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Friday November 6, 2009

Novak serves up career best ‘double-bagel’ over Hernych

BASEL: Novak Djokovic clinched the most comprehensive victory of his career yesterday when he humiliated Czech journyeman Jan Hernych 6-0, 6-0 to reach the Swiss Indoors quarter-finals.

The 52-minute “doule-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 in 2008, a rout which took four minutes less.

Djokovic also defeated Britain’s Andy Murray by the same scoreline in Miami two years ago.

Second seed Djokovic saved three break points in the first set before stepping on the gas against a 59h-ranked opponent who had claimed his first victory since the US Open in the first round here.

Hernych’s cause was not helped by committing 40 errors in the loss.

Djokovic improved to 68-18 on the season as he awaits an opponent from Swiss sixth seed Stanislas Wawrinka and Finn Jarkko Nieminen.

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.

Federer, who has won the last three tournaments here, was preparing for a possible relaxing trip across the road from the St Jakobshalle for the Europa League football match later yesterday between his home team Basel and CSKA Sofia.

On Wednesday, Federer took just an hour to crush Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-3 for a sixth straight victory against the Italian to reach the quarter-finals.

The top seed, a hometown hero, was invincible as he reached the last eight, winning his 17th straight match in Basel and his 57th of the season.

The winner of the last three editions has not been defeated at the tournament since 2003 when he lost to Ivan Ljubicic, who went out here on Wednesday having come to the tournament in form having won the Lyon title last Sunday.

“It was a straightforward match, similar to my first round,” said a relaxed Federer.

“But tonight I had to saved break points,it was a bit tougher.

“I was able to raise my game when I needed to, it was a good performance.”

Federer saved two break points in the routine win, with Seppi yet to win a set in their encounters.

The Swiss improved to a 31-6 record in his career playing at home and has now won 36 of his last 37 matches.

Croatian fourth seed Marin Cilic stayed in touch for a possible place in the year-end final as he began with a defeat of Philipp Petzschner 6-4, 6-4.

The German, also a first-round loser last week in Vienna, has gone a month without a decent result dating back six weeks ago to Metz, when he reached the quarter-finals against Richard Gasquet.

Gasquet was also in action on Wednesday and qualified for the second round with victory over Argen­­tine Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.

Gasquet earned a narrow win over the 42nd-ranked Zeballos with nine aces, saving both break points against his serve.

The Frenchman finally won a match after losing five of his previous eight, with the victory snapping a two-match losing streak in the first round.

Cilic, losing finalist at the weekend in Austria to home favourite Jurgen Melzer, needs a massive performance in the last three weeks of the regular ATP season if he is to make a run for the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals in London from Nov 22.

The Croatian remains provisional 12th in the sprint for the last two spots in the year-end field, needing to nudge in front of provisional eight-placed Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.

He must start with a title in Basel, no easy ask with Federer on hand and in lethal touch.

Cilic will face his second-round challenge against Serbian Viktor Troicki.

Swiss sixth seed Stanislas Wawrinka beat Ljubicic 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4 despite dealing with a shoulder problem for which he received treatment on court.

Czech Radek Stepanek joined Federer in the last eight, defeating Florent Serra of France 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-1). — AFP

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