Djokovic, Nadal in quarters as Italian Open prepares for fans

World No.1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Rafael Nadal welcomed the decision to allow a limited number of fans to watch the Italian Open as the top men’s seeds advanced to the quarter-finals on Friday.

Italy’s government has said that 1,000 spectators can be present at the Foro Italico from Sunday’s semi-finals, with matches so far being played in empty courts.

Nadal swept past Serb Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-3 in his third round match, while Djokovic battled past fellow Serb Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.

Djokovic next plays German qualifier Dominik Koepfer who ended the run of Italian teenager Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-0.

World No.2 Nadal takes on Argentine eighth seed Diego Schwartzman, who dropped a set before recovering to see off Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Nadal, 34, won his first Rome title back in 2005, and is bidding for a third consecutive crown on clay in the Italian capital and 10th in total. Top women’s seed Simona Halep and defending champion Karolina Pliskova also eased into the quarter-finals, along with two-time Rome winner Elina Svitolina.

Halep rallied from 0-3 down in the first set to see off Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in a 7-5, 6-4 victory in 88 minutes.

The two-time Rome finalist next meets Yulia Putintseva, who came back from 6-4, 5-2 down to dispatch fellow Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the 10th seed, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

Svitolina got past two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. She next plays Czech 12th seed Marketa Vondrousova who battled past Slovenian Polona Hercog 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).

World No.4 Pliskova dominated 65th-ranked Anna Blinkova 6-4, 6-3 in their third round match.

The 22-year-old Russian was unable to build on her advantage against the former world No.1, who next meets 11th seed Elise Mertens after she got past Danta Kovinic 6-4, 6-4.

Ninth seed Garbine Muguruza advanced to her sixth quarter-final this year with a straight-sets win over last year’s Rome finalist Johanna Konta.

Both players hit 15 winners each but Briton Konta paid for 22 unforced errors to the Spaniard’s 13. Muguruza prevailed 6-4, 6-1 against seventh-seeded Konta to reach the last eight in Rome for the third time.

The former French Open winner will next face US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka who adva­nced after Russian Daria Kasat­kina retired injured in their first set tiebreak.

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