ATP Masters Rome: rain spoils the game - Novak Djokovic against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Saturday under pressure
The rain turned out to be a spoilsport at the combined tennis tournament for women and men in Rome on Friday. WhileNovak Djokovic had to catch up against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Saturday, the games between Andrey Rublev and Lorenzo Sonego or Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek could not even begin.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: May 14, 2021, 09:19 pm
No, the weather was not exactly good for the organizers of the event in Rome this Friday. The first encounters of the day in the Italian capital could still be held without any problems, but a few minutes after 3:15 p.m. the rain in Foro Italico became too heavy.
About two hours later, the first attempt to start again was made, at least on the ladies' side, this should also work. The game between Ashleigh Barty and Cori Gauff came to an end on Friday , but the Center Court waited much longer than the rest of the courts.
Djokovic behind against Tsitsipas
Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas were only able to make a short comeback: The two were only allowed to play six games before they had to leave the pitch again. For the Serbian world number one, the break was anything but inconvenient, as Tsitsipas was 6: 4 and 2: 1 (including the break in the second set) in the front at the time of the cancellation.
Shortly after 8:00 p.m., the organizers decided to cancel the rest of the program, the quarter-finals should be brought to an end on Saturday. In addition to the game between Djokovic and Tsitsipas, this also applies to Andrey Rublev and Lorenzo Sonego (men) or Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek (women). No rally has been completed in these two matches.
Good weather forecast on Saturday
With a view to the game plan on Saturday, a busy program is now waiting for some actors: Djokovic and Tsitsipas will continue their game at 11:00 a.m. on the Center Court, while Rublev and Sonego will face each other in the Grand Stand Arena. On the Pietrangeli there is the duel between Svitolina and Swiatek at the same time.
After Djokovic and Tsitsipas, the first women's semi-final between Karolina Pliskova and Petra Martic follows on the center court (not before 12:00). After that, Rafael Nadal and Reilly Opelka (not before 1:00 p.m.) play out first place in the men's final. Not before 3:00 p.m. - and possibly in a different place than the center court - Gauff will then meet the winner of the match between Svitolina and Swiatek. The individual program will be decided on Saturday (not before 6:30 p.m.) by the two winners of the quarter-finals between Djokovic and Tsitsipas or Rublev and Sonego.
The weather shouldn't spoil the organizers on Saturday.
Here is the men's single tableau
Here is the women's single tableau
rommap