Wild card Caruso tunes up for duet with Djokovic

NovakDjokovic’ s first match since being defaulted from the US Open will come against local wild card entry Salvatore Caruso in the second round of the Italian Open.

The 87th-ranked Caruso defeated American qualifier Tennys Sandgren 3-6, 6-3,7-6(4) yesterday in the opening round at the empty Foro Italico, where fans are being kept away because of the corona virus pandemic.

Caruso, pictured below, saved a match point late in the third set before closing it out after nearly three hours on a steamy 32-degree Celsius day.

The top-ranked Djokovic, who had a first-round bye, has said that he learned “a big lesson” after he was thrown out of the tournament in New York for unintentionally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball.

Djoko vic beat Caruso in straight sets in their only career meeting in the third round of last year’s French Open.

In other matches on Rome’ s red clay, US Open quarter-finalists Andrey Rublev and Denis S ha po valovbothw on in straight sets.

Rub lev eliminated Argentine qualifier Facundo Bag n is 6-4,6-4, then Shapovalov was even more efficient in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Guido Pella.

Alex de Minaur – another US Open quarter-finalist – was tentative and wasted numerous chances in a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) loss to German qualifier Diminik Koepfer.

Argentine qualifier Fede rico Coria, the younger brother of 2005 Rome run ne r-upGu ill er mo Coria, defeated Jan-lennard Struff 6-1, 7-6(5). Coria will next face local favorite M at teoB err et tini,t he No 4 seed.

In the women’s tournament, Katerina Siniako - va rolled past three -time Grand Slam champion AngeliqueKe rb er 6-3, 6-1, and last year’s French Open finalist, Market a Von dro us ova, held off a come back by Japanese qualifier Misaki Doi to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.