Italian Open: Defending champion Novak Djokovic battles to three-set win over Grigor Dimitrov to reach last 16 in Rome

Defending champion Novak Djokovic faced a tough battle to reach the Italian Open last 16 as he defeated Grigor Dimitrov in three sets to continue his bid for a seventh Rome title. The top seed clinched a 6-3 4-6 6-1 win in two hours and 19 minutes and will face British No.

1 Cameron Norrie or Marton Fucsovics next as he continues to build fitness and form ahead of the French Open later this month. Ad Djokovic will bid for an outright record 23rd Grand Slam in Paris, but his focus this week is on shaking off recent injury troubles and continuing his remarkable record in the Eternal City.

ATP RomeDjokovic 'honoured' to play in front of 'avid tennis fan' Mourinho at Italian OpenYESTERDAY AT 09:59 The 35-year-old has never failed to make it to the quarter-finals in 16 previous appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 event and remains on course to continue that run in 2023. However, it wasn’t plain sailing for the Serbian on centre court as Dimitrov came back from a set and a break down to force a decider before his resistance finally gave way.

Both players produced seven aces in a fiercely-contested clash and Dimitrov landed 28 winners to Djokovic's 21, but the Bulgarian's tally of 23 unforced errors, more than double the top seed's 10, proved costly. Swiatek blasts past Tsurenko with another bagel set to continue Italian Open title defence 'It's great to be world No.

1' — Alcaraz celebrates achievement ahead of French Open Imperious Alcaraz sweeps past Ramos Vinolas in busy day at Italian Open Djokovic came into the encounter with a commanding 10-1 record over Dimitrov, but their head-to-head on clay was 1-1. The Serbian, who wasn’t wearing the supportive sleeve on his right arm that he used in Friday’s second-round win over