Spain’s Rafael Nadal secured a place in the Italian Open final by overcoming rival Novak Djokovic at

The tournament top-seed was the favourite heading into the encounter, against a steadily improving Djokovic

Spain’s Rafael Nadal battled back from a set down to reach the semi-final stage of the Italian Open at the Foro Italico in Rome.

the Grand Slam for an 11th time.He will face the winner of the match between former world number one Novak

Djokovic of Serbia and Japan’s Kei Nishikori.Croatia’s Marin Cilic progressed to the last four with

Tournament favourite Rafael Nadal booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open with a straight-sets victory over Canada's Denis Shapovalov at the Foro Italico in Rome.

-year-old managed to beat Kyle Edmund of Great Britain, who knocked out 12-time Grand Slam champion Novak

Djokovic of Serbia at the recent Madrid Open, by a 7-5, 7-6 scoreline.Elsewhere in the men's event

Most of the seeded players were untroubled on the first day of action at the Italian Open in Rome, with top names securing passage through to the second round of the clay court tournament.

Twelve-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic from Serbia, who surprisingly lost to Great Britain's

Women's singles top seed Simona Halep was among leading players to be beaten today at the Mutua Madrid Open in Caja Mágica.

career win against a top-10 player.Great Britain's Kyle Edmund continued the form he showed against Novak

Djokovic by beating Belgium's eighth seed David Goffin 6-4, 6-4 in other men's singles matches.Canadian

Novak Djokovic suffered another disappointing defeat on his road to recovery from an elbow injury as

Serbian Djokovic, a 12-time Grand Slam winner, was beaten in three sets by Britain's Kyle Edmund on the

Novak Djokovic enjoyed arguably his best victory of a difficult year as the 12-time Grand Slam winner

rediscovered his form with a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over the Japanese player at the Caja Mágica.The triumph for Djokovic

Rafael Nadal closed in on the 11th Monte Carlo Masters title he needs to retain his world number one ranking as he thrashed Austria’s fifth seed Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals.

on his favoured clay in Rome last year and reached this match by putting out former world number one Novak

Richard Gasquet in the last quarter-final 4-6, 6-2, 7-5..Thiem, aiming to become the first player to beat Djokovic

maintained today as he earned a 6-3, 6-2 win over Russia's Karen Khachanov to reach the quarter-finals - but Novak

number 38.Nadal is now due play Austrian fifth seed Dominic Thiem, who beat 12-times Grand Slam winner Djokovic

Ideally, I'd want to be playing the way I played for so many years, but obviously patience is required," Djokovic

Djokovic, who has slipped to 13th in the rankings, showed glimpses of his best form against Thiem, whom

he described as a "top-three player in the world on clay".Novak Djokovic was beaten by Austria's Dominic

Djokovic's serve again to win after almost two and a half hours.Thiem, 24, lost his first five meetings with Djokovic

World number one Rafael Nadal raced past Slovenia's Aljaž  Bedene to reach the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco today.

in the world, 6-1, 6-3 in 77 minutes at the Monte Carlo Country ClubSerbia’s former world number one Novak

Djokovic beat Croatia's Borna Ćorić, although he needed 10 match points before closing out a 7-6, 7-

After two years finally I can play without pain," said Djokovic."

Serbia's former world number one Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Croatia's Borna Ćorić after reaching

against Marin Čilićin January.He is now due to face Russia's world number 38 Karen Khachanov while Djokovic

International Tennis Federation (ITF) President David Haggerty revealed here today he is excited to see the support for the proposed revamp of the Davis Cup.

chance to meet with a number of players and Player Council members and it’s exciting to see Rafa Nadal, Novak

Djokovic are two of the biggest supporters of the event."

Novak Djokovic won his first match for three months at the Monte Carlo Masters event today and said his

“It was a great start to the tournament,” Djokovic said afterwards.

“Considering I haven’t played many matches I thought I played well.”Djokovic, who said nevertheless that

elbow problem and did not play again after Wimbledon.On his comeback at the Australian Open in January Djokovic

to Taro Daniel and Benoit Paire in his opening matches in Indian Wells and Miami respectively.Novak Djokovic

World number one Rafael Nadal of Spain will bid for a remarkable 11th title at the Monte Carlo Masters this week as the clay season gets underway prior to the French Open.

from injury during Spain's recent Davis Cup victory over Germany, is among a field which also includes Novak

Djokovic of Serbia.The 31-year-old 16-time Grand Slam winner is the top seed for the tournament at the

crowns as he has won the past two editions of an event he won eight consecutive times from 2005 to 2012.Novak

Djokovic is among the other entrants in Monte Carlo ©Getty Images"I have won the Monte Carlo Masters

Nadal, who missed the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open through injury, could face Djokovic, a

American John Isner stunned second seed Marin Cilic of Croatia with a straight-sets victory to progress to the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.

continued at the Crandon Park Tennis Centre.Cilic follows the likes of world number one Roger Federer and Novak

Djokovic in exiting the tournament before the business end.Hyeon Chung of South Korea, who reached the

Former world number one Novak Djokovic suffered another early exit as he was comfortably beaten by Frenchman