Djokovic battles into Rome quarters, next up Verdasco
Source: Agencies |
April 30, 2010, Friday
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WORLD No. 2 Novak Djokovic battled into the Rome Masters quarterfinals yesterday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Thomaz Bellucci that was harder than the score suggests.
Djokovic, the 2008 champion, had to come from a break down in each set against the Brazilian, who put up a lively display but at times had trouble keeping his big serve under control.
Against the 28th-ranked Bellucci, he got in just 57 percent of his first attempts - although he committed half as many unforced errors as the Brazilian player.
"I was down a break every set and it wasn't easy to get back on serve," Djokovic said. "He served well - very accurately - and got a lot of free points."
The Serb will be comforted by the ability he showed to raise his game when required before meeting in-form Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who thrashed him in the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks ago.
Verdasco, fresh from his triumph at last week's Barcelona Open, booked his place in the last eight with a 6-4, 7-6 win over his compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and take his record on clay this year to 13-2.
"I've played a lot of matches against him on different surfaces and I've won most of them," Djokovic said of his 5-3 career record against Verdasco, adding that the Monte Carlo match "wasn't a real picture of my game."
"He's one of the best players in the world, but if I play aggressively and my game I'll be OK," he added.
Djokovic is aiming to reach his third consecutive final in Rome, having won in 2008 and lost to Rafael Nadal last year.
In Stuttgart, Germany, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki was eliminated in the second round of the Porsche Grand Prix yesterday, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.
Wozniacki showed signs of still being bothered by a right ankle injury, which she sustained at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, 10 days ago. The Dane was forced to retire before her semifinal match there.
"I didn't feel like I could move 100 percent," said Wozniacki, a US Open runner-up last year. "And when you can't move, it's difficult to win."
Wozniacki had a bye in the first round.
Seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia rallied to beat Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 for a place in the quarterfinals, extending her winning streak on clay to eight.
Safarova, ranked No. 38, made her second quarterfinal of the year and said she could notice that Wozniacki was struggling with the injury.
"I tried to make her run and to push her around," the Czech said. "I always need time to get used to clay but now I am playing better."
Safarova, whose first-round opponent Selima Sfar of Tunisia retired with an ankle injury, also served well, putting in 83 percent of her first serve and hitting five aces.
On Wednesday, four-time French Open champion Justine Henin overcame a broken finger and a fired-up German opponent to win her opening match, her first clay court tournament since her comeback.
The 27-year-old was taken to a tiebreak in the first set before breaking Julia Goerges' resistance in the second for a 7-6, 6-1 first-round win.
Djokovic, the 2008 champion, had to come from a break down in each set against the Brazilian, who put up a lively display but at times had trouble keeping his big serve under control.
Against the 28th-ranked Bellucci, he got in just 57 percent of his first attempts - although he committed half as many unforced errors as the Brazilian player.
"I was down a break every set and it wasn't easy to get back on serve," Djokovic said. "He served well - very accurately - and got a lot of free points."
The Serb will be comforted by the ability he showed to raise his game when required before meeting in-form Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who thrashed him in the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks ago.
Verdasco, fresh from his triumph at last week's Barcelona Open, booked his place in the last eight with a 6-4, 7-6 win over his compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and take his record on clay this year to 13-2.
"I've played a lot of matches against him on different surfaces and I've won most of them," Djokovic said of his 5-3 career record against Verdasco, adding that the Monte Carlo match "wasn't a real picture of my game."
"He's one of the best players in the world, but if I play aggressively and my game I'll be OK," he added.
Djokovic is aiming to reach his third consecutive final in Rome, having won in 2008 and lost to Rafael Nadal last year.
In Stuttgart, Germany, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki was eliminated in the second round of the Porsche Grand Prix yesterday, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.
Wozniacki showed signs of still being bothered by a right ankle injury, which she sustained at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, 10 days ago. The Dane was forced to retire before her semifinal match there.
"I didn't feel like I could move 100 percent," said Wozniacki, a US Open runner-up last year. "And when you can't move, it's difficult to win."
Wozniacki had a bye in the first round.
Seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia rallied to beat Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 for a place in the quarterfinals, extending her winning streak on clay to eight.
Safarova, ranked No. 38, made her second quarterfinal of the year and said she could notice that Wozniacki was struggling with the injury.
"I tried to make her run and to push her around," the Czech said. "I always need time to get used to clay but now I am playing better."
Safarova, whose first-round opponent Selima Sfar of Tunisia retired with an ankle injury, also served well, putting in 83 percent of her first serve and hitting five aces.
On Wednesday, four-time French Open champion Justine Henin overcame a broken finger and a fired-up German opponent to win her opening match, her first clay court tournament since her comeback.
The 27-year-old was taken to a tiebreak in the first set before breaking Julia Goerges' resistance in the second for a 7-6, 6-1 first-round win.
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