Rome (AFP)
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will face each other for the sixth time in the Masters 1000 final in Rome on Sunday in a shock that will be the first since the Roland-Garros final easily won in October by the Spaniard.
Djokovic, world number 1 and title holder, qualified at the expense of the catchy Italian Lorenzo Sonego (33rd world) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, a few hours after the victory of Nadal, seeded N.2 and record holder for success in Rome (9), against the American Reilly Opelka (47th world), 6-4, 6-4.
Among the ladies, the final will pit the Czech Karolina Pliskova (9th in the world) against the young Polish Iga Swiatek (15th), the surprise winner of Roland-Garros last year.
Two weeks before the opening of the Parisian Grand Slam, the finals of the Rome tournament, dress rehearsal with almost all the best gathered this week at the Foro Italico, will therefore bring together three of the four finalists of the last edition of the Parisian Grand Slam, played in last fall.
Djokovic, rolled in the final seven months ago by Nadal (6-0, 6-2, 7-5) for the 13th coronation of the Spaniard in Paris, hopes that the story will end better for this reunion.
The Serbian, world number 1 and title holder, had to fight against Lorenzo Sonego, supported by a crowd won over to his cause for his first semi-final in the Masters 1000.
"Nole", pushed to the third set for not having been able to conclude the two match points obtained at the end of the second, knew how to keep his calm to win, just a few hours after having fought a Homeric battle to conclude his quarter of final against Stefanos Tsitsipas (N.5) interrupted by rain on Friday.
Since 2005, the Masters 1000 final in Rome has always brought together either Nadal or Djokovic, or both (five times).
The Spaniard won there nine times for eleven finals and the Serbian five times in ten finals.
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