Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal won in straight sets on Friday at the Rome Masters to take another step closer towards a sixth final meeting in the Italian capital.
Simona Halep was another winner on Day 5 of the clay-court tournament and headlines a stellar women’s quarterfinal line-up also featuring Victoria Azarenka, Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina.
Djokovic pushed by compatriot
World No.1 Djokovic trailed fellow Serb Filip Krajinovic 4-1 in the first-set tiebreak and needed five set points before eventually running out a 7-6(7) 6-3 winner.
"It was definitely one of the longest sets I think I have ever played. Never easy, I think, emotionally to play against someone that is one of my best friends for many years," Djokovic said. "Fortunately for me it went my way, and that allowed me to swing through the ball a bit more in the second set."
Djokovic, now 28-1 in 2020, moves through to a quarterfinal meeting with Dominik Koepfer, the German qualifier who ended the inspiring run of 18-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
Musetti, an Australian Open junior champion in 2019, had earlier knocked out Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori.
Nadal in cruise control
The King of Clay continued to dominate in Rome, backing up his 6-1 6-1 opening-round win over Pablo Carreno Busta with a 6-1 6-3 triumph over Dusan Lajovic.
"I played two good solid matches. I played at I think a very positive level of tennis. Of course it needs to keep improving. I need to keep working in a couple of things that things are not coming automatic," Nadal assessed. "But I can’t ask for more, no?"
Nadal, the defending champion in Rome, has not played a tournament in more than six months; he skipped the US hard-court swing when professional tennis resumed.
A champion at his last event in Acapulco in February, Nadal takes a seven-match winning streak into his quarterfinal clash against Diego Schwartzman, the No.8 seed who beat Hubert Hurkacz in three.
In other men's results, Grigor Dimitrov ended Jannik Sinner's run in three sets to set up a quarterfinal clash with Denis Shapovalov, while fourth seed Matteo Berrettini also reached the last eight.
Halep on a roll
Halep, seeking her first title in Rome, saw off the dangerous Dayana Yastremska 7-5 6-4 on Friday to take her winning streak to 11.
The Romanian won her past two tournaments – in Prague on clay in August, and in Dubai on hard back in February – and has not lost since she fell to Muguruza in the AO 2020 semifinals.
Halep, the top seed, next faces Yulia Putintseva, who recovered from 6-4 5-2 down to beat 10th seed Elena Rybakina.
Joining Halep in the quarterfinals were Karolina Pliskova and Elena Svitolina, players who have combined to win the past three titles in Rome.
Defending champion Pliskova saw off Anna Blinkova in straight sets while fourth seed Svitolina overcame two-time major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6(7) 6-4.
Azarenka, Muguruza book blockbuster quarterfinal
Azarenka and Daria Kasatkina were locked at 6-6 in the first set of their third-round match when Kasatkina – a former top-10 player making her way back after a form slump – rolled her ankle and was forced to retire.
Touching moment between two great competitors ?#IBI20 pic.twitter.com/bXorvyUKrx
— wta (@WTA) September 18, 2020
Azarenka’s first-round win at the Western & Southern Open ended a year-long winless period; she has since won 14 of her past 15 matches.
Muguruza has been forced to come through a tough path in Rome, beating Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff before ending Johanna Konta’s run on Friday.
Muguruza beat the No.7 seed 6-4 6-1 to set up a popcorn clash with Azarenka, who like Muguruza is a two-time major champion and former world No.1.
“Someone that has played great can play great again and again and again. So for me, it's not a surprise,” Muguruza said of Azarenka’s resurgence. "I'm looking forward for a good match, another tough opponent.”