Djokovic knocks Norrie out of Italian Open

1 year ago 27

Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached his 17th successive Italian Open quarter-final with a tense triumph implicit British fig 1 Cameron Norrie.

The Serb, who volition beryllium replaced arsenic satellite fig 1 by Carlos Alcaraz adjacent week, won 6-3 6-4 successful Rome.

The temper successful a tetchy brushwood worsened successful the 2nd acceptable erstwhile Norrie smashed an overhead into the ankle of Djokovic, who had already fixed up the point.

Djokovic faces seventh effect Holger Rune oregon qualifier Alexei Popyrin next.

The Serb's mentation for the French Open has been disrupted by wounded but helium is uncovering signifier successful clip for his bid for a 23rd Grand Slam singles rubric erstwhile it starts connected 28 May.

Having delayed the commencement of the lucifer for a fewer minutes portion helium was successful the attraction room, Djokovic past wasted nary clip successful racing into a 3-0 pb - and was not adjacent held up by an aboriginal collision with the timepiece astatine the broadside of the court.

While Norrie slowed down Djokovic's complaint with a mates of holds and saved 3 acceptable points - 1 with a rocketing backhand work instrumentality - helium could bash thing astir the 4th arsenic Djokovic wrapped up the archetypal set.

The Briton went a interruption down aboriginal successful the 2nd and past instantly broke backmost - but successful arguable fashion.

Djokovic had already surrendered the constituent erstwhile helium deed precocious to permission Norrie with an unfastened tribunal to enactment the shot into and was walking distant with his backmost turned erstwhile Norrie fired his smash into Djokovic's near ankle.

Norrie uttered a little "sorry" and raised his manus successful apology, earning whistles from the assemblage and a immense glare from a intelligibly riled Djokovic.

With conditions chill and the temper connected tribunal adjacent frostier, Djokovic went connected to interruption to emotion for 5-4.

Having been made to hold astatine the commencement of the match, it was past Norrie's crook to support Djokovic waiting arsenic helium received attraction connected tribunal connected his hep portion the Serb prepared to service for the match.

Djokovic did not fto the hold disrupt his travel arsenic helium sealed triumph connected his 2nd lucifer constituent to enactment connected people for a seventh Italian Open title, with the brace exchanging a tense handshake and nary words astatine the net.

More to follow.