Djokovic defeats Nadal in dramatic quarter-final

The world number one fell behind his opponent in both sets but still came back to win a ticket to the Rome Masters semi-finals.

Novak Djokovic needed only two sets to beat Nadal 7-5, 7-6. However, he had to show his best to defeat his opponent with many debts. This was Djokovic's 26th victory after 49 encounters with Nadal and his seventh consecutive victory.

The match lasted two hours and 25 minutes. Nadal broke first to lead 3-2 in the first set, but Djokovic responded with a break in game eight after a poor forehand from his opponent. In game 12, Djokovic missed three set points, but solid defense in the rallies helped the Serbian score the decisive point to win the first set.

Nadal played a determined match. Photo: Reuters.

Nadal made another strong start to the second set, leading Djokovic 3-1. But Djokovic found his best form at the crucial moment. With the score at 5-4 in Nadal's favour and the Spaniard serving, Djokovic fought back to save five consecutive set points. The top seed repeatedly expressed his frustration at the ball's bounce from the court, but Nadal himself was in the same situation. The Spaniard let out a scream of frustration when he hit the side of his racket on a fourth set point opportunity.

Nadal had only himself to blame for the misses and unforced errors that cost him the chance to take the match to a deciding set. Djokovic took the first break of the second set thanks to a missed backhand from Nadal, levelling the score at 5-5 and then forcing a tie-break.

But Djokovic once again showed his mettle in the decisive moments. Photo: Reuters.

Unlike before, Djokovic was always ahead in this nerve-wracking series. The Serbian scored the match-winning point at the first opportunity, winning the tie-break 7-4.

"I was lucky in the decisive moments. But I pulled him out of his comfort zone in the important moments and tried to test him in many ways. I think Nadal played some quality tennis. He tried to go forward, always tried to attack. But in the end, I guess I was luckier," Djokovic said.

Djokovic's opponent in the semi-finals is the winner of the match between Kei Nishikori and Dominic Thiem.

In the other round, Andy Murray beat Belgian David Goffin 6-1, 7-5. This was another easy match for the Scot. Up to this point, Murray had never had to play three sets in three matches and his semi-final opponent was Lucas Pouille.

Speaking of Pouille, he is perhaps the luckiest player in the history of the Rome Masters, having reached the semi-finals after benefiting from two retirements. In the first round, the Frenchman advanced when compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga withdrew due to injury. Pouille won two consecutive matches against Ernests Gulbis and David Ferrer to set up a quarter-final against Juan Monaco. Here, Pouille once again advanced without touching the ball when Monaco withdrew due to injury.

Reaching the Rome Masters semi-finals is Lucas Pouille's career best. This helps him jump from his current world ranking of 52nd to the top 32 players and earns him a seeding at the upcoming Roland Garros.

According to VNE