AFP, Cincinnati :
Novak Djokovic’s third-round fightback against defending champion Grigor Dimitrov was interrupted by rain as the pair stood one set each on Thursday at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.
Former world number one Djokovic is vying to break through for a first Cincinnati win after coming up empty in five finals. He lost the first set 6-2 and won the second 6-3.
Cincinnati remains the only one of the nine Masters 1000 events that the Serb star hasn’t won. He has lifted trophies at least twice at each of the other eight events in the elite ATP series.
Djokovic is also trying to avoid an unenviable record of 30 Cincinnati match wins without a title.
Bulgaria’s Dimitrov, who has won just one of eight prior encounters with Djokovic, prevailed easily in the opening set and broke early in the second before Djokovic roared back, breaking for a second time to take a 5-3 lead.
The 10th-seeded Serb squared the match as the day’s second bout of major rain moved in.
Earlier, Simona Halep and Juan Martin del Potro completed rain-delayed second-round victories.
World number one Halep took advantage of an early afternoon respite from the weather to finish off a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ajla Tomljanovic.
Halep, clearly frustrated when the match was halted at 3-3 in the third on Wednesday night, won three straight games to finish off the victory in 10 minutes.
The timing was perfect for the French Open champion as drizzle resumed moments after her contest ended.
