ROME: Former world number one Novak Djokovic said Monday (Tuesday in Manila) he felt reassured to be back playing on the familiar red clay of Rome as he dispatched Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets in the first round. But he got off to a comfortable start in his bid for a fifth ATP Italian Open title at the Foro Italico, taking 55 minutes to oust Ukrainian Dolgopolov in the first round. “Rome has always been a place where I felt good, where I received a lot of support, where I played well, and had a lot of great results,” said Djokovic. Djokovic broke 54th-ranked Dolgopolov three times in the opening set, with another break in the second helping him wrap up the match. American Coco Vandeweghe, the 12th seed, fell 6-1, 6-1 to Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit.

Source: Manila Times May 15, 2018 12:45 UTC