Đoković dedicates Rome victory to flood victims

Đoković dedicates Rome victory to flood victims

ROME -- Serbia's top tennis player Novak Đoković qualified for the Rome Masters by defeating Canada's Milos Raonic on Saturday 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.

The world's second-ranked tennis player met with fierce efforts by Raonic and managed to beat him only in the third set, after almost three hours of the match.

In the final, he will be up against the winner of the second semifinal between Rafael Nadal and Grigor Dimitrov.

Đoković earlier went to Twitter to urge everyone to help the flood victims. In a statement for B92 after the match, he said:

"Absolutely the victory is dedicated to the people in Serbia. I am playing here at the tournament, but my thoughts are directed at Serbia, believe me, I am there along with my family and the people. I follow the news every day, I stayed up until two in the morning reading the news and trying to find a way to help, but I know I'm not there. The good will is already a noble gesture."

Tanjug reports that Đoković had the words "Support Serbia" written on his backpack, and wrote the same message, along with, "I love you" in Serbian, on a camera after the match ended.

He also took a picture along a banner urging support for both Serbia and Bosnia, which have been affected by disastrous floods this week.