( CNN ) -- Fernando Verdasco ended Novak Djokovic 's hopes of winning the Rome Masters after an epic three-hour victory took the Spaniard into the last four . Verdasco eventually beat the world number two from Serbia 7-6 3-6 6-4 in three hours 18 minutes to seal a semifinal berth and record his 12th win in 13 matches . He will now face either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or David Ferrer in the semifinals - his third in as many weeks . Verdasco lost in the final to Rafael Nadal in Monte-Carlo two weeks ago before winning the Barcelona Open last week . Verdasco twice went up a break in a hard-fought opener but both times Djokovic pegged him back , once when he was serving for the set . The tie-break went 7-4 in the world number nine 's favor . Djokovic hit back in the second set , giving Verdasco the runaround and breaking three times on his way to a 6-3 success . But in the decider Verdasco broke Djokovic 's serve in the third game and held on through some long and dramatic rallies to claim it 6-4 .
Fernando Verdasco defeated Novak Djokovic 7 - 6 3 - 6 6 - 2 in the Masters quarterfinal . Three - set match takes three hours and thirty minutes . Verdasco will now face Jo - Wilfried Tsonga or David Ferrer in the last four .