Djokovic, Verdasco To Meet In Blockbuster QF

© Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic will hope to avenge the defeat he suffered to Fernando Verdasco two weeks ago in Monte-Carlo.

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic and in-form Spaniard Fernando Verdasco will clash in a blockbuster quarter-final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia after both recorded straight-sets wins on Thursday at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tennis tournament in Rome.

Second seed Djokovic needed 87 minutes to dismiss Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-4 in the first Center Court match. The Serbian trailed by a break of serve in both sets, but each time was able to hit back with two service breaks of his own to secure victory in the pair’s first meeting.

The 22-year-old Djokovic has reached the final at the Foro Italico in both the past two years, triumphing over Stanislas Wawrinka to lift the trophy in 2008 before finishing runner-up to Rafael Nadal last year. The Belgrade native improved to a 13-2 event record.

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Djokovic, a winner at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (d. Youzhny) in February, takes a 5-3 record into the clash with Verdasco, who was made to work hard for a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory over countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. However, the No. 9-ranked Verdasco comfortably won their most recent meeting two weeks ago in the semi-finals of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.

"He has had a couple of great weeks behind him on clay courts and definitely is one of the best players in the world right now," said Djokovic. "He is physically very strong and he's making less mistakes and he's improved a lot since last year. It's going to be very tough match. I don't think I'm the favourite at all for tomorrow but if I play an aggressive game, then I will have a good chance to win."

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No. 6 seed Verdasco trailed 1-3 in the first set against Garcia-Lopez, before hitting back to win five of the next six games to secure a one-set lead. He squandered a chance to serve for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but recovered to prevail in the ensuing tie-break after just over two hours.

The 26-year-old Verdasco has now won 11 of his past 12 matches, including a run to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in Monte-Carlo (l. to Nadal) and winning his second ATP World Tour title of the season at last week’s Barcelona Open BancSabadell (d. Soderling). The left-hander will look to reach the semi-finals in Rome for the first time.