Novak Djokovic was struck on the head by a bottle after getting his Italian Open campaign off to a positive start, progressing to the third round in straight sets against Corentin Moutet.
The World No 1 was seen signing autographs just off-court when he was struck by the object on the head, in a video posted online by a spectator. Djokovic appeared hurt by the incident, dropping to his knees following the blow.
An aluminium-type water bottle fell out of a child’s backpack and hit the top-ranked player on the top of his head, local organisers said, according to the Associated Press.
Sky in Italy reported that Djokovic was being checked by medical staff in the locker room after the incident, which occurred after Djokovic had beaten Moutet 6-3 6-1.
Despite Djokovic being broken in his first two service games, the Serbian responded to Moutet’s strong start to take the first set 6-4 from a position of 3-1 down.
The second set then saw Djokovic firmly on top as Moutet started to regularly rant to himself and towards his corner, receiving a warning from umpire Carlos Bernardes for kicking the net, and throwing his racket several times too – all either side of his phone alarm bizarrely going off.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Moutet’s alarm on his phone went off mid-match whilst playing against Djokovic in Rome, everyone involved saw the funny side of the moment
In the end, Moutet could not get back into a positive frame of mind to compete, going down meekly in the second set 6-1.
Djokovic will next face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the third round.
“I haven’t practiced with a lefty in a while, so it took me a little bit of time to adjust to the different rotation on the balls,” Djokovic said afterwards. “The first four games were quite bad for me. But then I played well.
“Corentin is a very talented player. He has great hands and very unpredictable. You don’t know what what comes up next. So I had to stay focused, which I did. So it’s a good opening match.”
Moutet cut a hugely combustible figure throughout the contest in Rome
Elsewhere, former champion Alexander Zverev, the world No 3, defeated Aleksandar Vukic 6-0 6-4, while veteran Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov swept past Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5 6-4 on Court 12.
Fifth seed Casper Ruud, though, suffered a shock defeat as Miomir Kecmanovic came from behind to win 0-6 6-4 6-4 – the Serbian having recovered after leaving the court for a medical time-out late on in the first set.
Number 11 seed Taylor Fritz ended the hopes of home wildcard Fabio Fognini as the American came through 6-3 6-4.
Ben Shelton maintained his impressive clay-court form as the 21-year-old American came from behind to beat Pavel Kotov 4-6 6-3 6-4 and reach the third round in Rome for the first time.
Portugal’s Nuno Borges knocked out 15th seed Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-4 and Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro was a 6-1 6-3 winner over Australian number 32 seed Jordan Thompson.
Luciano Darderi and qualifier Francesco Passaro delighted the home support with wins over seeds Mariano Navone and Tallon Griekspoor respectively.
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
In the run-up to the second Grand Slam of 2024 – the French Open at Roland Garros from May 26 – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the clay-court season.
- Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (ATP and WTA Masters 1000) – May 7-19
- Geneva Open (ATP 250) – May 20-26
- Lyon Open (ATP 250) – May 20-26
- Internationaux de Strasbourg (WTA 500 with Emma Raducanu in action) – May 20-26
- Morocco Open (WTA 250) – May 20-26
How to watch play on Sky Sports Tennis
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours
Sky Sports will broadcast more live tennis than anywhere else in 2024, including on its dedicated tennis channel, bringing over 4,000 matches from more than 80 tournaments a year on the ATP and WTA Tours, plus full coverage of the US Open exclusively live.
Non-Sky subscribers can stream live matches contract-free with a NOW Sports Day or Month Membership.
Fans will also be able to follow their favourite players and gain deeper insights from both Tours via Sky Sports News, the Sky Sports App and skysports.com as well as via Sky Sports’ social channels.
Ad content | Stream Sky Sports on NOW
Stream Sky Sports live with no contract on a Month or Day membership on NOW. Instant access to live action from the Premier League and EFL, plus darts, cricket, tennis, golf and so much more.
Book Fury vs Usyk on Sky Sports Box Office
It’s one of the biggest sporting events in a generation. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk collide for the undisputed world heavyweight title on Saturday May 18, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book now.
Watch the WTA and ATP Tours throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
