Novak Djokovic sets up a third round match against Grigor Dimitrov in Rome - UBITENNIS
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Novak Djokovic sets up a third round match against Grigor Dimitrov in Rome

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5 months ago

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Novak Djokovic overcame a slow start in the first set to beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 in 1 hour and 51 minutes in the second round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the Foro Italico in Rome. 

 

Etcheverry saved a break point in the second game with a forehand winner to hold serve with a service winner to consolidate the break for 2-0. 

Djokovic forced Etcheverry’s error after a long rally to get his first game on the scoreboard. Etcheverry saved a break point with a serve and volley to hold serve for 3-1 lead. Djokovic broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3, as Etcheverry sent a forehand wide.

Djokovic earned two set points with a backhand down the line winner in the 10thgame. Etcheverry saved them with service winners and held serve to draw level to 5-5. Etcheverry went up a 3-0 lead in the tie-break. Djokovic won four consecutive points from 3-5 down to close out the tie-break 7-5. 

Djokovic forced a forehand error from Etcheverry to earn an early break in the first game of the second set. The Serbian player held to 30 in the second game. The six-time Rome champion won 12 of the final 13 points from 3-2 and broke for the second time in the seventh game to seal the second set 6-2. Etcheverryreached two finals in Santiago and Houston in 2023. 

“I am not at the desired level, still finding the shots and finding that groove on the court. It’s always a little bit tricky playing someone for the first time. He is a clay-court specialist. He started better than I did. I started pretty slow, but I found my groove towards the end of the first set. The second set was good, especially the last three or four games. I am happy with the way I closed out the match”, said Djokovic. 

Djokovic set up a third round match against Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-6 (7-3). Djokovic holds a 10-1 lead in his head-to-head matches against Dimitrov. 

Dimitrov earned an early break in the first game to open up a 2-0 lead. Wawrinka saved three break points to hold serve in the seventh game for 3-4. Dimitrov won his final two service games to seal the first set 6-4. 

Dimitrov went up a 3-1 lead with an early break in the first game. Wawrinka broke straight back to force the second set to the tie-break. Dimitrov earned three mini-breaks to seal the tie-break on his third match point. 

“I am just happy to finish the match in straight sets. It’s been a while since I have played matches like that. Off the blocks to play Stan is never easy. We have played so many times against each other. We know what we are going to do in a lot of moments. Today was a very small margin”, said Dimitrov. 

Fabio Fognini beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 7-6 (8-6). Fognini converted his third break point in the first game. The Italian player held on his next service games and closed out the first set with a break on his second set point. 

Fognini earned three break points in three different service games, but he did not convert them. Kecmanovic earned an early mini-break in the tie-break after a double fault. Fognini pulled back on serve with a forehand winner. He earned another mini-break to open up a 4-2 lead. He did not convert three match points at 6-3, but he sealed the tie-break on his fourth opportunity. 

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Jannik Sinner sets up a quarter final against Grigor Dimitrov in Beijing

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12 hours ago

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01/10/2023

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Jannik Sinner cruised into the quarter final of the China Open with a 6-2 6-0 win over Yoshihito Nishioka in 67 minutes at the China Open in Beijing. 

 

Earlier this week Sinner had won the first match in his career against Dan Evans in three sets. 

Sinner and Nishioka traded breaks in the first two games of the opening set. Sinner won 11 consecutive games in the first set to close out the match. Sinner now leads 2-0 in his head-to-head series against Nishioka.  

“During the first week in China I was sick, and somehow I tried to get through the first round and I knew then I would have one day off. Every day is different. I feel physically much better. I think when I have the shape of physicality, the way I play is a little bit bette Today I played well. Maybe on serve I have to improve a little bit the percentage. I think all the rest was really good today. There were key moments of this match that made my confidence grow”, said Sinner. 

Sinner set up a quarter final against Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Holger Rune 6-3 7-5. Dimitrov has drawn level to 1-1 in his two head-to-head matches against Rune, who beat his Bulgarian rival 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon 2023. 

Dimitrov raced out to a 4-0 lead with a double break. Rune pulled a break back in the sixth game but Dimitrov earned his third break in the ninth game to close out the first set 6-3. 

Both players went on serve until the 12th game when Dimitrov earned his only break on his third match point with forehand drop volley winner to seal the second set 7-5. 

Dimitrov reached the quarter final for the fourth time in his eight appearances at the Beijing tournament. The Bulgarian player lost to Andy Murray in the final of the China Open in 2016.

“I have lost quite a few matches this year against against a few players like that, so I really wanted to step up a little bit more. I still felt I could have done a few things a little bit better, but a win is a win. I just need to think a little bit about what I can improve. From the first match to now I see a few things that are better, but I still believe I can top it off a little bit more”, said Dimitrov. 

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Aryna Sabalenka and Anhelina Kalinina reach the second round at the China Open in Beijing

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1 day ago

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01/10/2023

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This year’s Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the second round with a 6-2 6-1 win over Sofia Kenin in just 67 minutes at the China Open in Beijing. 

 

Sabalenka fired 22 winners to just 9 unforced errors, while Kenis made made just seven winners. Sabalenka did not face a break point and broke twice in each set. 

World number 28 Anhelina Kalinina came from one set down to beat Marketa Vondrousova 1-6 6-4 6-1. 

Vondrousova broke three times to race out to a 5-0 lead. Kalinina pulled one of the breaks in the sixth game for 1-5 but Vondrousova sealed the first set 6-1 with her third break. 

Vondrousova came within of holding a break lead in the second set. The Czech player was not able to convert one of the three break points and dropped her serve in the seventh game. 

Kalinina lost just games in the rest of the match and broke three times to win the third set 6-1. 

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Alexander Zverev reaches his 10th quarter final of the season in Beijing

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2 days ago

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30/09/2023

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Alexander Zverev came back from one set down to beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-1 reaching his 10thquarter final of the season at the China Open in Beijing. 

 

Zverev won the tie-break 7-4 with three mini-breaks after a marathon first set that featured six breaks of serve. Zverev broke twice in the third and fifth games to win the second set 6-2. The German earned three breaks to seal the third set. Zverev saved the only break point he faced in the final two sets. 

Zverev has improved to 4-1 in his head-to-head series against Davidovich Fokina. The Hamburg native player avenged his recent defeat against Davidovich Fokina in Toronto. 

The German player set up a quarter final against Nicolas Jarry. 

Zverev recently reached the quarter final at the US Open and won his second title of the season in Chengdu. He is currently seventh in the ATP Live Race to Turin and could rise to fifth if he wins his third title of the season in Beijing. 

“I am happy with win. I feel like I picked up my game a lot. I played a lot of tennis in the past two weeks. I just need to recover. I need to rest”, said Zverev. 

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