Doha, Qatar (SportsNetwork.com) – World No. 1 star Novak Djokovic was an
easy second-round winner Wednesday at the season-opening $1.22 million Qatar
Open.
The Serbian star blew past helpless Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-2, 6-1 in 61
minutes on the hardcourts at Khalifa International Tennis Complex. Djokovic
was ruthless on serve, winning 29-of-34 of first-serve points.
Up next for the Wimbledon champion will be 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic.
In other action involving seeds, No. 3 Tomas Berdych whipped Slovenian
qualifier Blaz Kavcic 6-1, 6-2; No. 4 David Ferrer took care of fellow
Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-2; No. 6 Frenchman Richard Gasquet drilled
Italian Simone Bolelli 6-3, 6-2; and a No. 7 Karlovic topped Georgian
qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
Also on Day 3, Dustin Brown grounded fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6
(11-9), 6-4, Italian Andreas Seppi erased Brazilian Joao Souza 7-5, 6-2 and
Croat Ivan Dodig handled left-handed German Michael Berrer 7-6 (7-1), 6-2.
The qualifier Berrer stunned defending Doha champion Rafael Nadal here on
Tuesday.
The other quarterfinals will pit the former Wimbledon runner-up Berdych
against Gasquet, Ferrer versus Brown and Seppi against Dodig.
Doha serves as a tune-up for the Australian Open.
