Denmark's Holger Rune, 20, beats Djokovic again to reach Italian Open semis

Novak Djokovic sees a bit of himself in Holger Rune.

The 20-year-old Danish player is solid in nearly every area: A great mover and super fit physically, he's strong off both his forehand and backhand, has good hands and is an aggressive returner.

Perhaps that's why Rune has now recorded two victories over Djokovic in little more than six months, beating the 22-time Grand Slam champion 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 Wednesday to reach the Italian Open semifinals.

Rune, who also defeated Djokovic in the Paris Masters final in November, gave the Serb fits with his rapid court coverage. He made his opponent hit extra balls on points that Djokovic thought he had already finished off.

Djokovic said the consistently damp conditions at the Foro Italico this week were challenging for him.

"In these kind of conditions, it's very difficult to get the ball past him," Djokovic said. "He's very, very fast, very quick. Great anticipation. Just a very talented, dynamic player, all-around player.

"He was just better. He played too good for me for most part of the match," Djokovic said. "He kept his nerves and deserved to win."

FEARLESS HOLGER ⭐️<br><br>The moment <a href="https://twitter.com/holgerrune2003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@holgerrune2003</a> moved 2-1 in his head-to-head with Djokovic and reached his 3rd Masters 1000 semi-final! <a href="https://twitter.com/InteBNLdItalia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@InteBNLdItalia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IBI23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IBI23</a> <a href="https://t.co/x6euAiIibP">pic.twitter.com/x6euAiIibP</a>

Unlike the win in Paris, which was a breakthrough moment for Rune, this one felt like a confirmation.

"If it's working against Novak, it works against almost anybody," Rune said of his