Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, the second seed, cruised into the semi-finals of the Rome Masters Saturday after a rain-interrupted 6-1, 6-4 win over Juan del Potro.
Djokovic, the second seed and the only former Masters winner remaining in the draw, will now face Dominic Thiem later Saturday after the Austrian starlet sent seven-time champion Rafael Nadal of Spain crashing out in the quarters.
Heavy downpours and storms in the Italian capital which began on Friday night mean organisers are playing catch-up in a bid to bring the event to a close by Sunday.
Djokovic had taken a one-set lead over unseeded Argentinian Del Potro, who held a 2-1 lead in the second set before heavy rain halted play.
The first men’s semi-final is between 20-year-old German Alexander Zverev and big-serving American John Isner.
Simona Halep books place in final
Romania’s Simona Halep reached her first final in the WTA event at the Rome Masters on Saturday after sweeping Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 7-5, 6-1 in their semi-final clash.
Halep, the number six seed who reached the semi-finals in the Italian capital in 2013 and 2015, will now meet the winner of the other semi-final between Garbine Muguruza and Elina Svitolina.
Muguruza, the defending French Open champion, ended American Venus Williams’ run on Friday while Ukrainian eighth seed Svitolina stunned Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova