Match report

Novak Djokovic © Tennistalk.com
Internazionali BNL d Italia
3rd round
5/8/08 1 2 3 Tot
rs  Novak Djokovic 6 3 6 2
ru  Igor Andreev 3 6 3 1
Igor Andreev © Tennistalk.com

  • Djokovic digs deep to make last 8

    5/9/08 12:21 AM | David Cox
    It was a far from convincing performance from Djokovic today, he’s had little trouble with Andreev in the past but was required to really dig deep to come through 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and looked worryingly short of fitness at times.

    It wasn’t the most aesthetic of matches. Clay-court tennis rarely is but this one really was a festival of errors, Djokovic won and he made 45 in total, twice his tally of winners.

    Andreev’s habit of running round his backhand does result in him leaving vast amounts of space open down the line and a good enough athlete can exploit that which was often the case in the first set. After breaks were exchanged early on, Djokovic moved 3-1 up, taking the set 6-3 with the perfect serve-volley.

    The Serb’s momentum didn’t last long, Andreev broke to go 3-1 up in set 2, twice luring Djokovic in with dropshots and then ripping brilliant passing shots. Struggling to contain Andreev’s heavy topspin forehands, Djokovic required all his shotmaking skills to keep it to just one break.

    The third seed looked in real trouble when facing break point in the first game of the decider but he hung on. Andreev let his focus slip and was made to pay, Djokovic going 3-0 up and back in the driving seat. The Russian battled hard making Djokovic work for every single service point but the Serb proved up to the task though he was a tad fortunate when Andreev missed a makeable forehand pass at 5-3 30-30.

    Meanwhile Nicholas Almagro was enjoying an unexpected rest day, not even needing to take to the court to book his place in the quarters as Fernando Gonzalez pulled out with a torn abductor muscle in his leg. The Chilean immediately withdrew from Hamburg next week and could be a doubt for the French Open


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