ATP Masters Rome: Novak Djokovic has to stretch against Dominik Koepfer
As expected, Novak Djokovic reached the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome. The world number one defeated Dominik Koepfer 6: 3, 4: 6 and 6: 3 and meets Casper Ruud on Sunday.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Sep 19, 2020, 04:58 pm
If you are 0: 4 behind the world number one after 18 minutes of play, as happened to Dominik Koepfer on his debut in a quarter-finals of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, then you should first try to limit the damage. What the German qualifier also succeeded in: Koepfer Djokovic took his serve twice in a row and came up to 3: 4. But then Djokovic pulled the reins tighter again and won the first set quite easily 6: 3.
Koepfer also showed great fighting qualities in the second round: Djokovic put in a break again, Koepfer did nothing, stayed on, even took the lead. And actually got the second set 6: 4 after a forehand error by the industry leader. Overall, Djokovic made 16 avoidable mistakes in the second act.
The same picture in the decision: Djokovic presented with a break - and after 2:10 minutes he was able to celebrate the entry into the semifinals. Koepfer's militant feat, who complained in the second sentence that he had no more energy, remained unrewarded.
In the semifinals, Casper Ruud is waiting, the first Norwegian to have reached the round of the last four in a tournament in the Masters 1000 series. Ruud defeated Matteo Berrettini 4: 6, 6: 3 and 7: 6 (5) in the first quarter-finals of the day.