Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud competed in the second round of the Rome Masters, with Djokovic advancing comfortably and Ruud suffering a dramatic defeat.
I’m happy that I was able [after the first set] to come back and win. Miomir Kecmanovic
Djokovic returned to the tour after skipping Barcelona and Madrid, following his loss to Ruud in the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals. Ruud went on to win the Barcelona title after losing to Stefanos Titsipas in the final.
Despite a strong start, Djokovic was surprised by Kecmanovic’s comeback. After bageling Kecmanvic in the first set, Djokovic lost the next two sets, resulting in a remarkable 0-6 6-4 6-4 victory for Kecmanovic.
Kecmanovic broke Djokovic three times in the second set, leading to a decider in which Kecmanovic secured the win. He will now face Thiago Monteiro in the third round.
“It means a lot, especially on clay, where he is one of the best players today,” Kecmanovic said of his performance. “I’m happy that I was able [after the first set] to come back and win.”
Kecmanovic also revealed that he was dealing with back problems during the match but managed to overcome them with medication.
Novak Djokovic got over the early problems
(Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images)
Djokovic, a six-time former champion of Rome, overcame an early challenge from Corentin Moutet to advance to the third round with a 6-3 6-1 victory.
Despite a rough start due to facing a left-handed opponent, Djokovic adjusted well and attributed his slow start to match play differences.
During the match, Djokovic was struck by a bottle thrown from a spectator but was later confirmed to be unharmed.
In other matches, Taylor Fritz, Grigor Dimitrov, and Alexander Zverev secured wins to progress to the next round.
Saturday’s schedule includes matches featuring Cameron Norrie and Jack Draper as they compete in the second round of the bottom half of the draw.
