me,” Swiatek told reporters.
The Pole’s path to another Rome title opened up on Thursday when world number two and third-ranked Jessica Pegula were knocked out.
Swiatek faces Lesia Tsurenko in the last 32 after extending her winning streak in the Italian capital to 12 matches.
Last year’s losing finalist, fourth seed Ons Jabeur fell 6-1, 6-4 to Paula Badosa.
The 28-year-old Jabeur has had calf problems in recent weeks, an injury which caused her to retire in the semi-finals at Stuttgart and not defend her Madrid title.
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 Badosa will face world number 27 Marta Kostyuk in the third round.
Earlier, Jannik Sinner cruised into the men’s last 32 with a straight-sets win over Thanasi Kokkinakis, 6-1, 6-4.
World number eight Sinner took one hour, 18 minutes to deal with the Australian qualifier and will play Russian Alexander Shevchenko, who beat Argentine Sebastian Baez 6-3, 6-4.
Rome has not seen an Italian tournament winner since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
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