Brandon Nakashima - players.bio

Novak Djokovic, Ons Jabeur progress in Rome but back injury stops Emma Raducanu

Novak Djokovic's love affair with Rome continued as the five-time champion picked up his 60th victory at the Italian Open with a 6-3, 6-2 success over Aslan Karatsev on Tuesday. Ons Jabeur eased into the second round with a straight sets win over Sorana Cirstea but US Open champion Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her first round against Bianca Andreescu, still struggling with a back injury she picked up in Madrid last week. World number one Djokovic has never lost before the quarter-finals at the tournament and is now just three victories shy of joining the 1,000 match-wins club. "He probably has the biggest calf we have in tennis. Very strong guy, just solid from the baseline," Djokovic said of the 35th-ranked Karatsev. "You never know with him. If he's feeling the ball, he can be very dangerous because he stays so close to the line, puts pressure on his opponents."

Djokovic, Jabeur progress in Rome but back injury stops Raducanu

Novak Djokovic's love affair with Rome continued as the five-time champion picked up his 60th victory at the Italian Open with a 6-3, 6-2 success over Aslan Karatsev on Tuesday.

Pegula enters Italian Open second round after Samsonova thriller

Jessica Pegula enjoyed a winning start to her Italian Open campaign on Tuesday, squeezing past world number 25 Liudmila Samsonova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the second round. A runner-up to Ons Jabeur in the Spanish capital on Saturday, Pegula withstood 38 winners from the big-hitting Samsonova to set up a last-32 showdown with in-form Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina. The 13th-seeded Pegula, who played with a heavily-strapped left thigh against Samsonova, made the quarter-finals in Rome last season and has improved her 2022 win-loss tally to 18-9.