Denmark's Holger Rune, 20, beats Djokovic again to reach Italian Open semis

Novak Djokovic sees a bit of himself in Holger Rune.

The 20-year-old Danish player is solid in nearly every area: A great mover and super fit physically, he's strong off both his forehand and backhand, has good hands and is an aggressive returner.

Perhaps that's why Rune has now recorded two victories over Djokovic in little more than six months, beating the 22-time Grand Slam champion 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 Wednesday to reach the Italian Open semifinals.

Rune, who also defeated Djokovic in the Paris Masters final in November, gave the Serb fits with his rapid court coverage. He made his opponent hit extra balls on points that Djokovic thought he had already finished off.

Djokovic said the consistently damp conditions at the Foro Italico this week were challenging for him.

"In these kind of conditions, it's very difficult to get the ball past him," Djokovic said. "He's very, very fast, very quick. Great anticipation. Just a very talented, dynamic player, all-around player.

"He was just better. He played too good for me for most part of the match," Djokovic said. "He kept his nerves and deserved to win."

Unlike the win in Paris, which was a breakthrough moment for Rune, this one felt like a confirmation.

"If it's working against Novak, it works against almost anybody," Rune said of his performance.

The 35-year-old Djokovic didn't appear at his best physically early on and called for a trainer after holding for a 2-1 lead in the second set. It wasn't immediately clear what the issue was but it appeared that Djokovic swallowed a pill that the trainer gave him.

Djokovic recently returned after three weeks off because of a lingering issue with his surgically repaired right elbow. He's preparing for the French Open, which starts in 11 days.

Rune, meanwhile, is boosting his credentials as a Grand Slam contender after a solid season on clay that included a runner-up finish in the Monte Carlo Masters, a title in Munich, and now a semifinal spot in his first main draw appearance in Rome.

"I want to win a Grand Slam this year," Rune said. "I hope it can be achieved at the French Open. If not, I hope to make it in the other two Grand Slams."

Nadal, who holds the record of 10 titles in Rome, is not playing as he remains hampered by a nagging hip injury, leaving his status for Roland Garros in question.

With Djokovic eliminated, an 18-year streak of either him or Nadal playing in the Rome final ends.

Rune's semifinal opponent will be Casper Ruud, who beat Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (5), 6-4.

Swiatek retires from quarterfinal with thigh injury

In the women's tournament, two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek retired in the third set of her quarterfinal against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina due to a right thigh injury.

It was 2-2 in the third when the top-ranked Swiatek retired after more than two hours of play. She had won the first set 6-2 then Rybakina won the second set 7-6 (3).

The match started on Wednesday evening and ended early Thursday morning in extremely humid conditions.

During the second-set tiebreaker, Swiatek grasped her right knee after shifting directions a few times behind the baseline. Close to tears, she took a medical timeout after the set and left the court. When she returned, her upper right thigh was bandaged. Then after four more games, she retired.

"I saw something happen in the tiebreak, on almost the last point but I didn't know how serious it is," Rybakina said. "The first two games she started really aggressive so I understood that she couldn't really move that much."

It's the third time that the big-serving Rybakina has beaten Swiatek this year, accounting for three of the Pole's six losses in 2023.

Rybakina's semifinal opponent will be Jelena Ostapenko, who beat Paula Badosa 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to reach her first semifinal on clay since winning the 2017 French Open.

The other semifinal will feature Veronika Kudermetova of Russia against Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine.