(Rome) Serbian Novak Djokovic took charge from the start and never really slowed down en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the Round of 16. Italian Tennis Open, Tuesday.

In search of a seventh career title on the red clay of the “Foro Italico”, Djokovic qualified for the quarter-finals of this tournament for a 17e consecutive year.

Under cloudy skies, after a rainy morning, Djokovic appeared to be in full control and in control of all aspects of his game, after more difficult bouts in previous rounds.

“I actually completed my warm-up 10 minutes before I hit the court. So I felt a little rushed, but we couldn’t (warm up) earlier because of the rain. I’m glad I overcame today’s challenge in two runs and moved on to the next round. »

Also, Djokovic had been spotted in the physiotherapy room before the game. Recently, he was out of the circuit for three weeks with a persistent problem with his right elbow, for which he had to undergo surgery in the past.

“Every day is something,” said Djokovic, without specifying the nature of his troubles. “But luckily I was able to play and finish the game, and hopefully tomorrow I’ll feel a bit better. »

Early in the second set, after the two players traded breaks of serve to make it 2-2, Djokovic looked furious with Norrie.

Djokovic had already turned his back to the net in the center of the court to concede a break point when a spike from Norrie hit him in the body. Djokovic then turned and stared at Norrie, while the Briton had already raised his hand to apologize.

Then after Djokovic broke for a 5-4 lead in the second set, and as he prepared to serve for the match, Norrie requested a medical break and was visited by a healer.

In the end, Djokovic made half as many unforced errors as Norrie — 14 to 29 — and had two more winners — 21 to 19.

Earlier this year, Norrie triumphed on clay in Rio de Janeiro, as he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

At the end of the Italian Open, Djokovic will lose his world number one status to Alcaraz, even if the young Spaniard was eliminated by Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan, 135e world player, in the third round of the tournament, Monday.

Thus, Alcaraz will be the favorite and Djokovic will be the second seed at the French Open, which will start in 12 days.

Meanwhile, in the quarter-finals, Djokovic will face seventh-seeded Denmark’s Holger Rune, who knocked out Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin in straight sets 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Later Tuesday, local prospect Jannik Sinner is set to take on Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo. Both players are in the same section of the table as Djokovic.

Among the ladies, the Polish Iga Swiatek, double reigning champion in Rome and number one in the WTA rankings, must do battle with the Croatian Donna Vekic.