Novak Djokovic made positive to thank Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray after advancing to the fourth spherical of the Rome Masters with a gruelling victory over Grigor Dimitrov. The Serb received 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 and can subsequent face both Cameron Norrie or Marton Fucsovics in continued preparation earlier than the upcoming French Open.

Djokovic gave the impression to be cruising to a cushty victory earlier than an impressed run of 4 video games from the Bulgarian compelled a decider, although the 35-year-old was capable of elevate his sport to return out on prime. After the win, Djokovic admitted that he may have received in straight units however "dropped my level" earlier than describing how the likes of Federer, Nadal and Murray have helped him enhance when dealing with setbacks.

“[I was] very solid. I think I could have won in straight sets,” stated Djokovic. “I was a set and 4-2 up and had a pretty decent forehand in the middle of the court at deuce on his serve and missed that. He held his serve well, we had new balls the next game, I did a double fault, the crowd got into it and got behind him and of course the energy of the place and the of the match changed.

“I dropped my level a bit, but luckily I managed find it right away in the first game [of the third set], made that crucial break and kind of shifted the momentum to my side, so I’m really pleased with the way I closed out the match.

“Luckily for me in my career I managed to win more matches than those that I lost when I was facing difficult circumstances. I also lost a lot of matches, particularly in the beginning of my career. For a few years, whenever I needed to make that final step or win a Slam, I didn’t manage to do that, so I learned a lot.

“I got stronger because of the rivalries, particularly with [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal and [Andy] Murray. Just staying the course, staying patient and believing in the process and the journey… Understanding what works for you best, what's your winning formula mentally and also physically and emotionally, and then sticking to it.”

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