ROME: Novak Djokovic advanced to the Italian Open quarter-finals after defeating Cameron Norrie easily, but the tennis match wasn’t without some tension.
Djokovic would face Holger Rune, a rematch of the previous year’s Paris Masters final. Djokovic, a six-time clay champion in Rome, has the best chance of winning another title as the world number one, Carlos Alcaraz, was eliminated.
Tennis player Djokovic won the first set against Norrie without any trouble, but in the second set, Norrie broke back while hitting Djokovic with a smash, which irritated the top seed. After the match, Djokovic explained that Norrie had been doing things that players know are not fair play, and he would not let that go unchallenged. Djokovic won the match 6-3, 6-4, and gave Norrie the cold handshake at the net, avoiding eye contact.
Other tennis matches in the men’s draw saw Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, and Borna Coric win their respective matches, while Yannick Hanfmann, ranked 101 globally, upset Andrey Rublev. Jannik Sinner, the Italian eighth seed, was sent packing by Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.
In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek continued her winning streak in Rome, defeating Donna Vekic. Swiatek would face Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals. The main six seeds in the women’s draw have been eliminated, boosting Swiatek’s chances of winning the third consecutive title.
Djokovic’s quarter-final tennis match against Rune promises to be a physical encounter as Djokovic expects a tough challenge from the young Dane. Meanwhile, Djokovic would hope to continue his dominance on clay and claim another title in Rome.
