ROME -- Four-time Italian Open champion Novak Djokovic picked up right where he left off in a rain-delayed Italian Open quarterfinal against Juan Martin del Potro, closing out a 6-1, 6-4 win Saturday to set up a semifinal later against Dominic Thiem.
Djokovic was leading 6-1, 1-2 before heavy rain Friday night caused the conclusion of the match to be postponed by a day.
In clearer conditions at the Foro Italico, Djokovic held serve when the match resumed and then got the decisive break in the next game with a drop-shot winner.
Djokovic waved his arms to get the crowd behind him as the set wore on, dictating play from near the baseline, while del Potro stood farther back, retrieving balls in the corners.
In the other semifinal, 16th-seeded Alexander Zverev defeated John Isner 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 to become the youngest Masters Series finalist in 10 years.
With tennis greats Rod Laver and Manolo Santana looking on, Zverev showed off an all-court game that has prompted many experts to predict he'll reach No. 1 someday.
Zverev won most of the longer rallies, displayed a well-disguised drop shot, made precise volleys and even served bigger than Isner, who is usually one of the best servers on tour.
In the opening set, Zverev won 20 of his 22 points on serve to Isner's 19 of 29, and over the course of the match he struck more aces: 12 to 8.
After dropping a tight second set in which neither player dropped serve, Zverev responded by breaking at the first opportunity in the third.
On the women's side, fourth-ranked Simona Halep advanced to the final and extended her clay-court winning streak to 10 matches by beating Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 7-5, 6-1.
Halep will face 11th-ranked Elina Svitolina of Ukraine for the trophy after French Open champion Garbine Muguruza retired due to an apparent injury after only 20 minutes. Svitolina led 4-1.
Svitolina won her tour-best 30th match of the year.
After dropping five set points while serving for the opening set at 5-4, Halep started knocking her head with her finger as if saying, "Wake up." After getting broken in that game, she held at love in her next service game to end the set.
Halep then cruised past 20th-ranked Bertens amid intermittent rain.
Bertens committed 31 unforced errors to Halep's nine.
Halep took the title in Madrid last weekend.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.