Category: Tennis

World number two Daniil Medvedev was knocked out of the French Open in the first round on Tuesday, losing in five sets to 172nd-ranked Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil.

Thiago Seyboth Wild, who came through the qualifiers and had never previously won a Grand Slam match, triumphed 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It was Daniil Medvedev’s fifth loss in the opening round at French Open in seven appearances.

“I have watched Daniil play in my junior years. It’s a dream come true to beat these kinds of players on this court,” said the 23-year-old Brazilian who unleashed 69 winners.

“I was cramping in the second set and couldn’t really serve the way I wanted to but I tried to play my best tennis.”

Thiago Seyboth Wild, without a win on the main tour since February 2022, held his nerve in the conclusion of the four-hour 15-minute match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

He twice saw breaks retrieved by Daniil Medvedev in the deciding set before finally backing up a third break with a hold for 5-3. Two giant forehands secured victory.

He will face either Guido Pella or Quentin Halys for a place in the last 32.

Medvedev arrived in Paris buoyed by winning his first ever clay court title at the prestigious Italian Open last week for his fifth trophy of 2023.

“Every time the clay court season finishes, I’m happy,” said Medvedev.

Coco Gauff, the 2022 runner-up, battled to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 success over Rebecca Masarova of Spain but Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 champion, was knocked out in the first round for a second successive year, losing 6-2, 6-4 to Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.

Wimbledon champion and fourth-ranked Elena Rybakina brushed off a slow start to dispatch Czech teenager Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2.

Fourth seed Casper Ruud, the runner-up to Rafael Nadal last year, eased past Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

Alexander Zverev, who suffered a season-ending ankle ligament injury in his 2022 semi-final loss to Nadal, secured a fourth win in four matches against Lloyd Harris of South Africa. German 22nd seed Zverev came through 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/0), 6-1.

Danish youngster Holger Rune, seeded six, came through a tough test against American Christopher Eubanks, winning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.

“It was super difficult. There are always nerves coming into the first round and Chris was playing very freely,” said Rune who made the last-eight in 2022.

Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori saved five match points to knock out Serb 31st seed Miomir Kecmanovic in a five-hour 10-minute epic.

Vavassori hit a colossal 106 winners in his 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (11/9) win.

READ: Dubai edge Sharjah in high-scoring D10 League thriller

PARIS: Novak Djokovic started his bid for a men’s record 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a straight-sets victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic in the French Open first round on Monday, as Carlos Alcaraz dazzled in his opening victory.

Two-time Roland Garros champion Djokovic held off a late rally from his American opponent on Court Philippe Chatrier to clinch a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) victory.

He has still not lost in his opening match of a major since the 2006 Australian Open.

“I want to dominate whoever I play against regardless of the circumstances and who is across the net, but sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” said Djokovic after kicking off his 19th consecutive French Open campaign.

The 36-year-old will face Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, who he has beaten four times in as many meetings, in the second round.

Djokovic is only seeded third at Roland Garros this year despite the absence of his great rival and 14-time winner Rafael Nadal through injury, behind world number one Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.

He is tied with Nadal for most men’s Slam singles trophies and just one behind the 23 of Serena Williams. Margaret Court holds the all-time record of 24.

Kovacevic, the world number 114 playing in his first Grand Slam match, battled hard but could not put Djokovic under sustained pressure until it was too late.

Djokovic eased through the first two sets, before Kovacevic did break for the first time in the match to level the third set at 3-3, only to drop serve again immediately.

Djokovic uncharacteristically stumbled when serving for the match as Kovacevic forced a tie-break to the delight of the crowd.

But the world number three quickly regrouped, dominating the breaker before ending Kovacevic’s resistance on his first match point with a thumping forehand return.

– Brilliant Alcaraz –

Alcaraz began his attempt to win a second Grand Slam title in fine style against Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli, the world number 159 playing in a Grand Slam for the first time.

The top seed played some wonderful shots as he powered to a 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 victory, despite also struggling to get over the line.

Spaniard Alcaraz is the favourite to win the title in the absence of his compatriot Nadal and is slated to meet Djokovic in the semi-finals.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed a fine clay-court season, winning the Madrid and Barcelona Opens, but did suffer a shock defeat to a player from outside the top 100 against Fabian Marozsan last time out in Rome.

There was no such slip-up on Court Suzanne Lenglen, though, as he won the first eight games of the match.

Cobolli settled and improved, even saving four match points in the third set and breaking Alcaraz when he first served for it, but eventually the sport’s new golden boy extended his record of never having lost in a Slam first round to nine appearances.

“It was not too good (the missed match points)… But I had to overcome that and forget that,” said the 20-year-old. “I played at a great level when it was 5-5 and 6-5.”

Alcaraz will next play Japan’s Taro Daniel.

– Auger-Aliassime beaten –

Canadian 10th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime suffered a third defeat at the opening hurdle in four visits to Roland Garros as he lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to Fabio Fognini.

The unpredictable Italian, who himself has lost in the first round six times in nine tournaments so far this season, pulled off a shock win on Court Simonne Mathieu.

British 14th seed Cameron Norrie came through a five-set thriller on Court Suzanne Lenglen to beat home wildcard Benoit Paire 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Last year’s Wimbledon semi-finalist will take on resurgent Frenchman Lucas Pouille for a third-round berth.

Former champion Stan Wawrinka, 38, out-fought Albert Ramos-Vinolas over four hours and 35 minutes, winning 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 1-6, 6-4 to set up a clash with Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Zhang Zhizhen became the first Chinese man to win a main-draw match at the tournament since 1937 when his opponent Dusan Lajovic retired injured while trailing 6-1, 4-1.

In the women’s draw, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina won her first match at a Slam event since the 2022 Australian Open, beating last year’s semi-finalist Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-2.

The former world number three has recently returned to the tour following maternity leave, having previously taken a break from the sport citing health problems and mental exhaustion following Russia’s invasion of her home country.

“These kind of moments, these little wins… on a level, which is very low, but these moments bring joy to people of Ukraine,” said Svitolina.

French fifth seed Caroline Garica gave the home fans something to cheer with a 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-4 win over Wang Xiyu.

Former runner-up Sloane Stephens dumped out 16th seed Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-4 and 2021 losing finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2, 6-2.

Carlos Alcaraz wants to play alongside Rafael Nadal in a formidable and “dream” doubles team at the 2024 Olympics.

Alcaraz has yet to feature at the Olympics while Nadal won a gold medal in singles in Beijing in 2008 and doubles gold in Rio eight years later.

For world number one Carlos Alcaraz, playing with Rafael Nadal at the Paris Olympics would be a perfect farewell as the veteran winds down his career.

“For me, it could be a dream playing doubles with him in the Olympics,” said 20-year-old Alcaraz on Friday.

“Let’s see how he’s doing and how he’s going this year. Hopefully he’s going great.”

Rafael Nadal, a 22-time major winner, is absent from the French Open which starts on Sunday with a hip injury. The soon-to-be 37-year-old has already said that 2024 will likely be his last year in the sport.

Carlos Alcaraz is now one of the favourites for the Paris title which his compatriot has swept up 14 times.

“I felt bad when I heard that Rafa was not able to play here in Roland Garros and probably the rest of the year,” said Carlos Alcaraz.

“As a fan of tennis, I always watched Rafa playing. I always want to watch the best players in the world playing the tournaments.”

“It was tough to understand how it’s going to be without Rafa this year. Hopefully we’ll see him next year and that he’s 100 percent.”

Women’s world number one and defending champion Iga Swiatek also hoped that Nadal would return in 2024 for a career swansong.

“I don’t want to focus on statistics or what he could achieve by playing here this year,” said the Pole.

“For me, the most important thing is if he’s just healthy and happy. Hopefully he’s going to play next season and feel better. That’s the most important thing for me.”

READ: Arshad Nadeem bags gold in National Games 

PARIS: Novak Djokovic could face world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the French Open after both players were placed in the same half of the draw on Thursday.

Djokovic is chasing a record 23rd men’s Grand Slam title in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, who will miss the tournament at Roland Garros for the first time since his 2005 title-winning debut.

The third-seeded Novak Djokovic, Roland Garros champion in 2016 and 2021, meets 114th-ranked Aleksandar Kovacevic of the US in the first round in Paris — the first French Open since 1998 without Nadal or the now retired Roger Federer.

The 24-year-old Kovacevic is making his Grand Slam main draw debut.

Novak Djokovic, who turned 36 on Monday, has been bothered by a recurrence of a right elbow injury which has disrupted his clay-court season.

He failed to go beyond the last eight at any of the three events he played on clay this spring, losing his number one spot to Alcaraz.

Novak Djokovic has also fallen behind Daniil Medvedev in the rankings after the Russian succeeded him as Italian Open champion last weekend.

US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and Medvedev both start their Roland Garros campaigns against a qualifier or lucky loser.

Carlos Alcaraz faces a challenging path to a second Grand Slam title, with Lorenzo Musetti a possible last-16 foe before 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas potentially awaits him in the quarter-finals.

For Djokovic to set up a blockbuster last-four clash with Carlos Alcaraz he may need to get past Monte Carlo Masters champion Andrey Rublev in the quarters.

Casper Ruud, who was thrashed by Nadal in last year’s final, is seeded fourth and plays a qualifier in his opening match.

The in-form Holger Rune arrives in Paris at a career-high six in the world and takes on Christopher Eubanks of the US in round one.

Two-time women’s champion Iga Swiatek begins her title defence against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, the world number 67 who was beaten by the Pole in the third round of this year’s Australian Open.

The top-ranked Swiatek, bidding to become the first back-to-back women’s champion at the French Open in 16 years, is coming off a thigh injury which forced her to retire in Rome.

She is seeded to meet 2022 runner-up Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals and could face Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, last week’s Italian Open winner, in the last four.

Rybakina has beaten Swiatek three times this season, knocking her out of the Australian Open Melbourne and Indian Wells before advancing when injury halted her rival in Rome.

Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 winner, could await Swiatek in the last 16. The Czech lost in the first round a year ago.

“This is my favourite tournament. I always get this extra motivation to practise harder here. I’m really excited to be here,” Swiatek said during the draw ceremony.

Aryna Sabalenka, who won her maiden Grand Slam crown in Melbourne, plays Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in round one. Sabalenka has never got beyond the third round in Paris despite making at least the semi-finals at all of the other three majors.

Furthermore, her title win in Madrid this spring was followed by a first-up exit at the hands of 134th-ranked Sofia Kenin in Rome.

Third seed Jessica Pegula has a tricky opening match against fellow American and 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, while Rybakina gets a qualifier first up.

Ons Jabeur, seeded seventh, is a potential quarter-final opponent for Rybakina, who defeated the Tunisian in the 2022 Wimbledon final. Jabeur also finished runner-up to Swiatek at the US Open.

Rybakina, a Russian-born Kazakh has yet to get past the last eight at Roland Garros.

French fifth seed Caroline Garcia meets China’s Wang Xiyu as two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka squares off with 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in the first round.

READ: Omair, bowlers star as Pakistan Shaheens stay alive in one-day series

ROME: Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina fought from 4-1 down in the second set to overhaul Jelena Ostapenko on Friday to reach the final of the Italian Open.

The 6-2, 6-4 comeback from the Kazakh sent Elena Rybakina into her fourth major final of the season after the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami.

She will bid for the trophy on Saturday against Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine, who reached the second WTA final of her career with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 defeat of Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova.

The winner then gave a shout-out to her country, invaded by Russia last year, as she moved into the title match at the Foro Italico.

“It’s absolutely important to try and win every match, (considering) what Ukraine is going through,” she said.

“I hope I can give a small light and maybe some positive emotions to my country.”

Elena Rybankina will need a quick turnaround after winning a rain-interrupted Italian Open semi-final in just under one and three quarter hours, aided by 33 unforced errors from 2017 Roland Garros champion Ostapenko.

The second-set fightback sealed victory for Elena Rybakina on her first match point as her opponent dumped a volley into the net.

“It was not easy at all with the starting and stopping,” the winner said. “I need to recover for the final.”

Everyone knows how good Anhelina is, we are also good friends – if you can say that (in tennis).

“It will be a tough match for sure. I think of course I’m more consistent, there are still a lot of things to improve.

“But I’m happy that physically I can maintain and stay in the tournament till the end.

Elena Rybakina was pleased with her second-set turnaround.

“I didn’t start that well, I was a bit low in energy. Lost my serve. So it was difficult.

“Then a few good shots from her, good serves – it changed very quickly.

“I just tried to focus on every point and got the break back and served really well after that.”

Earlier Kalinina pointedly refused to shake hands with her defeated Russian Kudermetova opponent and made no apologies for the snub.

“We didn’t shake hands because the girl is from Russia basically. It’s no secret why I didn’t shake, because this country actually attacked Ukraine,” she said.

“This is sport, but it’s also kind of a politician thing. It’s nothing personal. But in general, yes, it’s not acceptable.”

Kalinina will be the lowest ranked finalist at the Italian Open since 1986 and will rise to her equal career-high ranking of 28th.

It took her nearly three hours to go through in a match played 72 hours after she won another marathon in the quarter-finals.

“I don’t feel my legs, I’ve played so much tennis last couple of days – all three-setters,” the winner said.

“I’m barely walking but I’m happy to be able to go through.”

The Ukrainian dominated the third set after a back-and-forth battle in the earlier chapters on the clay.

Kalinina saved eight break points over two games in the first set before finally taking a 4-3 lead with a break to love.

Kudermetova stayed in touch, delivering two aces to trail 4-5, with Kalinina subsequently broken as she tried to serve out the set.

But the Ukrainian came good on a second chance, winning it 7-5 after 66 minutes thanks to 18 unforced errors from her opponent.

The second set began with a pair of love holds before Kudermetova handed over a break for 3-2 to Kalinina from a long forehand.

The Ukrainian, who lost her only previous WTA final two years ago in Budapest, was broken to love while serving for the match, with a recharged Kudermetova taking a 6-5 lead.

She quickly captured one more game after winning 16 straight points to throw the match into a deciding third set.

Kudermetova saved three break points but fell short on a fourth to lose serve in the opening game of the third set as she went down to defeat.

READ: Worcestershire sign Usama Mir for Vitality Blast stint 

ROME: Third seed Daniil Medvedev and 2022 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas powered into the Italian Open semi-finals on Thursday with comfortable straight-set wins.

Daniil Medvedev continued his clay breakthrough as he reached the final four 6-2, 6-2 over Yannick Hanfmann.

Greek Tsitsipas, the 2022 finalist,  subdued Croat Borna Coric 6-3, 6-4 on a day when the French Open field was blown wide open by the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal.

The iconic 14-time champion, 36, cast a huge shadow over his future in the game, confessing that he did not know when he would be fit from a hip injury which has kept him off court since January.

Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, has made big improvements in his clay game here after freely admitting he’s never been comfortable on the dirt.

He has shattered that stereotype with his steady progress at the Foro Italico, reaching his seventh semi-final of the season. Medvedev dominated number 101 German qualifier Hanfmann after settling in following breaks of serve in the opening three games in their Italian Open quarter-final.

After going down a break in the second set, the 31-year-old Hanfmann complained to his coaching box that he had no legs left as he played on prior to losing serve for the fifth time in the match.

But he struck back briefly with a break of the seed to hold on for 2-4 before dropping serve again as Medvedev moved into winning position, closing it out on a second match point.

“All of the courts are pretty different here, it was not easy to adapt for both of us,” Medvedev said.

“But I managed to adapt better. I’m really happy about it. A win is a win. Not counting the serve, I played well, returned well, moved well.

“I’m looking forward to the next round.”

Prior to this edition, Daniil Medvedev had never won a match in Italian Open and had little confidence in his game on the clay. He is now into the final four after four victories and the loss of just one set.

“Against Hanfmann I wanted to put as many balls into the court as possible. He plays very aggressive. I played deep to try and make him miss — and maybe he was not playing his best match.

“He was struggling more than me. I’m glad I was able to neutralise his game.”

Medvedev also increased his lead in Tour match wins as he claimed his 37th of the season.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was meanwhile dominant against Coric after losing to the Croat in three of five matches, including here in 2018 and in last summer’s Cincinnati final.

Stefanos Tsitsipas secured the opening set with a break and took a 2-1 lead in the second. But two double-faults contributed as he dropped serve for 4-4 only to break straight back and serve out victory a game later.

“These night sessions are becoming very fun,” the fifth seed said.

“This is clay and things can escalate very quickly,” he said of his stutter near the end.

“I managed my shotmaking at the important moments and was able to retrieve (the momentum) at the end.

“I felt the energy point by point.”

Tsitsipas and Medvedev have played 12 times to date with the latter leading 7-4.

“He’s playing well and I’m also feeling good on court. I hope he brings out the best in me — good preparation and off we go,” said Tsitsipas.

READ: All-round Muzarabani-led Zimbabwe A thrash Pakistan Shaheens

Rafael Nadal on Thursday withdrew from the French Open because his hip injury has not healed and said he expects 2024 to be his final year in professional tennis.

“It’s not a decision I’m taking, it’s a decision my body is taking,” said the 36-year-old Spanish player, who has played at the claycourt major every year since 2005 and won it 14 times.

Rafael Nadal said he was taking a few months off, meaning he will also definitely miss Wimbledon and most likely the US Open, before starting to play again.

And he said next year would bring down the curtain on a career that has so far produced 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

“It’s probably going to be my last year on the professional tour, I can’t say this 100 percent because you never know what’s going to happen,” he told a news conference.

“The injury I suffered in Australia has not healed as we hoped.

“Roland Garros became impossible. I will not be there after many years, with everything that (tournament) means to me.”

Rafael Nadal said he will not set a date for his return, but said the Davis Cup in November could be a potential target.

The former world number one has not played since the Australian Open in January where he picked up a hip injury in a shock second round loss to Mackenzie McDonald of the United States.

He was expected to recover inside six weeks, comfortably in time for the claycourt season and to launch an assault on a record-extending 15th title at Roland Garros.

However, with his 37th birthday little over two weeks away and having skipped Masters events in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, Nadal appears to be facing a final battle he cannot win.

After a career plagued by knee, wrist and foot injuries in particular, the alarm bells have been ringing ever louder over the last year.

Nadal’s undefeated start to 2022, which saw him pick up a second Australian Open title, ended with a chest injury at Indian Wells.

“It feels like a needle all the time inside,” he admitted.

He swept to a 14th French Open in June but only after revealing he had required daily pain-killing injections in his foot, a consequence of suffering from Mueller-Weiss Syndrome, a rare degenerative condition.

“I played with no feeling in the foot, with a pain-killing injection in the nerve. The foot was asleep, and that’s why I was able to play,” he said at the time in Paris.

He added that he would undergo a treatment which would involve burning the nerves in his foot to permanently dull the pain.

Weeks later, his dream of a third Wimbledon title ended in a semi-final withdrawal due to an abdominal strain.

Rafael Nadal’s lengthy absence this year has also seen him drop out of the world’s top 10 for the first time in 18 years.

His record at the French Open is unlikely ever to be broken.

Since his 2005 championship winning debut, he has racked up 112 wins and only been defeated three times.

Two of those losses came against great rival Novak Djokovic in 2015 and 2021. The other was to Robin Soderling in 2009.

Djokovic, who shares the men’s record of 22 Slams with Nadal, will start as French Open favourite this year alongside world number one Carlos Alcaraz who is desperate not to see his Spanish compatriot throw in the towel.

“Let’s hope he continues to play for a long time and that we can enjoy his tennis,” said Alcaraz, the 20-year-old heir apparent to Nadal’s throne.

ROME: Seventh-ranked Holger Rune beat a frustrated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in a rain-interrupted quarter-final at the Italian Open, where women’s top seed Iga Swiatek retired injured on Wednesday.

Serbian star Djokovic, who will drop to second in the world on Monday behind Carlos Alcaraz, admitted that he was outplayed in heavy, wet conditions after a week of rain in normally sunny Rome.

“This is probably the coldest, wettest tournament I’ve ever played here in Rome,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said.

“I don’t recall so many days in a row (of) raining. In these conditions, it’s very difficult to get the ball past him.

“He’s a very talented, dynamic player – he was too good for me for most of the match,” Novak Djokovic added of Rune.

With her French Open title defence looming this month, Iga Swiatek retired in the third set of her quarter-final against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.

Poland’s Swiatek had roared through the first set but after receiving treatment she called a halt with a right leg injury to hand Wimbledon champion Rybakina a 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 2-2 win and a semi-final spot.

Victory in drizzle and evening chill came in just under two and a half hours as Iga Swiatek’s 14-match Italian Open win streak was ended.

Rybakina ended with 32 winners and 26 unforced errors, in a match Swiatek led by a set and 4-2.

“It’s never good to win like this,” Rybakina said. “I hope it’s nothing serious for Iga.

“I’m glad to win, every match I play on clay gives me more confidence,” she added. “I didn’t start well but in the second set I found my rhythm.”

Rybakina will now take on former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, who defeated Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Denmark’s Rune will line up against Casper Ruud in the semi-finals after the Norwegian fourth seed defeated Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

Argentina’s Cerundolo committed nearly 50 unforced errors and could not prevent 2022 Roland Garros finalist Ruud from reaching a third consecutive Rome semi.

“I’m back in Rome and feeling great,” Ruud said. “I’ve had success in Italy.

“Maybe it’s something in the food, there are a lot of reasons to be motivated here.

“It’s great to be back in the semi-finals, I hope it will be a fun one.”

Six-time champion Novak Djokovic was carrying an unspecified injury into the match as he lost for a second time to the rising 20-year-old Dane, who bested him to win the Masters 1000 at Paris Bercy last November.

The latest contest between the pair was marred by spats with the chair umpire by both players — Novak Djokovic on a time warning and Rune over a second-set line call.

Play was halted for just over an hour by rain. Shortly after the match began, Djokovic requested extra towels to pad his lower back on the bench during most changeovers.

He has also suffered with a right elbow problem in recent weeks which caused him to miss the Madrid event and put his pre-Roland Garros preparation behind schedule.

He was treated by the trainer and tournament doctor after the third game of the second set and given a painkiller before playing on.

The exit of Djokovic — combined with that of Alcaraz this week – left the men’s field wide open at the Foro Italico.

Between them, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have won 16 of the last 18 editions here; the last time one of the pair did not figure in a Rome final was 2004.

Rune is only the sixth player to defeat Djokovic in the Italian Open.

“This is really a big win for me,” Rune said. “Every match against Novak is a huge challenge. He’s one of the greatest to ever play the game. “I was proud of myself and enjoyed every minute out there.”

“I have to stay humble, I still have a lot to achieve. I’m a huge fighter on court, I leave everything out there. I had to fight hard and play my best tennis,” he added. “I’m a big fan of Novak; he’s a huge inspiration. He puts huge pressure on you — I had to stay brave.”

Djokovic was playing his 17th consecutive Rome quarter-final, falling to 13-4.

Tomas Berdych was the last player to beat him in the last eight in Rome back in 2013. His Rome record dropped to 67-11 as his bid for a seventh title ended after two hours, 18 minutes with 35 unforced errors in only his fourth loss of the season.

ROME: Novak Djokovic eased into the Italian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday after breezing past Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4, although there was tension with the Briton after the top seed was hit by a smash.

The Serb has reached the last eight in each of his previous 16 appearances in the Italian Open and he did again on Tuesday, getting past Norrie on centre court to set up a clash with Holger Rune.

It will be a rematch of last year’s Paris Masters final, when the young Dane won his first Masters 1000 title by beating Novak Djokovic in a thrilling match.

“Even though he’s really young, I know his game quite well. He’s been on the tour now for last few years playing some great tennis, particularly in the last I would say six to eight months,” said Djokovic.

“He’s in very good form and I look forward to a challenge. I think it’s going to be a very physical match.”

Djokovic is gunning for a seventh title on clay in Rome and his chances have been made a little bit easier by the shock elimination of Carlos Alcaraz on Monday.

Alcaraz, who won two consecutive tournaments at Barcelona and Madrid, will take world number one spot from Djokovic on May 22 but it is the 22-time Grand Slam champion who could go into Roland Garros with yet another title under his belt.

Novak Djokovic won the first three games against Norrie and closed out the first set with little fuss, without needing to be at his best.

The 35-year-old then took the second set to 2-1 with a break, but in the next game Norrie broke back while angering Djokovic with a smash which hit him on the back of his left leg.

Norrie had the whole court to put the ball away as Djokovic had given up on the point and was walking back to the service line.

Norrie raised his hand to apologise but at the changeover after the Briton moved to 3-2 Djokovic gave him another long beady-eyed stare as he passed him.

And after Djokovic sealed victory with his second match point he gave Norrie a cursory handshake at the net, while avoiding eye contact and exchanging no words with his dispatched opponent.

Novak Djokovic later explained that he had been irritated by Norrie’s on-court behaviour since the start of the match, doing “things that we players know in the locker room it’s not fair play”.

“He’s very nice guy off the court, so I don’t understand this kind of attitude on the court, to be honest. But it is what it is. He brought the fire, and I responded to that,” said Djokovic.

“I’m not going to allow someone behaving like this just bending my head. I’m going to respond to that.

“That’s all it is. What happens on the court, we leave it on the court, and we move on.”

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) in a third-round match of Italian Open which was suspended on Monday due to the rain, and will take on another Italian in Lorenzo Musetti in the last 16 on Tuesday night.

Iga Swiatek will bid to continue her blistering start to the Italian Open when she faces Donna Vekic.

World number one Swiatek has won 13 straight matches in Rome and her bid for a third title in as many years has been boosted by seeds two to six all being eliminated.

READ: Pakistan Shaheens gear up for one-day series against Zimbabwe A

ROME: World number one Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock third-round defeat in the Italian Open at the hands of unheralded Hungarian Fabian Marozsan, losing 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) on Monday.

The 20-year-old Spaniard had come into the tournament on the back of wins in Barcelona and Madrid but was outplayed by Marozsan, who is ranked 135th in the world.

Marozsan, 23, won the final six points of the second-set tiebreaker to hand the US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz a wake-up call with the French Open starting in less than a fortnight.

Marozsan, who next plays Borna Coric for a place in the Italian Open quarter-finals, had not won a match on the ATP Tour prior to the tournament — indeed this is the first time he has qualified for the main draw at a tournament on the Tour.

“Everything was perfect today, I was doing my job,” the winner said. “I cannot imagine this win, even if it was my dream last night.

“I thought I might win a few games or a set.

“I tried to hit back every ball, I was trying to do my best.”

Marozsan produced 24 winners in a victory which took an hour and three quarters.

“I had hoped I could do something special,” he said. “Now I’ve just beaten the best in the sport so I’m very happy.”

Carlos Alcaraz now stands 30-3 on the season as he prepares to head to Roland Garros as top seed for the first time at a Grand Slam.

In other results at the ATP-WTA tournament, sixth seed Andrey Rublev defeated Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (10/8), 6-3.

READ: Afghanistan unveil spin-packed squad for Sri Lanka ODIs