Top seed Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the Rome Masters by Holger Hune on Wednesday as the defending champion lost in three sets at Foro Italico.
Rune, who also defeated Djokovic in November's Paris Masters final, secured his semi-final spot thanks to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win over the Serbian. It will be the first time since 2004 that neither Djokovic nor the injured Rafa Nadal will be in the Rome final.
The Dane 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 semi-final spot on his Rome debut.
"It's really a big win for me,” said Rune, who will now face either Casper Ruud or Francisco Cerundolo.
“Obviously I did it last year in Paris as well, but every match is a huge challenge for me when I play against Novak. He's one of the greatest that's ever played the game.
"I knew I had to be at my best and I said it yesterday, and I was today. I'm super proud of myself and I enjoyed every moment out there."
Djokovic made no excuses for his surprise defeat against seventh seed Rune, admitting after the match that the best man won.
“This is probably the coldest and wettest tournament I’ve ever played here in Rome,” he said. "In these kind of conditions, it’s very difficult to get the ball past him. 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. He kept his nerve and deserved to win.”
The 35-year-old 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 was not immediately clear what the issue was but it appeared that Djokovic swallowed a pill that the trainer gave him.
Djokovic will relinquish his world top-ranking to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz before the French Open, where the Serbian will look to claim a men's record 23rd Grand Slam title having gone level with Nadal by winning the Australian Open.
The six-time Rome champion recently returned after three weeks off because of a lingering issue with his right elbow and with the tournament at Roland Garros starting in 11 days.
“I know I can always play better,” Djokovic said. “I always like my chances in Grand Slams against anybody on any surface, best-of-five. Let’s see how it goes.”
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
