Novak Djokovic on Sunday reached the round-of-16 of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia after winning a battle with Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, while blistering Iga Swiatek thrashed Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 6-0.
Six-time Rome champion Djokovic initially looked in improved form compared with his sluggish tournament opener against Tomas Etcheverry, but again had a fight on his hands against the former world No. 3.
“I think I’m getting close to the desired level. You can always play better, but today I had a really good quality opponent and I think I delivered,” Djokovic told reporters.
Photo: Reuters
No longer wearing the elbow brace he had in Friday’s match, Djokovic looked to have shaken off the injury which forced him to miss the Madrid Open.
“I was very happy to find the right rhythm in the first game of first set... That was super important to make a break early and hold things under control,” said Djokovic, who faces Britain’s Cameron Norrie for a place in the quarter-finals
The losing finalist in Madrid, Swiatek again looked in imperious form as she breezed into the round-of-16 of the women’s singles.
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.
“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,” Swiatek said.
Swiatek next faces Donna Vekic, who saw off Ljudmila Samsonova 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.
In the women’s doubles, Magda Linette of Poland and Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic ousted Taiwanese sisters Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 12-10.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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