TENNIS
Novak Djokovic out of Italian Open after defeat by Holger Rune
World No 1 loses 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 after complaining about spectators, slow scoring and rain
Djokovic fought back after losing the first set, but looked out of sorts by the third
GIAMPIERO SPOSITO/GETTY IMAGES
Another eventful Italian Open match ended in a defeat for Novak Djokovic as Denmark’s Holger Rune became the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2021 to claim back-to-back victories over the world No 1 from Serbia.
Only 24 hours after Djokovic had criticised Cameron Norrie’s behaviour during their last-16 encounter, he bowed out in the quarter-finals of this ATP Masters event with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 loss. As his last warm-up before the French Open, he now has ten days of rest from competition before the second grand-slam tournament of the season begins on May 28.
Rune, 20, should now be considered an outside contender for the title at Roland Garros. The 20-year-old world No 7 is one of the few players to have a
