By Alberto Amalfi | Saturday, May 20, 2017

The drop shot died in the dirt and Novak Djokovic celebrated waving his arms in the air encouraging Rome fans to make more noise.

Djokovic exhorted fans and extinguished nemesis Juan Martin del Potro, 6-1, 6-4, to advance to his eighth Rome semifinal.

Watch: Thiem Stuns Nadal in Rome

The second-seeded Serbian was leading del Potro, 6-1, 1-2 when play was suspended by rain Friday night.

Ultimately, neither rain nor his opponent’s thunderous forehand could deny Djokovic from reaching his third semifinal of the season.



The four-time Rome champion will face Dominic Thiem in this afternoon’s second semifinal.

Djokovic is 7-0 lifetime in Rome semifinals and owns a 4-0 career record against the 23-year-old Austrian, including a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 sweep in the 2016 Roland Garros semifinals. Djokovic has won nine of 10 sets he's played vs. Thiem.

In a rematch of the Madrid and Barcelona final, Thiem stunned Rafael Nadal, snapping the seven-time champion’s 17-match winning streak.

The third encounter of the year between Grand Slam champions came eight years after Djokovic defeated del Potro in the Rome quarterfinals, 6-3, 6-4.

The pair traded breaks to open the match yesterday.

Then Djokovic began to test del Potro’s compromised backhand wing and rip his returns.

Del Potro did not hold serve in the opening set.

Patiently probing the Argentine’s backhand rapping his two-hander crosscourt, Djokovic saved a break point working through an eight-minute hold he finished with an ace.

Realizing he had to hit his massive forehand with even more menace, errors crept into del Potro’s game.

The 2009 US Open champion went big on a second serve scattering a double fault long to drop serve in the fourth game.

Varying his targets on serve, Djokovic pumped an ace down the middle for 30-all then pounded an ace wide extending the lead to 4-1.

Thirty-eight minutes into the match, Djokovic forced del Potro on defense with a series of assorted forehands. The big man did well to extend the point with a stab lob sending the second seed scurrying back to the baseline. Djokovic curled a beautiful short-angled forehand scoring his third break for a 5-1 lead.

Soaking up a heavy forehand from his opponent, Djokovic slid a forehand down the line right off the line saving a second break point.

Accurate returns, prescient movement and his skill shrewdly changing directions empowered Djokovic on a six-game run. Djokovic darted a backhand winner down the line closing a commanding 45-minute set in which he won 10 of 16 points played on del Potro’s first serve.

Fans began breaking out the plastic bags to wear as improvised rain gear as a light shower began falling at the start of the second set. Del Potro was too busy trying to protect serve. He held at 15 for 2-1 as play was suspended due to rain.

When play resumed today, Djokovic moved with urgency and played with energy.

The reigning Roland Garros champion lifted a backhand drop shot to break for 3-2 and never looked back.



Djokovic was the better player in the big moments denying four of five break points he faced, while converting four of break points against the man who knocked him out of the Rio Olympic Games last summer. 

Continuing his quest for a record 31st Masters 1000 championship, Djokovic is bidding for his third Rome title in the last four years.