Italian Open: Sluggish Novak Djokovic cruises to third round, beats Tomas Etcheverry in three-set thriller
Italian Open: Djokovic beats Tomas Etcheverry to enter third round
Novak Djokovic fought his way into the third round of the Italian Open on Friday, beating Tomas Etcheverry 7-5 (7/6), 6-2 in a surprisingly tight encounter. A six-time winner in Rome, the world number one was made to work by the 61st-ranked Argentine, prevailing in one hour, 51 minutes to set up a third round clash with Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Stan Wawrinka.
Djokovic, a 22-time Grand Slam title winner, has not been knocked out of an ATP Tour event at the first attempt since the Monte Carlo Masters last year. Still nursing an injury to his right elbow he had to battle his way past Etcheverry, winning the first set via a tie-break before finally ensuring passage into the next round.
"I've said before that this surface requires more time for me than maybe for other players to get myself to a good level, move well and hit the ball well. Rome has always been a tournament that I need for Roland Garros," said Djokovic who was plagued by 21 unforced errors in the opener.
ALSO READ:Italian Open: Iga Swiatek thrashes Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach third round
Djokovic appeared unwell at 5-5 in the first set and took a tablet in the changeover.
"You act like you're 100 per cent," Djokovic said. "Most of the times I guess you're not, but you want to show your opponent that you're out there trying to fight for every ball. I guess that's what happened; it's kind of cat-and-mouse always on clay."
)
US loses 23,000 jobs in July as labour market slowdown deepens
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Pentagon releases new batch of 41 UFO files, including videos and images
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
Thailand: 14-year-old goes on rampage, kills grandparents, teachers & self | Gravitas
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
)
Primetime trailer: Robert Pattinson channels Chris Hansen in A24's dark crime thriller
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
Lightning bolt strikes football field in Thailand, killing a player during a match
)
Major relief for TN CM Vijay as wife Sangeetha withdraws infidelity and divorce petition
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
US Senate passes sweeping Russia Sanctions Bill targeting energy revenue
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Thailand teen killed grandparents before shooting teachers at school – What we know about suspect
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
Djokovic, 35, has made 12 finals in Rome and said Thursday that he was feeling good ahead of the tournament despite missing last week's Madrid Masters.
Wearing an elbow brace he made a slow start, dropping his serve in the first game and struggling to deal with the Argentine's powerful shots.
The first set hinged on a scrappy game six, in which Djokovic broke to level the scores following a battle at deuce.
From there, the set went with the serve until Djokovic won the final four points in the tie-break to take the lead.
Djokovic then kicked up a level, breaking serve in the first and seventh games of the second set to give the match a more straightforward look than Etcheverry's performance deserved.
