Djokovic opens quest for seventh Rome title with solid win over Etcheverry

Top seed Novak Djokovic returned to action in familiar style in Rome on Friday as he beat Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (5), 6-2 to reach the third round of the Italian Open at the Foro Italico on Friday evening.

World No 1 Djokovic, who missed the Madrid Masters and who wore a sleeve on his right arm to protect the elbow injury that has bothered him in the clay-court season, came through a tough first set before pulling away in the second. He will now play Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the No 26 seed.

Etcheverry led 5-3 in the first-set tiebreak but Djokovic won four straight points to win the opening set and once he had the early break in the second, there was only one winner, even if he was never quite at his fluent best.

“Still not at the desired level, still finding that groove on the court,” said defending champion Djokovic, after his 65th win in Rome. “It’s always a little tricky playing someone for the first time, but I kind of found my groove, second set was good, especially the last few games.

In the previous round, Etcheverry, ranked No 61, won against Frenchman Luca Van Assche (7-6 (7), 6-3).

Rome Masters, other second-round results (Foro Italico, clay, EUR 7.705.780, most recent results first):

• Lorenzo Musetti vs. Matteo Arnaldi : Saturday in Rome
• Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Marco Cecchinato : Saturday in Rome
• David Goffin vs. Alexander Zverev : Saturday in Rome
• Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Daniil Medvedev : Saturday in Rome
• Yannick Hanfmann vs. Taylor Fritz : Saturday in Rome
• Lorenzo Sonego vs. Yoshihito Nishioka : Saturday in Rome
• Daniel Altmaier vs. Frances Tiafoe : Saturday in Rome
• Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Nuno Borges : Saturday in Rome
• Albert Ramos-Vinolas vs. Carlos Alcaraz : Saturday in Rome
• Jiri Lehecka vs. Fabian Marozsan : Saturday in Rome
• Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs. Jason Kubler : Saturday in Rome
• Hubert Hurkacz vs. J.J. Wolf : Saturday in Rome
• Guido Pella vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina : Saturday in Rome
• Roberto Carballes Baena vs. Daniel Evans : Saturday in Rome
• Borna Coric vs. Thiago Monteiro : Saturday in Rome
• Andrey Rublev vs. Alex Molcan : Saturday in Rome
• Casper Ruud vs. Arthur Rinderknech: friday in Rome
• Holger Rune (7) beat Arthur Fils (Q): 6-3, 6-3
• Alexander Bublik beat Ben Shelton (28): 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
• Cristian Garin beat Tommy Paul (16): 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Fabio Fognini (WC) beat Miomir Kecmanovic (30): 6-3, 7-6 (6)
• Gregoire Barrere beat Karen Khachanov (11): 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4)
• Laslo Djere beat Botic van de Zandschulp (23): 6-2, 6-4
• Roman Safiullin (Q) beat Sebastian Korda (22): 6-2, 7-6 (5)
• Grigor Dimitrov beat Stan Wawrinka: 6-4, 7-6 (3)
• Alexander Shevchenko (LL) beat Sebastian Baez: 6-3, 6-4
• Marton Fucsovics beat Alex De Minaur (17): 6-3, 6-4
• Jannik Sinner (8) beat Thanasi Kokkinakis (Q): 6-1, 6-4
• Francisco Cerundolo (24) beat Yibing Wu: 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
• Alexei Popyrin (Q) beat Felix Auger-Aliassime (10): 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
• Cameron Norrie (13) beat Alexandre Muller (Q): 6-2, 6-3

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