13:39 – Djokovic distanced! 4-1 for Rune!
Novak Djokovic who had said at a press conference “still feel physical discomfort” in the elbow is very badly fit into this part. Nervous, apparently annoyed, the Serb moves very slowly on the court. Holger Rune does not allow himself to be intimidated and is on the contrary ruthless. Here he is in front of the score (4-1).
13:33 – Rune gives nothing
Holger Rune has the answer and has just registered his third game. Novak Djokovic is dominated by the young Dane who continues to take the ball early and in the court.
13:28 – First game for Djokovic
Already in difficulty, the Serbian Novak Djokovic had to react. He scored a shutout on his second service game. 2-1 Rune.
13:25 – Rune confirms his break
The variations are already there after just two games. Drop shots have already been made by the two champions who started this game on a very good basis. The level of play is very high. But it was Holger Rune who took the lead in this quarter-final after saving two break points. (2-0)
13:17 – Entry break for Rune!
First game, first run Rune! The Serb loses his face-off from the start of the game (1-0 for the Dane). The Serb made a double fault. Rune will try to confirm his break after the change of sides.
13:14 – Start of the meeting with Djokovic serving (0-0)
Novak Djokovic has the face-off for this start of the game. This is the 17th quarter-final in Rome for the Serb who has always joined this stage of the competition in Italy.
13:09 – Djokovic decided to serve
Novak Djokovic won the coin toss. He decided to hire. Five more minutes before the start of the match. Mohamed Lahyani will referee the game.
13:07 – The two players enter the court
The two men have just entered the center court in Rome. They will conduct the draw before a five-minute warm-up. However, the weather conditions are not optimal. The light rain could hamper the meeting.
12:59 – The recipe is to be “disciplined” says Rune
Criticized for his irregularity on the court, Holger Rune recalled that playing Novak Djokovic was a meeting to be approached differently. “Against him, you have to stay disciplined. I think it’s good to be a bit older when you play because when you’re up against Novak or that kind of guy, you can’t afford to miss two shots. straight away or rehash the game before. You have to be present all the time, always believe in it. Of course, I have this fire of youth in me which pushes me to believe that I can win”.
12:45 – “On the court, I feel like I’m 30,” laughs Rune
Before facing Novak Djokovic, Holger Rune spoke about his maturity on the circuit and he feels “off the court, to be 20 years old and sometimes 16. But when I’m on the court, playing against the best, I rather have the impression of being 30 years old. I manage to make the right decisions, to be courageous on the important points, I play with more experience”, he explained after his short joke.
12:30 – Hello everyone!
Welcome to this live where you will be live to follow the meeting with Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune. The Serb hopes at the end of the week to lift the trophy for the 7th time while the Dane is aiming for a second Masters 1000. The first was acquired in Paris where he beat a certain Novak Djokovic. The two men are therefore facing each other for the first time since November 2022. With the experience and the accumulation of matches in recent years, the native of Belgrade is necessarily the favorite. The impertinence of the world number 6 may however surprise “Nole”. This match is almost like a last big test for Djokovic who only has the Grand Slams in mind. And Roland-Garros is coming in two weeks…