–

Novak Djokovic, hopefully with no ill effects of the accident with the fan’s water bottle on Friday, was back on Centrale. But there may have been some effects.

He faced a Canadian – okay, a Cana-Chilean – in Alejandro Tabilo. The Toronto native has lifted himself into seeding contention at the big 1000s and majors.

This was the first time he squared off with the legend. And he didn’t face the best version – to say the least. But he also played like a champ.

Another one to watch was a rematch between Ben Shelton and Zhizhen Zhang of China. Their first meeting, in the qualifying at the Australian Open a couple of years ago, was an epic of the genre.

WTA Roma – Sunday, May 12, 2024 final results

(Rome is 6 hours ahead of EDT)

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Internazionali BNL d’Italia
Location: Rome, Italy
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Category: ATP 1000 (Joint event with the WTA Tour)
Dates: May 8 – 19, 2024
Prize money: €7,877,020
Draws: S96 – D32

Sunday, May 12, 2024
Final results

Canadian content

[29] Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) def [1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) 62 63

Upsets

Zhizhen Zhang (CHN) def [12] Ben Shelton (USA) 62 64

Third-set breakers

Nuno Borges (POR) def. [Q] Francesco Passaro (ITA) 46 76 (8) 76 (4)

[Q] Thiago Monteiro (BRA) def Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 62 46 76 (6)

Seeds advancing

[3] Alexander Zverev (GER) def. Luciano Darderi (ITA) 76 (3) 62

[8] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) def [Q] Terence Atmane (FRA) 76 (3) 63

[11] Taylor Fritz (USA) def. [24] Sebastian Korda (USA) 63 64

[16] Karen Khachanov (RUS) def. [20] Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) 62 64

Doubles, second round

Francisco Cerundolo / Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG) def [6] Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz (GER) 67 (6) 75 [10-7]

Sander Gille / Joran Vliegen (BEL) def [8] Hugo Nys (MON) / Jan Zielinski (POL) 57 63 [10-8]

[2] Rohan Bopanna (IND) / Matthew Ebden (AUS) def. [WC] Matteo Arnaldi / Francesco Passaro (ITA) 62 62

[3] Rajeev Ram (USA) / Joe Salisbury (GBR) def Jamie Murray (GBR) / Michael Venus (NZL) 75 62

[7] Wesley Koolhof (NED) / Nikola Mektic (CRO) def. [ALT] Sebastian Baez (ARG) / Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) 64 62

Doubles, first round

[1] Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) def. ~~Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) / Arthur Fils (FRA)~~ [ALT] Henry Patten (GBR) / Harri Heliovaara (FIN) 61 76 (3)