Djokovic leads Del Potro 6-1, 1-2 in rain-affected Italian Open match

Rome May 20 (IANS) Second-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic had grabbed a 6-1 1-2 lead over Argentine Juan Martin del Potro before their Italian Open tennis quarter-final match was suspended due to heavy rain.

The contest will resume early Saturday afternoon tournament organisers said reports Efe.

That could mean a long day at the office for the winner who will have to play his semi-final match a few hours later against eighth-seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem.

Djokovic lost his opening service game to fall down 0-1 but rebounded quickly to win the next six games and take the first set in 44 minutes.

The Serbian s superior backhand was the difference in the opener as he controlled the baseline rallies and struck 15 winners to the unseeded Argentine s six (none from his weaker wing).

Del Potro held serve twice and Djokovic once at the start of the second set before a heavy downpour at the Foro Italico sent the players to the locker room at around 10:45 pm.

Djokovic the dominant player in men s tennis this time last year is looking to get his game on track after a rough start to the 2017 season that included losses prior to the semi-final round at the Australian Open Indian Wells and the Monte-Carlo Masters.

Earlier on Friday 16th-seeded German Alexander Zverev and unseeded American John Isner set up a semi-final clash with victories over fifth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic and sixth-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic respectively.

Thiem pulled off an upset in Friday s third men s singles quarter-final match with his 6-4 6-3 victory over seven-time champion Rafael Nadal who suffered his first loss of the 2017 clay-court season.

Even so with titles at the Monte-Carlo Masters the Barcelona Open and the Madrid Open the 30-year-old Spaniard will be the favourite to win Roland Garros for the 10th time.

The French Open tennis lone clay-court Grand Slam tournament gets under way on May 28.

--IANS
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