Stan stuns Rafael Nadal in Italian Open

Rome: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic moved a step closer to defending his Italian Open title after seven-time champion Rafael Nadal was stunned in the last eight by Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland on Friday.Djokovic, who beat Nadal in last year’s final to claim his third title in the Italian capital, dominated Japan’s Kei Nishikori in a one-sided quarterfinal to set up a semifinal meeting with David Ferrer.

In their 19 meetings so far, Djokovic has won 14 times. Although Ferrer has won three of their five meetings on clay, his last victory against the Serbian on the surface was during a Davis Cup match in 2009. Djokovic has won their past two meetings on clay, including a three-set quarterfinal in Rome last year.

But, admitting he has yet to reach the form that saw him beat Tomas Berdych in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters last month, Djokovic warned an upset could be on the cards. “I have to be honest and say I haven’t been playing as well in this tournament as I did at Monte Carlo,” he said.