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It is not a ride for Novak Djokovic. Against the 21-year-old surprise semi-finalist Casper Ruud (ATP 34) of Norway, for the first time in front of a limited number of fans in the stadium, he has to step over the stick and stone. In the first set, the world number 1 is long behind, but eventually equalizes and wins the set 7: 5. In the second half, Djokovic only played his second service game after ten minutes. Then the young Norwegian’s resistance was broken. After more than two hours it is 6: 3 – and the Serbian in the final.
With this, the «Djoker» continues an impressive series of finals in Rome: since 2004, either he or Sand King Rafael Nadal are vying for victory at the «Foro Italico». Djokovic’s long-awaited hit against Nadal does not come here. The world’s number 2 Spaniard playing incorrectly has already traveled back to Mallorca, he wants to improve the faulty game there until the start of the French Open, which led to the quarterfinal loss to Argentine Diego Schwartzman (ATP 15) on the night earlier in Rome (2: 6, 5). : 7).
Djokovic’s fifth Rome title will overtake the winner of the second semi-final between Schwartzman and Canadian Denis Shapovalov tomorrow (from 7pm). If he wants his first clay-court victory this season just before the climax in Paris, the man who was disqualified at the US Open for an uncontrolled outburst of anger with known consequences does well to keep his nerves in check. He knows he can polish his battered image in Italy, where he speaks the local language.
Once again: Here Djokovic loses his nerves in Rome(00:04)
Djokovic justifies himself for freaking out
“Another title here is very important to me,” he says in the first interview, “I’m still very hungry.” Djokovic wants to be even more careful not to have to justify himself more for a slip on the field, as he did after the close quarter-final victory against Dominik Koepfer (De). After losing the second set, he broke his racket in anger. “It is not the first nor the last racket that I will break in my career,” he said. “I don’t want to do it, but it happens sometimes. This is how I let my anger out. “
However, he is aware of his role as a role model. “It is not the best message I can convey, especially to children who see me.” After all, Djokovic promises to improve: “But I’m not perfect, but I’m always working on myself. My mental work is as important a part of my training as the physical one. “
