Rome (AFP)

Novak Djokovic, battling, and Rafael Nadal, more easily, won their ticket to the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 in Rome on Friday, with the unexpected prospect of playing the semi-finals and the final in front of the public.

A thousand spectators, the gauge finally conceded by the Italian authorities for the last two days of the tournament, "it's better than nothing," said Djokovic, to whom "fans are missing".

Rafael Nadal, too, this week regretted the absence of the spectators, often a bit turbulent from Foro Italico, "because the energy of the supporters is indescribable".

This audience can bring "a good energy", estimated the head of series N.1 Simona Halep, two times finalist in Rome.

This additional motivation for the favorites, their opponents of the day probably did not need it.

Djokovic nevertheless had to work against his compatriot - and "friend" - Filip Krajinovic (7-6, 6-3).

Less than ten days before Roland-Garros, "Djoko" is still breaking in on clay, as some unusual hiccups testify, during a hung first round.

With almost 1h30 of play, this first set is "clearly one of the longest I have ever played!", Admitted "Nole".

- "Rafa" unfolds -

A quick break in the second set and less waste in the game, however, allowed him to finish more relaxed this second game since his disqualification at the US Open, synonymous with his first defeat in 2020.

Djokovic will meet in the quarter-final the German Dominik Koepfer, resulting from the qualifications, which ended the beautiful adventure in the tournament of the young Italian Lorenzo Musetti, 18 years old and 249th player in the world, author of the "perf" of the week against Stan Wawrinka in the 1st round.

The rhythm, Rafael Nadal has already found it: after the two games abandoned to his compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta for his entry into the running on Wednesday, the world No. 2 gave up four to the Serbian Dusan Lajovic (6-1, 6-3 ).

His first signs of fatigue, the Spaniard showed them when we thought the match folded at 4-0 in the second set.

He then had to tighten the screw while the Serbian, 25th in the world, had just taken three games.

But the Mallorcan rather gave the impression of having found the right fuel in his quest for a 10th title in Rome.

For the women, the N.1 and 2, Simona Halep and defending champion Karolina Pliskova, also only needed two sets to go to the quarterfinals.

- Open for "symbol" -

The Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, indefatigable after her brilliant American tour (victory in Cincinnati, final at the US Open), also continues its momentum by having this time benefited from an injury of the Russian Daria Kasatkina.

However, an arduous quarter awaits the former world number 1 against the Spanish Garbine Muguruza (seeded N.9).

The prospect of the semi-finals in front of Italian supporters also gives wings to Matteo Berrettini, seeded No.4, the last representative of an Italian tennis player who has managed some nice shots this week with the promising Musetti and Jannik Sinner.

"Of course, I would have liked the spectators to be there as of tomorrow (Saturday), but a thousand people is not nothing, it is a thousand motivations," said Berrettini.

This very partial opening of the doors is "an operation that will make us lose money (with all the measures to be put in place for only two days, note), but of great symbolic value," said Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis Federation, organizer of the tournament.

The person in charge had denounced before the start of the tournament a "huge injustice" to have to play behind closed doors, whereas Roland-Garros had already received the authorization to welcome spectators.

© 2020 AFP