ROME: Defending champion Novak Djokovic scraped over his first hurdle at the Rome Masters with a 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory over Spanish clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro yesterday.
The world number one, given a bye into the second round, was in total control as he swept through the opening set at the Foro Italico, but the aggressive Almagro settled down to his task and made the Serb work hard for an 18th consecutive Tour victory.
Djokovic looked poised for victory when he built a 5-2 lead in the tiebreak but Almagro fought back and when Djokovic netted a tame forehand at 5-5 Almagro seized his chance, clinching the second set with a powerful first serve.
Almagro, who missed the second half of last year after foot surgery and has slipped to 174th in the rankings, continued to worry Djokovic with his power at the start of the third set.
Djokovic kept his nose in front on serve though and broke in the eighth game after winning a long baseline exchange.
The three-times Rome champion completed the job on his second match point when Almagro fired a backhand long.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray will take to the court today after agonising with his team as to whether he should play. The back-to-back titleholder at Munich and Madrid will start against France’s Jeremy Chardy.
Murray’s team was split on whether he should compete or rest, with the competition view winning out.
Murray, who defeated Nadal in the shock Madrid final, said that his preparation for Roland Garros seems to be on track.
“This year I feel a lot healthier on the clay, I have to thank my team, which has made some big changes in my clay preparation. That’s helped for sure,” the Scot said.
“I also didn’t feel much pressure last week, I didn’t have very high expectations. I just played and felt better and better in each match.”
As the complex scheduling of the event proceeded, results were all over the charts.
In the women’s first round, Spanish tenth seed Carla Suarez Navarro beat German Mona Barthel 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 while Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic defeated Monica Puig 7-5, 6-3. Former number one Victoria Azarenka, finalist two years ago against Serena Williams, continued her revival after 2014 injuries, advancing over Czech Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.
Third seed Maria Sharapova became the first into the third round as she advanced when Australian Jarmila Gajdosova retired trailing 6-2, 3-1.
In the men’s first round, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez beat slumping US Open winner Marin Cilic, the Croatian ninth seed going down 6-4, 6-3.
Australian hopes met a quick end a week after Nick Kyrgios beat Roger Federer in Madrid. Spanish 11th seed Feliciano Lopez won his first-round match over Kyrgios in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
Bernard Tomic was then eliminated in a battle, Serb Viktor Troicki advancing 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4). AGENCIES
