Verdasco beats Djokovic at Rome Masters

Rome :

Fernando Verdasco extended his impressive form on clay with a gruelling 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4 win over Novak Djokovic in the Rome Masters quarterfinals on Friday.

The first set alone lasted nearly an hour and a half and the sixth-seeded Verdasco closed out the match with an ace down the middle after 3 hours and 18 minutes of long baseline rallies under a glaring sun at the Foro Italico.

Verdasco has reached the final of his last two events _ losing to Rafael Nadal at the Monte Carlo Masters and winning last week's Barcelona Open.

Verdasco will play either seventh-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or 13th-seeded David Ferrer, who were up on next on center court.

Later, Nadal continues his bid for a fifth title in Rome against 2008 runner-up Stanislas Wawrinka.