Fabio Fognini, whose blazing two-set destruction of Andy Murray this week left the world No1 with a major headache on the eve of the French Open, thinks his own conqueror, Alexander Zverev, will one day usurp the Scot and the rest of the competition as the best player in the world.

Andy Murray is struggling and anxious – it may be a good thing | Kevin Mitchell Read more

Zverev, blushing, replied after his 6-3, 6-3 victory against the flamboyant world No19 from Italy: “Fabio is a great guy, so I think he will give a lot of compliments to other players. Other players maybe said this about me before.”

Johanna Konta’s own ambitions of pushing on towards the top of the women’s rankings from No6 in the world took a minor hit, meanwhile, when the 36‑year‑old Venus Williams defeated her for only the second time in five contests, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in just under two hours. The British No1 remains in good spirits, however, as she heads for Paris.

“I don’t think there is anything necessarily I’m finding super hard on clay,” she said. “It’s still the same game, still the same lines. It’s not necessarily even sliding. It’s just having that good level of trust in my ability on the surface – a good level of trust in my physical ability, as well. That also comes with time.”

Time is what Zverev, the 20-year-old German ranked No17 in the world, has plenty of – as well as a vibrant attacking game. And he did good in defeating the man who sent Murray home before he even got his feet dirty on the Roman clay.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Johanna Konta shakes hands with Venus Williams after her defeat to the veteran American in the third round of the Italian Open. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images

Novak Djokovic also has one eye on Roland Garros as he moves with ominous conviction back towards his peak. The world No2 turns 30 on Monday, a week after Murray, and he would dearly love to take a fifth Italian Open and a sound clay game with him to Paris, where he defeated the Scot in the final last year before injury and a dip in spirits took the air out of his season. By November, Murray was No1 and Djokovic was looking lost.

However, a week after sacking his long‑time staff, a high-level 6-4, 6-4 win against Roberto Bautista Agut in an hour and 41 minutes put him into the quarter‑finals here for the 11th year in a row.

Djokovic had some comforting words for Murray as he looked ahead to his match on Friday against Juan Martín del Potro, who defeated the world No9, Kei Nishikori, 7-6, 6-3. “Some top players come out and play their best when it’s most needed, which is grand slams,” Djokovic said. “So I wouldn’t be surprised to see [Stan] Wawrinka [who lost against John Isner] or Murray playing at a really high level in Paris, because I guess they are aiming to do that.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Novak Djokovic said: ‘Today’s match was one of the better ones that I have played on clay this season’ after beating Roberto Bautista Agut. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Roland Garros is where it matters. Wawrinka defeated the Serb there to win the title two years ago, then Djokovic returned to the French capital owning the other three majors. That is when he hit his career high before sliding slowly into a minor decline that culminated in surrendering his world No1 ranking to Murray towards the end of the season, after 122 weeks in a row as the game’s main man. This year he comes to the French restored to near full working order, while Murray wrestles with his own mysterious dip in form.

Everything about Djokovic’s tennis seems sharper and more purposeful. The ennui that looked to be dragging him down has lifted. Maybe saying goodbye to his coaching staff has jolted him out of any lingering self-doubt after so long at the top of his sport: the “shock therapy” he said he needed.

Maria Sharapova vows to rise again after being denied wildcard for French Open Read more

Djokovic said his split with his long‑time coach, Marian Vajda, was mutual and they were still friends, adding: “We talked about it already for months. Whether or not that’s a turning point in my career, I don’t know. I just think about whatever I need to do with myself on the court to get better, to be on the desired level of tennis. And I’m getting closer. I feel like today’s match was one of the better ones that I have played on clay this season, but also overall the last couple of months.”

His mother and father were vocal supporters in the Campo Centrale, along with most of the Roman crowd, who responded warmly to his now trademark gesture of giving up love with his cupped hands in their direction at the end of a victory. It grates with some, but there is contentment about Djokovic again that his rivals would do well to note. When he is smiling, he is dangerous.

The world No4, Rafael Nadal, booked his place in the next round with a routine 6-3, 6-4 win against Jack Sock in an hour and 20 minutes, while the eighth seed Dominic Thiem outlasted the third American left in the draw, Sam Querrey, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 in just under two hours.

Maria Sharapova handed Birmingham wildcard

Despite their best efforts, not a single tennis player on the planet did anything yesterday to crowd out the predictable announcement that Maria Sharapova will play with a wildcard at Birmingham, starting on 19 June. The Lawn Tennis Association received a commitment from the Russian, who has not played there for seven years, that she will feature in the next two tournaments.

Birmingham, held the same week as Queen’s, is the first of the LTA’s grass-court events of the summer, interlocking nicely with Wimbledon. Sharapova, who this week was denied an invitation of any kind to the French Open, will play in the qualifying tournament for Wimbledon by right, having brought her ranking below 200 at the Italian Open before retiring with an injury to her left thigh while leading a second-round match on Tuesday night.

The LTA’s chief executive, Michael Downey, acknowledged that awarding Sharapova a wildcard would be controversial. “We have received a two-year commitment from one of the most famous athletes in the world to play the Aegon Classic Birmingham,” he said. “In return we are providing Maria with a main draw wildcard. This wasn’t a decision we took lightly and we recognise not everyone will agree with it. However, Maria has served her ban in full and is now back playing high-quality tennis.

“There’s always a lot of debate about who we give wild cards to. Now Maria has earned direct entry into Wimbledon qualifying, we want to give British tennis fans the chance to see her compete on grass here in Britain beforehand.” We do not condone Maria’s actions. She has served the ban she was given … she now has a right to re-enter the world of professional tennis and is back playing on the women’s tour.”

The former world No 1, returning from a 15-month suspension for failing a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open, has divided opinion since her return began in Stuttgart last month. Madrid and Barcelona also gave her wildcards, but the French Tennis Federation – which unlike the LTA, also organises its home slam – bucked the trend. Kevin Mitchell