On Wednesday, during a rain delay in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open, No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic was upset by No. 24 seed Holger Rune, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
On Wednesday, the top seed at the Italian Open was upset by world number seven Holger Rune, who won a rain-interrupted quarter-final match 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Djokovic, a six-time champion, lost again to the surging 20-year-old Dane despite playing with an injury. In November of last year, at Paris Bercy, Rune overcame the Serbian to win the Masters 1000. Both players had heated exchanges with the chair umpire at their most recent meeting, with Djokovic protesting a time warning and Rune challenging a line call in the second set.
Rain delayed play for about an hour. Djokovic, who sat on the bench during most changeovers and used towels to protect his lower back, asked for more towels shortly after the match started.
He missed the Madrid event and fell behind in his Roland Garros training because of an elbow injury he sustained a few weeks ago.
After game three of the second set, the trainer and tournament doctor checked on him and gave him a painkiller so that he could continue playing. Djokovic, now 13-4 in Rome quarterfinals, was playing in his 17th straight. In Rome in 2013, Tomas Berdych was the last player to defeat him in the last eight.
After two hours and eighteen minutes and 35 unforced errors, his attempt for a seventh victory in Rome came to an end, dropping his record to 67-11 on the season. In the semi-finals, Rune will play against either the world’s number four Casper Ruud, or the Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.
