For the first time this week, Novak Djokovic needed only two sets to win his match at the Italian Open, defeating Spanish tennis player David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4 and thus approaching his twenty-fourth Masters 1000 tournament title. .
The world number one, who is seeking his fourth title in the tournament, will face Roger Federer in the final, who eliminated his Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2.
In the women’s tournament, Spain’s Carla Suárez Navarro had better fortune than her compatriot and defeated Romania’s Simona Halep 2-6 6-3 7-5 to reach her ninth career final.
Suárez Navarro will now face the Russian Maria Sharapova, twice champion in Rome and who eliminated her compatriot Daria Gavrilova 7-5 and 6-3.
Djokovic’s winning streak now reaches 21 matches, but he has had to work this week with close wins over Nicolas Almagro, Thomaz Bellucci and Kei Nishikori.
The Serb seemed to improve his game against Ferrer with a precise performance. The top seed needed two breaks of serve to earn his ninth straight win over the Spaniard.
“I played the best match of the week,” Djokovic told Sky Sports Italia. “I am satisfied with the way I played and I am happy to be in another final in Rome,” he added.
Djokovic’s only frustration was the state of the center court and he repeatedly complained about the condition of the clay.
“That’s the only thing I could have handled better. I should have been less nervous, as there is nothing I can do on the pitch.”
Wawrinka broke Federer’s serve in the second game, but after trailing 3-0 he completely dominated his compatriot.
“I’m happy with the way I responded after being down,” he declared. “Obviously Stan can play a lot better than that,” he added.
Federer will play his fourth final in Rome, one of only two Masters 1000 tournaments he has never won. Monte Carlo is the other.
Sharapova had to work extremely hard to beat fellow Russian Gavrilova, who walked off the court after the 11th game to receive treatment for an abdominal muscle injury and had obvious problems upon her return.