Two-time Rogers Cup champion cruised through to the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over American Sam Querrey in 75 minutes on Friday at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tennis tournament in Toronto.
The world no.2 made a break in the ninth game of the opening set and served it out 6-4 converting his third set point.
Nole was serving at 4-3, 30-30, when rain interrupted play. Match resumed after 2 and a half hours, Querrey won the first point to earn his first chance for a break. The 25-year-old Serbian saved it and sealed the set and match two games later.
Match statistics: aces (5-3), double faults (3-3), winners (19-24), unforced errors (17-21), total points won (62-55).
Djokovic capitalised on 2 of 4 opportunities on Querrey’s serve to improve to a 19-3 record at the Canadian Open.
It’s a busy day at the Rogers Cup on the grounds of the Rexall Centre. Four quarter-final matches are scheduled on Friday evening.
Novak will meet world no.25 Tommy Haas about 21.00 local time (Saturday about 03.00 CET), for a place in the semi-final. The German fought back from a set down to beat Czech Radek Stepanek 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Djokovic and Haas have met four times previously, with the head-to-head split at 2-2. The 34-year-old Hamburg native won their last encounter, in 2009 Wimbledon quarter-final 7-5, 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3.
Photo: AP
