I’ll keep making a racket

Novak Djokovic survived a scare – and a smashed racket – to dump qualifier Dominik Koepfer in Rome.

The world No.1 dropped his first set of the Italian Open in their quarter-final.

Djokovic came through 6-3 4-6 6-3, albeit his racket bore the brunt of dropping serve in the second set as he smashed it off the court.

The Serb, booted out of this month’s US Open, said: “It’s not the first nor the last racket I’ll break.

“I have done it before. I’ll probably do it again. I don’t want to do it but when it comes, it happens.

“That’s how I release my anger sometimes.

“And it’s definitely not the best message out there, especially for the young players looking at me.

“I don’t encourage that, definitely. But we’re all people. We all do our best.”

Norwegian Casper Ruud is next up for Djokovic. Laura Muir admits J emma Reek i e ’ s breakthrough into the big time is no surprise.

Reekie, 22, is an Olympic medal contender over 800 metres after her latest Diamond League success in Rome three days ago.

Muir, who clinched the summer’s fastest 1500m, said: “It was great to see her put it on paper and prove what she’s capable of doing. We’d seen it in training.” Tadej Pogacar stands to become the youngest Tour de France winner since 1904 after pal Primoz Roglic crumbled yesterday.

The 36.2km time trial to La Planche des Belles Filles was supposed to suit Roglic, spending his 11th day in the Yellow Jersey.

But the Slovenian, who started the day with a 57-second cushion, shipped almost two minutes to his countryman.

With today a traditional procession into Paris, 21year-old Pogacar is bound for the history books.