BASEL, Switzerland (AFP) ― Novak Djokovic crushed Lukasz Kubot 6-1, 6-2 as the top seed at the Swiss Indoors showed on Thursday that his untouchable form is rapidly returning after six weeks out with injury.
Djokovic, who had to struggle in his opening match over three sets, was absolutely untroubled by the Polish qualifier ranked 64th in the world, going through to the quarter-finals in just 54 minutes.
“Today was a really comfortable match,” said the world number one. “I felt good on court. I’m happy to be playing better. “This was the goal, I expected that I would struggle with rhythm after not playing for six weeks. But I have no complaints with my game. “It was a good performance and I’ll try to do better tomorrow.”
Djokovic lifted his impressive 2011 record to 66 wins and three defeats as he won again after overcoming a back injury that he called the worst of his career.
“I’m not 100 percent and to be honest I don’t expect to get there this week, I would be surprised if I did. I only started serving a few days before my first match and I could tell I was lacking rhythm on second serve. But it was getting better today.
“I need to stay positive and increase the rhythm and intensity of each match.”
Champion in 2009 and a losing finalist against Roger Federer in 2010, Djokovic will now face Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who booked his last eight ticket on Wednesday.
Elsewhere Thursday, seventh seed Andy Roddick lost serve three times in the first set but recovered to put out Czech Radek Stepanek 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. The victory moves Roddick into a quarter-final with four-time champion Roger Federer.
The pair last met in the semi-finals here a year ago with the Swiss winning in straight sets. The quarter-final will be their fourth meeting in Federer’s hometown since 2001. In-form Florian Mayer followed up a third-round upset of Rafael Nadal in Shanghai with a 6-3, 6-1 defeat of Ivan Ljubicic.
“I’m surprised by this win, but I have so much confidence from beating Nadal. I know on my best game I can defeat anyone,” said 22nd-ranked German Mayer.
Japan’s Kei Nishikori continued his Shanghai momentum after a run to the semifinals in China.
The 21-year-old, who stands as Asia’s best-ranked player with a 32nd ranking, easily overcame Italian Andreas Seppi 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
Tsonga crashes, Ferrero advances in Valencia
VALENCIA, Spain (AFP) ― Second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, ranked number eight in the world was beaten 7-6, (7/5), 6-2 in the second-round of the Valencia Open on Thursday by world number 116 Sam Querrey of the United States.
The defeat is a severe blow to Tsonga’s chances of taking one of the three remaining berths open for qualification to the ATP World Tour Finals in London later this month.
Tsonga was the number two seed in Valencia and the shock win for Querrey means he will now face Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in Friday’s quarter-final.
Del Potro won the final second-round game here on Thursday evening beating South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4, and while currently ranked 11th in the world, further success in Valencia could mean he advances towards a place in London at the expense of Tsonga and world number nine Nicolas Almagro who was a first round loser here.
Joint-owner of the Valencia Open Juan Carlos Ferrero made sure of his place in Friday’s quarter-finals by beating Alex Bogomolov Jr. of the USA 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-2 in almost three hours.
Two very close first sets were shared before Ferrero made his experience show by racing into a 5-0 lead in the decisive third set.
Bogomolov Jr., ranked at a career high 33, may have been suffering from his exertions on Wednesday when he beat Feliciano Lopez in three sets in the final game of the first round.
He did rally slightly to pull two service games back but Ferrero made sure he reached the quarter-final stage in his home city for the first time ever.
The win means the Valencian born former world number one remains on course to play his friend and co-owner of the event David Ferrer in the semi-finals.
To do that he will have to beat the Argentine Juan Monaco, ranked 41 in the world, who beat the 44th ranked Fabio Fognini in two straight sets 6-3, 6-1.
In the other match on Thursday Marcelo Granollers took two hours and 13 minutes to beat the Croat Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
The 2010 runner-up Granollers from Barcelona will now play number three seed Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal line up on Friday will be completed by the game between top seed David Ferrer and Nickolay Davydenko.
