Denmark's Holger Rune beats Djokovic to reach Italian Open semis

ROME: Twenty-year-old Danish player Holger Rune recorded his second victory over Novak Djokovic in little more than six months, beating the 22-time Grand Slam champion 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the Italian Open semifinals.

Rune, who also defeated Djokovic in the Paris Masters final in November, gave the Serb fits with his rapid court coverage. He made his opponent hit extra balls on points that Djokovic thought he had already finished off.

“This is probably the coldest and wettest tournament I’ve ever played here in Rome,” Djokovic said. “In these kind of conditions, it’s very difficult to get the ball past him. He’s very, very fast, very quick. Great anticipation. Just a very talented, dynamic player, all-around player.

“He was just better. He played too good for me for most part of the match,” Djokovic said. “He kept his nerves and deserved to win.”

The 35-year-old Djokovic didn’t appear at his best physically early on and called for a trainer after holding for a 2-1 lead in the second set. It wasn’t immediately clear what the issue was but it appeared that Djokovic swallowed a pill that the trainer gave him.

Djokovic recently returned after three weeks off because of a lingering issue with his surgically repaired right elbow. He’s preparing for the French Open, which starts in 11 days.

“I know I can always play better,” Djokovic said. “I always like my chances in Grand Slams against anybody on any surface, best-of-five. Let’s see how it goes.”

Rune, meanwhile, is boosting his credentials as a Grand Slam contender after a solid season on clay that included a runner-up finish in the Monte Carlo Masters, a title in Munich, and now a semifinal spot in Rome in his first main draw appearance.

“Every match is a huge challenge for me when I play against Novak. He’s obviously one of the greatest that ever played the game,” Rune said. “I’m a huge fighter on the court and I leave everything when I play my matches.”

Djokovic committed 35 unforced errors to Rune’s 15, with 22 of those coming on his forehand.

The 5th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat 18th seed Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinal on Tuesday night. Moreover, 15th seed Borna Coric beat Fábián Marozsán 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach last eight stage.

Veronika Kudermetova defeated China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the semifinals in women’s section.

No. 22 seed Zheng played steadily in the first set, winning 6-3 with a beautiful serve. The second set was more entertaining, with both players breaking serve in turn. Kudermetova held her nerve to level the match at 6-3.

In the final set, the Russian player broke serve again to lead 3-0. Although Zheng adjusted her tactics and successfully broke back, Kudermetova maintained the momentum and eventually won 6-4. Agencies

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