With the defence of his French Open title inching closer, Novak Djokovic continues to make smooth progress in Rome. After starting the clay court season without the stamina to even last a three-set match, he is ending its final ATP event striking the ball sweetly. Thanks to a composed and dominant performance, Djokovic reached the final of the Italian Open by defeating Casper Ruud, the fifth seed, 6-4, 6-3.
The victory marks Djokovic’s 1000th career win, a milestone achieved only by Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal. Rome will be his first Masters 1000 final since Paris in November. He has done so without dropping a set, defeating his first two Top 10 opponents of the year, No 10 Ruud and No 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime, in back to back matches.
