Djokovic Heads for Federer Showdown in Rome

Novak Djokovic, the world No 3 and the most successful player this year, has no need to change his style radically to adjust to the clay court challenge. It is a matter of minor tinkering, and after winning this year's Australian Open the 20-year-old Serb will have a genuine chance of the French Open title in Paris this month. Last year he reached the semi-finals at only his third attempt and every minute he seems to grow in authority.

"Obviously hard court is my preferred surface but I think I have a good enough game to challenge the world's best players on clay," he said. Yesterday he reached the quarter-finals of the Italian Open here in Rome for the second successive year with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over the Russian clay court specialist Igor Andreev, moving a step closer to a showdown with Roger Federer tomorrow. Federer reached the last eight with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Croatia's Ivo Karlovic.