Rome R3: Djokovic def. Bellucci 6-4, 6-4

Solid win for Novak!:)

Solid performance. Bit of a slump beginning of the second, but the result was NID. Very good last game.

Bellucci should have won that second set, he was impressive at times but got too tight on serve, you could tell he was nervous. He needs more experience with matches like this. As far as Nole goes, he was OK, a bit too passive at times.

Another straight sets win for Novak & didn't lose too many games to someone of Bellucci's stature, not bad.

Tennisman82.

Bellucci is a bit of a choker/idiot really.

Solid play from Djokovic, but he must get much better If he dreams about recapturing Rome.

Solid from Djok. Bellucci really does nothing to leverage being left-handed against righties.

Very impressive at the end of both sets, OK but patchy performance overall. Bellucci also had an OK performance, but lost the plot at the end of the match, which is partially due to Nole it must be said.

Watching Verdasco play, Nole really needs to step it up.

Bellucci is a bit of a choker/idiot really.

That's a bit too much. He just does not deliver against the top guys. Last week Ferrer, now Djokovic.

Bellucci should have won that second set, he was impressive at times but got too tight on serve, you could tell he was nervous. He needs more experience with matches like this.

Yup. I haven't seen much of Bellucci, but from what I have seen here and in Miami, he gets very tight on big points and late in sets.

Well done Nole :drink:

From the few minutes I saw, Bellucci needs more work on dealing with situations around the net -- not just volleys, but also the kinds of creative defensive slices needed when the opponent draws you to the net with a drop shot. His baseline game seems solid.

If he plays like this tomorrow, Verdasco will make it to the semis

If he plays like this tomorrow, Verdasco will make it to the semis

I don't know if he will beat Verdasco or not, but I am certain that he cannot play any worse than he did in Monte Carlo semi against Verdasco. He was awful...Verdasco didn't have to do shit...in fact he was not even that good, it's just that Novak was way, way worse. In fact, had he played like he did TODAY (which was not his best) he could have beaten Verdasco that day, only cause Verdasco is not in the same league in the mental department. We will see what happens, though. For me it's 60-40 that Novak will beat him tomorrow.

He did what he had to do in the end to win,Bellucci never looked comfortable when leading the score:hug:He's got no chance against Nando if he plays like he did today.

Solid stuff Nole. Great ending especially.

Good luck against Nando. :yeah:

:hug: Thomaz, a big win will come soon.

Ajde Novak! Some revenge please.

Tricky match Novak, well done :yeah:

If Thomaz ever plays as fine as he looks, the ATP is in trouble.

He needs more main stage experience -- and concentration.

Nole is good on clay :D

He did what he had to do in the end to win,Bellucci never looked comfortable when leading the score:hug:He's got no chance against Nando if he plays like he did today.

Noleta, you're very optimist as usual. :lol:

Bellucci is a classic Maturing player, he is not like some of the latest players reaching their peak at teens and 20ties like a Del potro, Djokovic, Cilic or Murray.

He is gradually improving and maturing. I expect him to reach his peak around 24 or so, problably playing well into the top 20. I think he has a really good potential. His weight of shot and strokes are top notch level. As he develops greater consistency and important match maturity. I am not entirely convinced that he has potential for reaching the top 10 yet, I think top 20 is more like it.

If you look into his latest losses, they have been mostly to great players like Almagro at Miami, Ferrer in Barcelona and now Djokovic. Is reasonable to expect that soon he will be able to crack open and start winning against some of these players. It is interesting also to see how he will carry this form outside of the clay, like in hardcourts where he does have the game to do well also.

Djoker improving towards the RG final