ROME saw another seemingly predictable day as the Internazionali BNL d’Italia continues to roll on, with plenty of top talent taking to the clay for the Round of 16. Whilst three seeds fell, two went down to higher ranked opposition in tough clashes as Dominic Thiem was the biggest name to drop to an unseeded opposition.

Thiem’s three hour and 24-minute clash with Lorenzo Sonego had everything, as the fourth seed Austrian dropped the first set before recovering to take momentum at the perfect moment during the second. But whatever extra gear Thiem had found, Sonego brought in the third to eventually claim the 6-4 6-7(5) 7-6(5) victory.

“It’s amazing, an unbelievably emotional moment for me because I’m in Rome, in my Italy with fans for two sets,” Sonego said in his on-court interview. “I’m so happy for this victory, for this match. Thiem is with Nadal the best player on clay.”

While Thiem served for the match during the third set, the Italian built on the home crowd support throughout the first two – prior to a 22-minute delay to usher out the crowd due to a COVID-issued curfew – to snatch the victory, winning 51 per cent of points and hitting nine aces in the process.

“It’s not easy to play two sets with fans and one more set with no fans,” Sonego said. “But I had my team and they supported me always. I’m happy.”

Top two seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal proceeded through to the next round, although the king of clay had a sloppy start and shaky third set that almost saw Canadian 13th seed Denis Shapovalov take out an upset.

“[It] is an important victory for me [to] be able to win matches like today, three hours and 27 [minutes], in the Barcelona final three hours and 38 [minutes], long matches,” said Nadal. “To be able to win these kinds of matches against young players gives me confidence with my body. It’s true that I have to do things better for tomorrow. But the main thing today for me is [to] recover physically.”

Shapovalov led 4-0 in the first and 3-0 in the second, before Nadal was able to switch up a gear to eventually claim the 3-6 6-4 7-6 victory.

“[This] has been a positive victory for me,” Nadal said. “I [fought] until the end a lot to be in quarter-finals. Tomorrow is a chance to play a quarter-final match. I hope to be ready to compete well.”

“These matches, you have nothing to lose… I also think I have what it takes to beat these guys,” Shapovalov later reflected. “It’s not a surprise to me. It’s just a tough loss. Of course, it’s not the first time Rafa’s done this. I’m not the first person to lose with match points. For sure, he does well with the pressure in those moments.

“Just something I have to take back and just make a couple changes. But I’m definitely happy with where my game’s at, relatively speaking, against the greatest player on this surface.”

Djokovic had it much easier over qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, sweeping the Spaniard in 70 minutes. Davidovich Fokina’s compatriot in Roberto Bautista Agut also struggled against higher ranked opposition, as the 10th seed fell 6-4 6-4 to seventh seed Russian Andrey Rublev.

In other games, fifth and sixth seeds Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev both continued their winning run in Rome, with the former defeating ninth seed Matteo Berrettini in front of his home crowd, and the latter tested by returning former champion Kei Nishikori before reigning supreme. The final two to round out the quarter finals are Argentinian Federico Delbonis – the only remaining qualifier left in the draw – and unseeded American, Reilly Opelka.

INTERNAZIONALI BNL D’ITALIA ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) defeated [Q] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) 6-2 6-1
[2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) defeated [13] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 3-6 6-4 7-6
Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) defeated [4] Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-4 6-7 7-6
[5] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated [9] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 7-6 6-2
[6] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4-6 6-3 6-4
[7] Andrey Rublev (RUS) defeated [10] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 6-4 6-4
[Q] Federico Delbonis (ARG) defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 7-6 6-1
Reilly Opelka (USA) defeated Aslan Karatsev (RUS) 7-6 6-4

Picture credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour