Alexander Zverev warmed up for the French Open by winning his sixth Masters title when he beat first-time finalist Nicolas Jarry 6-4 7-5 in the Italian Open showpiece on Sunday. It was a second title in Rome for Zverev, having won his first in 2017 when he was 20, and his first trophy since he broke his ankle in the French Open semi-finals in 2022.

The 27-year-old will also climb to fourth in the rankings as he slowly returns to his best ahead of Roland Garros. "Obviously winning my first ever (Masters title) here in Rome and winning my first after my injury also in Rome, so Rome is a very special place for me. It is a very, very special week," third seed Zverev said.

Chilean Jarry, who had beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul to reach the final, could not break Zverev after the German won 95% of his first-serve points. The aggressive number 21 seed Jarry had relied on his big serve to reach the final but Zverev was up to the task, absorbing the pressure and committing few unforced errors.

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However, Jarry managed to save three match points before Zverev finally clinched victory in Rome, where he dropped only one set in the tournament. "He is playing huge and you can see by the players he has beaten here this week, (he is) playing incredible&nbsp;tennis," Zverev said of Jarry. "I told him if he continues to play like that he will have many chances at this level. Today I am extremely happy to be the winner."

Alexander Zverev warmed up for the French Open by winning his sixth Masters title when he beat first-time finalist Nicolas Jarry 6-4 7-5 in the Italian Open showpiece on Sunday.

Alexander Zverev warmed up for the French Open by winning his sixth Masters title when he beat first-time finalist Nicolas Jarry 6-4 7-5 in the Italian Open showpiece on Sunday. It was a second title in Rome for Zverev, having won his first in 2017 when he was 20, and his first trophy since he broke his ankle in the French Open semi-finals in 2022. The 27-year-old will also climb to fourth in the rankings as he slowly returns to his best ahead of Roland Garros. "Obviously winning my first ever (Masters title) here in Rome and winning my first after my injury also in Rome, so Rome is a very special place for me. It is a very, very special week," third seed Zverev said. Chilean Jarry, who had beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul to reach the final, could not break Zverev after the German won 95% of his first-serve points. The aggressive number 21 seed Jarry had relied on his big serve to reach the final but Zverev was up to the task, absorbing the pressure and committing few unforced errors. Also read: Golf: Xander Schauffele birdies final hole to capture PGA Championship for first major win However, Jarry managed to save three match points before Zverev finally clinched victory in Rome, where he dropped only one set in the tournament. "He is playing huge and you can see by the players he has beaten here this week, (he is) playing incredible tennis," Zverev said of Jarry. "I told him if he continues to play like that he will have many chances at this level. Today I am extremely happy to be the winner."

Germany's Alexander Zverev claims sixth Masters title at Italian Open

Two-time champion Iga Swiatek eased into the Italian Open semi-finals with a 6-1 6-3 win over 18th seed Madison Keys on Tuesday, and will face American third seed Coco Gauff for a spot in the final. The quarterfinal in Rome was a repeat of Swiatek's recent semi-final clash with America's Keys in Madrid, which ended with the same scoreline.

World number one Swiatek broke serve in the opening game, and while Keys won her next service game to love to make it 2-1, the Polish top-seed won the next four games to take the first set in 26 minutes. Swiatek needed just one break in the second set, which gave her a 3-1 lead, and when the Pole saved four break points in the next game to hold serve, Keys' chance of a comeback ended.

"Honestly I felt really good today, even if I knew that one or two points could change everything," Swiatek said. "I'm glad that I served well because I think when we were kind of even in the games sometimes, I could win two points just by serving. "It's something that doesn't happen often in my game, so today was a good day in terms of that."

Swiatek is aiming to win her fourth title this year having already won the Qatar Open, Indian Wells and the Madrid Open.

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She will face Gauff on Friday after the American beat China's Zheng Qinwen 7-6(4) 6-1 in the other quarter-final on Tuesday. "(Swiatek) is a tough opponent to play, especially on clay. There's a reason why she's number one," Gauff said. "But I feel like I'm getting better with each match. I'm really excited to play the semi-final."

In the remaining quarterfinals on Wednesday, world number two Aryna Sabalenka will face ninth seed Jelena Ostapenko before Victoria Azarenka plays American 13th seed Danielle Collins.

Two-time champion Iga Swiatek eased into the Italian Open semi-finals with a 6-1 6-3 win over 18th seed Madison Keys on Tuesday, and will face American third seed Coco Gauff for a spot in the final.

Two-time champion Iga Swiatek eased into the Italian Open semi-finals with a 6-1 6-3 win over 18th seed Madison Keys on Tuesday, and will face American third seed Coco Gauff for a spot in the final. The quarterfinal in Rome was a repeat of Swiatek's recent semi-final clash with America's Keys in Madrid, which ended with the same scoreline. World number one Swiatek broke serve in the opening game, and while Keys won her next service game to love to make it 2-1, the Polish top-seed won the next four games to take the first set in 26 minutes. Swiatek needed just one break in the second set, which gave her a 3-1 lead, and when the Pole saved four break points in the next game to hold serve, Keys' chance of a comeback ended. "Honestly I felt really good today, even if I knew that one or two points could change everything," Swiatek said. "I'm glad that I served well because I think when we were kind of even in the games sometimes, I could win two points just by serving. "It's something that doesn't happen often in my game, so today was a good day in terms of that." Swiatek is aiming to win her fourth title this year having already won the Qatar Open, Indian Wells and the Madrid Open. Also read: French Open 2024: Simona Halep, Venus Williams, Dominic Thiem miss out on wild cards She will face Gauff on Friday after the American beat China's Zheng Qinwen 7-6(4) 6-1 in the other quarter-final on Tuesday. "(Swiatek) is a tough opponent to play, especially on clay. There's a reason why she's number one," Gauff said. "But I feel like I'm getting better with each match. I'm really excited to play the semi-final." In the remaining quarterfinals on Wednesday, world number two Aryna Sabalenka will face ninth seed Jelena Ostapenko before Victoria Azarenka plays American 13th seed Danielle Collins.

Two-time champion Iga Swiatek enters Italian Open semifinals, to face Coco Gauff

Chile's Alejandro Tabilo claimed the biggest win of his career when he beat world number one Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Italian Open in a match that lasted just 67 minutes on Sunday, two days after the Serbian was hit on the head by a water bottle.

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Rome is stunned 😳 
 
Alejandro Tabilo claims the biggest win of his career so far, defeating number 1 seed Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in 67 minutes at the <a href="https://twitter.com/InteBNLdItalia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@InteBNLdItalia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IBI24?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IBI24</a> <a href="https://t.co/ptutzb1LTj">pic.twitter.com/ptutzb1LTj</a>
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Djokovic has won the tournament six times, with his last title coming in 2022, but Tabilo broke the top seed four times on Centre Court while not conceding a single break point.

Djokovic looked far from his best and the 36-year-old blamed Friday's "unfortunate" incident where he was accidentally struck on the head by a fan's water bottle while signing autographs after his second-round win.

"That has really impacted me a lot. After that I got medical care, been through half-an-hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness and blood," Djokovic told a news conference, adding that he would go for scans later.

"I managed to sleep okay, I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, was pretty fine, so I thought it's okay. Maybe it is okay, maybe it's not.

"The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It's a bit concerning."

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The victory made the 26-year-old Tabilo -- who won a Challenger Tour tournament two weeks ago -- the first Chilean in 17 years to beat a world number one since Fernando Gonzalez beat Roger Federer at the ATP Finals in 2007.

"It's incredible. I came on court just looking around and soaking it all in, trying to process everything. I'm trying to wake up right now," said Tabilo, who is ranked number 32 in the world.

The result also means Djokovic -- who made a double fault on match point -- has failed to reach a single final in 2024 and has played only six matches on clay in the build-up to the French Open.

The Serbian had reached the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters but a premature exit in Rome could hamper his preparations for Roland Garros where the year's second Grand Slam begins on May 26.

When asked about his French Open chances, Djokovic said: "Everything needs to be better for me to have at least a chance to win it."

Chile's Alejandro Tabilo claimed the biggest win of his career when he beat world number one Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Italian Open in a match that lasted just 67 minutes on Sunday, two days after the Serbian was hit on the head by a water bottle.

Chile's Alejandro Tabilo claimed the biggest win of his career when he beat world number one Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Italian Open in a match that lasted just 67 minutes on Sunday, two days after the Serbian was hit on the head by a water bottle. Rome is stunned 😳 Alejandro Tabilo claims the biggest win of his career so far, defeating number 1 seed Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in 67 minutes at the @InteBNLdItalia #IBI24 pic.twitter.com/ptutzb1LTj — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 12, 2024 × Djokovic has won the tournament six times, with his last title coming in 2022, but Tabilo broke the top seed four times on Centre Court while not conceding a single break point. Djokovic looked far from his best and the 36-year-old blamed Friday's "unfortunate" incident where he was accidentally struck on the head by a fan's water bottle while signing autographs after his second-round win. "That has really impacted me a lot. After that I got medical care, been through half-an-hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness and blood," Djokovic told a news conference, adding that he would go for scans later. "I managed to sleep okay, I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, was pretty fine, so I thought it's okay. Maybe it is okay, maybe it's not. "The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It's a bit concerning." ALSO READ: MAJOR security breach! YouTube prankster infiltrates Manchester United bus The victory made the 26-year-old Tabilo -- who won a Challenger Tour tournament two weeks ago -- the first Chilean in 17 years to beat a world number one since Fernando Gonzalez beat Roger Federer at the ATP Finals in 2007. "It's incredible. I came on court just looking around and soaking it all in, trying to process everything. I'm trying to wake up right now," said Tabilo, who is ranked number 32 in the world. The result also means Djokovic -- who made a double fault on match point -- has failed to reach a single final in 2024 and has played only six matches on clay in the build-up to the French Open. The Serbian had reached the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters but a premature exit in Rome could hamper his preparations for Roland Garros where the year's second Grand Slam begins on May 26. When asked about his French Open chances, Djokovic said: "Everything needs to be better for me to have at least a chance to win it."

Chile's Tabilo stuns tennis world with shock win over Novak Djokovic in Italian Open third round

Rafael&nbsp;Nadal’s&nbsp;build-up to his final French Open season suffered a crushing blow&nbsp;after he was knocked out in straight sets by&nbsp;Poland’s&nbsp;Hubert Hurkacz on Saturday (May 11). Nadal&nbsp;having&nbsp;made his way into the second&nbsp;round&nbsp;was outclassed 1-6, 3-6&nbsp;and&nbsp;was able to&nbsp;win only four games in the defeat. The loss also means the&nbsp;Spaniard’s&nbsp;next match will be at the French&nbsp;Open&nbsp;where he is likely to make his final appearance&nbsp;having&nbsp;struggled with injuries over the last year.&nbsp;

<h2>Nadal out of Italian Open</h2>

"The decision, as you can imagine, is not clear&nbsp;in my mind&nbsp;today. But if I have to say&nbsp;what's&nbsp; my feeling and if my mind is closer one way or the other way, I&nbsp;going to&nbsp;say be in Roland Garros and try my best,"&nbsp;Nadal told reporters.&nbsp;

"Physically&nbsp;I have some issues, but&nbsp;not probably&nbsp;yet enough to say not playing in the most important event of my tennis career.&nbsp;Let's&nbsp;see&nbsp;what's&nbsp;going on, how I feel myself mentally tomorrow, after tomorrow, and in one week."

Nadal&nbsp;with&nbsp;14 French Open&nbsp;titles&nbsp;has been struggling with injuries and is almost out of gas to add one more to that impressive tally. He has not featured in a Grand Slam since 2023 and will&nbsp;make his&nbsp;return to the big tournament at the month's end.&nbsp;

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After his defeat, he denied taking a farewell lap and said there is "98 percent, not 100 percent" of a return to the Italian tennis court as a player.&nbsp;

Hurkacz will face Tomas Etcheverry in the third round after likely ending Nadal's love affair with Rome as the 22-time Grand Slam winner looks set to call time on his career at the end of the season.

The French Open 2024 will start on&nbsp;20 May&nbsp;and&nbsp;will&nbsp;conclude on&nbsp;June 9&nbsp;with top names like Noval Djokovic and Nadal in action. While the headlines are about Nadal, Djokovic could script history with his 25th Grand Slam singles title, surpassing Margaret Court’s record of 24 titles.&nbsp;

Rafael Nadal’s build-up to his final French Open season suffered a crushing blow after he was knocked out in straight sets by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz on Saturday (May 11).

Rafael Nadal’s build-up to his final French Open season suffered a crushing blow after he was knocked out in straight sets by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz on Saturday (May 11). Nadal having made his way into the second round was outclassed 1-6, 3-6 and was able to win only four games in the defeat. The loss also means the Spaniard’s next match will be at the French Open where he is likely to make his final appearance having struggled with injuries over the last year. Nadal out of Italian Open "The decision, as you can imagine, is not clear in my mind today. But if I have to say what's my feeling and if my mind is closer one way or the other way, I going to say be in Roland Garros and try my best," Nadal told reporters. "Physically I have some issues, but not probably yet enough to say not playing in the most important event of my tennis career. Let's see what's going on, how I feel myself mentally tomorrow, after tomorrow, and in one week." Nadal with 14 French Open titles has been struggling with injuries and is almost out of gas to add one more to that impressive tally. He has not featured in a Grand Slam since 2023 and will make his return to the big tournament at the month's end. ALSO READ | IPL 2024: Fan touches MS Dhoni’s feet during GT tie as Mahi continues merry run with late sixes – WATCH After his defeat, he denied taking a farewell lap and said there is "98 percent, not 100 percent" of a return to the Italian tennis court as a player. Hurkacz will face Tomas Etcheverry in the third round after likely ending Nadal's love affair with Rome as the 22-time Grand Slam winner looks set to call time on his career at the end of the season. The French Open 2024 will start on 20 May and will conclude on June 9 with top names like Noval Djokovic and Nadal in action. While the headlines are about Nadal, Djokovic could script history with his 25th Grand Slam singles title, surpassing Margaret Court’s record of 24 titles.

Tennis: Rafael Nadal’s French Open build-up suffers dent, knocked out in second round by Hubert Hurkacz