"He is one of THE guys to beat at Roland Garros" - Jim Courier confident of Novak Djokovic's dominance despite Italian Open QF loss

Holger Rune overcame Novak Djokovic in a thrilling three-set battle in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open 2023. However, former player Jim Courier believes that the upset will not affect the Serb going into this year's French Open.

Rune made a confident start and clinched the first set, 6-2. Although the rain played spoilsport and forced the players off the court an hour into the match, Djokovic came back to claim the second set. Rune, however, found his rhythm in the decider set, fought back, and closed the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in his favor.

In a post-match discussion with Jim Courier on the Tennis Channel, the host asked the player-turned-commentator what the loss meant for Djokovic and whether it was a "big deal" for the 22-time Grand Slam champion going into the French Open.

Courier pointed out that Roland Garros was different in its format and replied:

"It's more of a big deal for Rune that it is for Novak. I think Novak has every reason to believe that given the longer form that Roland Garros best of five sets has, he will have more time to problem solve, he'll have more time to get into the tournament as well. He's not gonna be playing the top 32 players, the first couple of matches," he said.

The former American tennis player emphasized that Djokovic was still a strong contender for the French Open title.

"So, I think no reason, as long as he is healthy, for Novak to feel anything but that he is one of 'the' guys to beat at Roland Garros," he added.

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Novak Djokovic is a huge inspiration, says Holger Rune after his quarterfinal triumph at Italian Open 2023

Novak Djokovic(right) congratulates Holger Rune(left) after their quarterfinal match at 2023 Italian Open

Holger Rune overcame Novak Djokovic to seal his spot in the semifinals of the 2023 Italian Open. This is the Dane's second consecutive victory over the Serb after their title clash at the 2022 Paris Masters.

In a post-match on-court interview, Rune, 20, expressed his admiration for the World No. 1.

"Huge credit to Novak, I'm a big fan of his. He's a huge inspiration and I wish him all the best," he said.

Rune stated that Djokovic "puts a lot of pressure" on his opponents.

"I know at the end, when Novak goes into this mode, nothing can come at him and he plays really free and aggressive,” said Rune. “When you want to close the match, it's really difficult. He puts a lot of pressure on you, but I managed to hit some good shots and stay brave."

Rune will next play Casper Ruud in the semifinals of the 2023 Italian Open on Saturday, May 20.