ROME: Six-time champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia overcame a second-set slump to defeat Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Italian Open here on Sunday. Djokovic came up with a high-class third-set showing to win the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.
The top seed and defending champion Djokovic won the first set easily and looked set for a routine third-round victory when he led Dimitrov by a set and a break at 6-3, 4-2.
An inspired run of four games from the Bulgarian Dimitrov gave him the second set and forced a decider at the Foro Italico. However, Djokovic expertly raised his level to reach the fourth round with his 1050th tour-level victory.
With his two-hour, 20-minute win, Djokovic improved to 11-1 in his ATP head-to-head series against Dimitrov.
Iga Swiatek cruised into the last 16 after thrashing Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 6-0, while Daniil Medvedev beat Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4, 6-2.
Losing finalist in Madrid last weekend, Swiatek looked again in imperious form in the tournament she won last year before going on to blitz the French Open.
The 21-year-old is trying for her third straight Rome title and made light work of Tsurenko after a slightly bumpy start.
Swiatek lost the first two games but then rattled off 12 in a row in a powerful demonstration of why she is world number one and favourite for Roland Garros.
Swiatek needed 76 minutes to get the job done, landing 22 winners to the Ukrainian’s two in another dominant display that extended her winning run in Rome to 13 matches - the longest streak since Serena Williams' 21 wins from 2012 to 2019.
“I’m just trying to be consistent and trying to play my game. I treat every match as a final, I try to have the right mindset,” said Swiatek on court.
Her bid for a Rome hat-trick will be helped by five of the world’s top 10 women players being eliminated early, world number eight Maria Sakkari the latest victim after she was beaten 7-5, 6-3 by Marketa Vondrousova.
Sakkari joins world number two Aryna Sabalenka, third-ranked Jessica Pegula, world number four Caroline Garcia and seventh ranked Ons Jabeur in being dumped out of the tournament.
In the men’s draw, Medvedev came through in straight sets against Ruusuvuori to claim his first ever win at the Foro Italico courts.
In much balmier conditions, the world number three was dominant on a clay court surface he is famous for not liking.
Few would back him to go deep in Rome but his performances on clay have improved, reaching the quarterfinals at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Medvedev will face Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the third round.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will take on home hope Lorenzo Sonego after finishing off Nuno Borges 6-3, 6-3 in a match interrupted by Saturday’s rain with the world number five already well on his way to victory.
In other third round matches, Alexei Popyrin beat Roman Safiullin 7-5, 7-5, Marco Cecchinato beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-2, Francisco Cerundolo beat Grégoire Barrère 6-7, 6-2, 6-2, 7th seed Holger Rune beat Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-2, Yannick Hanfmann beat 9th seed Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-1, Fábián Marozsán beat Jiri Lehecka 4-6, 6-1, 7-6, Lorenzo Musetti beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-4, 12th seed Frances Tiafoe beat Daniel Altmaier 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, Francisco Cerundolo beat Grégoire Barrère 6-7, 6-0, 6-0.
In women’s section, Caroline Garcia lost to World No. 100 Camilla Osorio 4-6, 4-6 in the third round. Moreover, Jelena Ostapenko beat 10th seed Barbora Krejcíková 7-6, 6-0, Paula Badosa beat Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-2, 8th seed Daria Kasatkina beat Julia Grabher 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, Karolína Muchová beat Camila Giorgi 7-6, 6-2 while Marie Bouzková stunned 6th seed Coco Gauff 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Madison Keys got walkover against 14th seed Victoria Azarenka. Agencies
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