Novak Djokovic clinched the most comprehensive victory of his career on Thursday when he humiliated Czech journeyman Jan Hernych 6-0, 6-0 to reach the Swiss Indoors quarter-finals.
The 52-minute “double-bagel” was the first for the Serb at the elite ATP level, bettering his 6-1, 6-0 win over Argentina’s David Nalbandian in the Queen’s Club semi-finals last year, a rout that took four minutes less.
Second seed Djokovic saved three break-points in the first set, before stepping on the gas against a 59th-ranked opponent who had claimed his first victory since the US Open in the first round.
Hernych’s cause was not helped by committing 40 errors in the loss.
Djokovic next faces Swiss sixth seed Stanislas Wawrinka, who defeated Finn Jarkko Nieminen in three sets.
Evgeny Korolev will line up against Roger Federer in the last eight after defeating Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), a day after the Frenchman fired 24 aces to humble James Blake.
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Marco Chiudinelli kept national hopes high as he beat qualifying compatriot Michael Lammer 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, firing eight aces and breaking three times. The result marks the second quarter-final in six weeks for Chiudinelli after a similar performance in Bangkok. He will next face France’s Richard Gasquet.
Croatia fourth seed Marin Cilic maintained his chase for one of two places open in the season-ending ATP finals, taking out Serb Victor Troicki 7-6 (9/7), 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (8/6) in three hours.
■VALENCIA OPEN
REUTERS, VALENCIA, SPAIN
Top seed Andy Murray beat little-known Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the second round of the Valencia Open on Thursday as the Briton continued his comeback from a wrist injury.
The world No. 4, who before this week had not played on the ATP Tour since September’s US Open, will play Spaniard Albert Montanes for a place in the last four.
Second seed Nikolay Davydenko made smooth progress in his bid for a place at the season-ending World Tour Finals in London later this month with a 6-3, 7-5 second-round win over Juan Monaco of Argentina.
The Russian conceded two breaks of serve, but broke Monaco four times to set up a quarter-final against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain.
Spaniard Fernando Verdasco advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia and will play compatriot Tommy Robredo in the last eight.
Seventh seed Robredo, who has an outside chance of a Tour Finals spot, came from a set down to beat Feliciano Lopez, another Spaniard, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Russian Mikhail Youzhny went through to the quarters thanks to a 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 victory over Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas and next plays London hopeful and fifth seed Gilles Simon of France.
David Ferrer’s slim hopes of a spot in London ended when a hamstring injury forced him to withdraw from his second-round match against fellow Spaniard Montanes before a ball was struck.
■BALI
AFP, DENPASAR, INDONESIA
Top seed Marion Bartoli joined French compatriot Aravane Rezai in the semi-finals of the Bali Tournament of Champions with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Shahar Peer of Israel yesterday.
Bartoli completed the weekend lineup at the tournament comprising the 10 highest-ranking players who have won a WTA International title this year, but who did not compete in the season-ending WTA Championships in Qatar, which finished on Sunday. Two wild-cards were also included.
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