ROME—Novak Djokovic sees a bit of himself in Holger Rune.
The 20-year-old Rune 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, troubled the 22-time major winner with his rapid court coverage. He made his opponent hit extra balls on points that Djokovic thought he had already finished off….