Djokovic back in a big final at Italian Open, against Tsitsipas

Rome, May 15

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 This is just what Novak Djokovic needed a week before the French Open. The top-ranked Serb beat Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-3 at the Italian Open on Saturday to reach his biggest final of the year.

Djokovic recorded the 1,000th win of his career, making him only the fifth man to reach that mark after Jimmy Connors (1,274 wins), Roger Federer (1,251), Ivan Lendl (1,068) and Rafael Nadal (1,051). After the match, Djokovic was presented with a cake with “1,000” written on it.

 “I was seeing Roger and Rafa celebrating those milestones and I was looking forward to get to 1,000 myself,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic is playing only his fifth tournament of the year, with his best previous result the final of the smaller Serbia Open, his home tournament, last month. Last week, he was beaten by 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Madrid Open.

Having missed a big portion of the season because he wasn’t vaccinated against the coronavirus, Djokovic will attempt to extend his five-match winning streak over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final.

 “I can expect a big battle,” Djokovic said. “But I’m ready for it.”

Tsitsipas reached his first Rome final by rallying past Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Djokovic is seeking his sixth title in the Italian capital.

In the women’s semifinals, top-ranked Iga Swiatek routed Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-1 for her 27th straight win and will face another player on a run, Ons Jabeur, as she attempts to defend her Rome title.

Jabeur beat Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 for her 11th consecutive victory after lifting the Madrid Open trophy last week.

Swiatek’s streak is the longest by a woman since Serena Williams won 27 in a row over 2014 and 2015. The all-time longest streak belongs to Martina Navratilova, who put together 74 straight in 1984. “I’m just constantly surprising myself that I can do better and better,” Swiatek said.  “I feel like I actually can believe now that the sky’s the limit. That’s the fun part.”

Swiatek, who was a surprise champion at the French Open in 2020 when she was ranked No. 54, will be the favourite to add a second title at Roland Garros when the year’s second Grand Slam starts next weekend.

The Italian Open has been played at the picturesque Foro Italico, which includes a court lined by neo-classical statues, since 1935. “It’s one of the tournaments that has the most history in our sport,” Tsitsipas said. “You can see walking around the site, one of the most beautiful stadiums — the Pietrangeli. So there’s a lot of history playing in these courts and you feel very proud that you’ve made your way here and are able to participate in such a historically rich event.”