Former world No 1 Andy Roddick has jumped to the defence of Cameron Norrie after his ‘unsportsmanlike’ show in opposition to Novak Djokovic within the Italian Open. The latter got here out on prime and booked his place within the quarter-finals in Rome, although it was removed from easy crusing for the Serb.

Djokovic prevailed in an extremely heated contest with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Norrie, although the tense nature of the match has been the principle speaking level since. The world No 1 was sad along with his opponent’s behaviour regardless of being associates off of the court docket, taking concern with the Brit after he was hit within the leg by a successful smash.

Norrie additionally took a late medical timeout and steadily shouted ‘come on’ at Djokovic, which fuelled the hearth. Speaking after the match, the victor mentioned: “Those are the things that we players know in the locker room it's not fair play, it's not how we treat each other.

‘’I get along with Cameron really well all these years that he's been on the tour. He's a very nice guy off the court, so I don't understand this kind of attitude on the court, to be honest. But it is what it is. He brought the fire, and I responded to that. I'm not going to allow someone behaving like this just bending my head. I'm going to respond to that. That's all it is.”

Despite being focused for his conduct, Roddick has instructed Tennis Channel that Norrie didn't do something mistaken in Rome and defended his try and disrupt Djokovic’s play. He defined: “It’s fair play. Norrie has every right to do what he wants and Novak has every right to not like it.

"He wasn’t breaking any rules. I’ve gotten in trouble for criticising people for taking medical timeouts a little too often. Novak said that he looked at the replay and said that maybe Norrie didn’t see him with his back turned. So Novak understands hitting a ball where you’re not supposed to, sometimes.

“Listen, it doesn’t matter. Norrie can do what he wants, Novak cannot like it, we wash our hands, and we move on. Novak got the win and it’s over. Or we stay mad about it, which makes no sense at all. He didn’t break any rules, he was obviously trying to do something because he was not winning with the patterns that were being played on the court. So he tried to change the dynamic of the match.

"Novak is just way too experienced, he has seen it too many times. You’re going to blame a guy for trying? You don’t have to like it but he was trying something.” Djokovic will now face Holger Rune within the quarter-finals on Wednesday, with the highest seed hoping to proceed his electrifying kind earlier than heading to the French Open.