Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer reach Rome Masters quarter-final
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ByEurosport
Updated 14/05/2015 at 21:34 GMT
Novak Djokovic had to fight back from a set down to beat Thomaz Bellucci and reach the Italian Open quarter-finals on Thursday while Rafa Nadal produced an "almost perfect" display to despatch John Isner.
Rafael Nadal
Image credit: Imago
World number one Djokovic won 5-7 6-2 6-3 but was made to work hard after his Brazilian opponent, ranked 68th, played a flawless opening set with his left-handed serve and powerful forehand repeatedly troubled the holder.
"He (Bellucci) kept me off balance with the variety on his serve," Djokovic said. "I couldn't quite find the right position where to stand on the return."
Once the Serb broke in the fourth game of the second set he relaxed and took control, running Bellucci all over the court with precise ground strokes and impeccable backhand drop shots.
"It was a hard-fought match and I have to give him credit for the way he played," added Djokovic.
He next meets Japan's fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori, who beat Djokovic's compatriot Victor Troicki 6-4 6-3.
French Open champion Nadal is bidding to lift the Rome trophy for an eighth time at Foro Italico.
Isner was broken for the first time in 84 straight service games when Nadal broke him in the fifth game of the first set.
Nadal broke for the second time in the ninth game of the second set with a thumping whipped forehand to move 5-4 clear. He served out the victory in 80 minutes accumulating only three unforced errors.
Nadal, a seven-time champion in Rome, will now face Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Dominic Thiem 7-6(3) 6-4 to record consecutive victories for the first time since February.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer stayed on course to lift the title in Rome for the first time with a routine victory over South Africa's Kevin Anderson.
The Swiss maestro nullified Anderson's big serve in the opening set, breaking twice to lead the match, though he stumbled during the second stanza as Anderson capitalised on a number of Federer's errors.
The 33-year-old squandered a 5-2 double-break lead in the second set as the South African looked to stage a fightback, but the frustrated Federer regained his momentum to break again in the 12th game before serving out the match at the third time of asking.
The Swiss will now face Tomas Berdych who was stretched to the limit by home favourite Fabio Fognini. The sixth seeded Czech won 6-3 3-6 7-6(2) to reach his ninth quarter-final of the year in as many tournaments.
Seventh seed David Ferrer crushed fellow Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1 6-3 and will play Belgian David Goffin who reached the last eight after Andy Murray withdrew with fatigue.
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