Novak Djokovic fends off Grigor Dimitrov, reaches round four in Rome

ROME: Novak Djokovic overcame a second-set upset with a high-class third-set performance on Sunday at the Italian Open, where he overcame Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in Rome.

The top seed and defending champion appeared to be on his way to a simple third-round triumph when he led Dimitrov 6-3, 4-2. The Bulgarian's amazing four-game run forced a decider at the Foro Italico, but Djokovic superbly increased his level to advance to the fourth round with his 1050th tour-level triumph.

With his two-hour, 20-minute win, Djokovic to 11-1 in his ATP Head2Head series against Dimitrov. The 35-year-old will next take on 13th seed Cameron Norrie or Marton Fucsovics as he bids to reach the quarter-finals for the 17th time in as many appearances in Rome.

"[I was] very solid. I think I could have won in straight sets. I was a set and 4-2 up and had a pretty decent forehand in the middle of the court at Deuce on his serve and missed that. He held his serve well, we had new balls the next game, I did a double fault, the crowd got into it and got behind him and of course the energy of the place and the of the match changed," ATP.com quoted Djokovic as saying.

"I dropped my level a bit, but luckily I managed to find it right away in the first game [of the third set], made that crucial break and kind of shifted the momentum to my side, so I'm really pleased with the way I closed out the match," he added.

When asked about his ability to produce his best under pressure, said Djokovic, "Luckily for me in my career I managed to win more matches than those that I lost when I was facing difficult circumstances. I also lost a lot of matches, particularly in the beginning of my career. For a few years, whenever I needed to make that final step or win a Slam, I didn't manage to do that, so I learned a lot."

"I got stronger because of the rivalries, particularly with [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal and [Andy] Murray. Just staying the course, staying patient and believing in the process and the journey... Understanding what works for you best, what's your winning formula mentally and also physically and emotionally, and then sticking to it," he added.