Novak Djokovic, the defending champion of the Italian Open, showcased his prowess as he comfortably sailed into the quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory over British number one Cameron Norrie on the centre court.
In a vintage clay performance, the 35-year-old Serbian sealed a 6-3, 6-4 win in just an hour and a half, securing his place in the Rome quarter-finals for an impressive 17th consecutive time.
Djokovic enjoyed a near-perfect start, racing to a 3-0 lead in the early exchanges by capitalizing on a Norrie forehand error to break serve in the second game. Although Norrie fought back and held off a break point with an ace, Djokovic continued to exert control over the match, despite a few double faults on his serve.
In the eighth game, Novak had two set points on Norrie’s serve but couldn’t convert them. However, he made no mistake when serving out the first set after forcing Norrie into an error at the net.
A love hold followed by an immediate break in the second set put Djokovic on the verge of a quarter-final berth, highlighted by a spectacular forehand return from the corner that left the crowd in awe. Norrie managed to trouble Djokovic’s serve and broke back in the next game, but not without controversy. On break point, Djokovic turned his back, assuming the game was lost, but Norrie struck a volley off the Serbian’s ankle. He gave Norrie a stern look, while Norrie immediately showed remorse.
After the brief interruption, both players held their serves uneventfully until the ninth game when Djokovic took a commanding 40-0 lead on Norrie’s serve. Norrie’s backhand error granted Novak the break, and with an ace down the T, he earned his first match point. Although Norrie saved it, Djokovic swiftly set up another, and Norrie’s powerful backhand return hit the net, securing victory for the defending champion.
Reflecting on the match, he expressed his satisfaction with the result, given the early start and unusual conditions. He mentioned the rushed warm-up due to rain delays but expressed happiness in progressing in straight sets. In the quarter-finals, Djokovic will face either Alexei Popyrin or Danish seventh seed Holger Rune, as he aims for his 10th consecutive semi-final appearance at the Italian Open.
