Djokovic starts the defense of the number one with solvency

Novak Djokovic grows. After performing in Madrid, despite losing in the semifinals against Carlos Alcaraz, the best match of his short season (four tournaments), The Serbian opened at the Masters 1,000 in Rome with a victory against Aslan Karatsev by 6-3 and 6-2 in 1h:31. In the round of 16 he will face the winner of the Laszlo Djere-Stanislas Wawrinka.

Nole, five-time champion at the Foro Italico, he is only three victories away from 1,000 on the circuit, a figure that has only been surpassed by Jimmy Connors (1,274), Roger Federer (1,251) and Rafa Nadal (1,050). Y must reach the semifinals to reach number one in Paris. If not, he will lose it to Daniil Medvedev.

Djokovic gave few options to Karatsev (35th), who had not won any match on clay (0-3) this year. In the first set, the Russian neutralized a break, but the Serbian managed another for 5-3 and serve. In the second, the Serbian was 3-0 and did not stop.