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Novak Djokovic expressed his reduction there was no “mental or emotional blockages or drama” as he swept previous Italian wild card entry Salvatore Caruso into the Italian Open third spherical on Wednesday in his first match since his US Open default. “I was actually looking forward to get the official match as soon as possible after what happened in New York,” mentioned the world primary. The Serb was on his finest behaviour after his dramatic final 16 disqualification on September 6 after he accidently struck a line decide with a ball hit in frustration.
“I didn’t feel that I had any mental or emotional blockages or any dramas playing a match today,” he mentioned.
Djokovic, who had mentioned he had realized a “big lesson” from his first ever disqualification, was eager to maneuver on in Rome.
The 33-year-old playfully greeted an imaginary crowd in an empty Central Court on the Foro Italico due to strict coronavirus measures.
Only some noisy staff managed to unnerve the 17-time Grand Slam winner after lacking break factors.
“It was very, very quiet, which is very unusual to what we are used to here in Rome, which has one of the loudest and most energetic crowd atmospheres on the tour.
“But there was any person within the hall on the stadium that was speaking, about 5, six individuals, I do not know who it was, however it was noise coming from there in the course of the factors.
“That’s the only thing that we, I and Caruso, also told chair umpire.”
Djokovic continued the place he left off earlier than his US Open exit, having received the Cincinnati Masters on the identical Flushing Meadows courts.
“It was a very good test for me. I’m very pleased with the way I handled myself in important moments,” mentioned Djokovic, who was unbeaten in 2020 earlier than his US Open default.
“I was in control of the match.”
Halep, Azarenka advance
Djokovic, who has performed 9 finals in Rome, and received 4 titles, will meet both 29th-ranked compatriot Filip Krajinovic or Italian qualifier Marco Cecchinato, ranked 113th, for a spot within the quarter-finals.
Nine-time Rome winner Rafael Nadal will make his return to competitors in a while Wednesday after a six-month hiatus linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
The quantity two seed performs fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, a latest semi-finalist on the US Open, for a spot within the third spherical.
Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas fell to Italian teenager Jannik Sinner 6-1, 6-7 (9/11), 6-2, with sixth seeded Belgian David Goffin additionally exiting 6-2, 6-2 to Croatia’s Marin Cilic.
Top girls’s seed Simona Halep returned a month after profitable in Prague to ease previous 99th-ranked Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-4.
“It was a little bit difficult to get the rhythm and to get relaxed,” mentioned the 28-year-old Romanian, who skipped the US Open however is warming up for a bid for a second French Open title later this month.
The world quantity two, a two-time Rome finalist, subsequent meets both American Amanda Anisimova or Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.
US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka shrugged off the transfer from arduous court docket to the clay floor to beat American Venus Williams 7-6 (9/7), 6-2, of their first spherical match.
Promoted
Belarusian Azarenka will play third seeded American Sofia Kenin, the reigning Australian Open champion, for a spot within the third spherical.
Swiss sixth seed Belinda Bencic fell 6-3, 6-1 in her second spherical match to Montenegro’s 86th-ranked Danka Kovinic.
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