By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, May 14, 2015
Novak Djokovic won 13 of 14 trips to net rallying for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win over Thomaz Bellucci to reach the Rome quarterfinals for the ninth time.
Photo credit: Internazionali BNL D'Italia
Tremors hit the Foro Italico today as both Serena Williams and Andy Murray withdrew. Then Thomaz Bellucci unloaded his whip-lash lefty forehand to take the opening set and put Novak Djokovic on shaky ground beneath the lights.
The world No. 1 was in no mood for an early departure.
Djokovic broke twice in the final set to beat back Bellucci's challenge, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 to extend his Masters winning streak to 34 matches and reach the Rome quarterfinals for the ninth time.
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The reigning Rome champion will face Kei Nishikori for a spot in the semifinals. The fifth-seeded Nishikori defeated Djokovic's good friend and former Davis Cup teammate Viktor Troicki, 6-4, 6-3, earlier.
On a festive night of entertaining rallies and an enthusiastic crowd, including actor Owen Wilson, Djokovic was tested by the dangerous Brazilian qualifier.
This match was a rematch of the 2011 Madrid semifinals where Bellucci hit his biting topspin forehand to take the opening set before Djokovic rallied for a three-set victory.
When Bellucci has time to set up for his forehand on clay, he is far more formidable than his No. 68 ranking suggests. He hit 18 of his 27 winners off that wing tonight, including an inside-out forehand for two set points. Bellucci won the set despite facing more break points (three to one) then the top seed.
When Djokovic dabbed a backhand volley that dribbled over the net ending the first game of the second set, he raised his arms as if thanking the heavens for good fortune.
Sharper court positioning helped the three-time champion turn the match around.
In the opening set, Bellucci often stretched the top seed to his forehand corner and finished points firing his lefty forehand crosscourt. Djokovic covered his backhand corner with more vigilance in the second set and Bellucci began missing the margins slightly as the set progressed.
Showing soft touch, Djokovic handled a forehand volley that skimmed the net and launched himself into a backhand volley, holding for 5-2. The three-time champion's net play was much sharper throughout. Djokovic won 13 of 14 trips to net, including all six he made in the second set. Baseliner Bellucci was 0 for 8 at net.
Digging in behind the baseline, Djokovic fended off everything the Brazilian belted at him, breaking to close the second set in 35 minutes.
That break gave Djokovic the benefit of front-running through the final set.
There were no signs of fading from Bellucci, who stayed on serve through the first four games. Then nerves struck. Bellucci slapped a forehand long and sailed a second serve to donate the break. Bellucci banged his red racquet off the side of his head as if punishing himself for a sloppy patch that put him down 2-4.
Closure was complicated.
A Djokovic backhand hit the tape and crawled back on his side of the net as Bellucci pumped his fist back on serve at 3-4.
Anticipating the wide serve he'd seen on the ad side all night, Djokovic opened the court with his return and finished with forehand scoring his second straight break for 5-3. He wrapped up up the win in two hours, raising his 2015 record to 32-2.