KEY BISCAYNE (Florida): World number one Novak Djokovic moved closer to a possible fifth Miami Open trophy on Monday by defeating Belgium’s Steve Darcis 6-0, 7-5 to power into the last 16 along with Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Canada’s Milos Raonic and American John Isner.

Australian Open champion Djokovic fired five aces and broke Darcis five times, wrapping up victory with a break in the final game to earn his 21st victory of the season as he pursues his third title of the year.

Djokovic needed less than half an hour to take the first set but had to come back from a break down in the second, trailing 5-4 before rallying for the triumph.

“The first set went completely my way, but I had a drop of intensity and didn’t use opportunities early in the second set, made it close,” Djokovic said.

“I managed to come back in the right moment. I elevated the intensity and started playing a little bit of depth on the ball. But I still complicated my life in the second set.”

Djokovic, who just like last year won at Indian Wells before heading to South Florida, will next face Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov who ousted Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci 7-5, 6-4.

Fourth seed Nishikori took just over an hour to defeat Serbia’s Viktor Troicki 6-2, 6-2 and will next be up against Belgium’s David Goffin, who beat Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 6-3.

Raonic also moved into the fourth round after a hard-earned 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3) win over French 31st seed Jeremy Chardy, Spanish sixth seed David Ferrer beat Lukas Rosol 6-4, 7-5 while Isner, the lone remaining American in the men’s draw, defeated ninth-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.

In women’s play, Serena and Venus Williams advanced to the quarter-finals, each cruising to a straight-sets triumph.

World number one Serena, seeking a third consecutive Miami crown and record eighth title at the hard-court event, hammered Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3 while 16th-seeded elder sister Venus defeated fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 (7-1).

Kuzentsova, who owns two grand slam titles, had beaten Serena twice in their previous nine meetings but the outcome of this contest never looked in doubt.

“I know Svetlana is super tough and we always have super tough matches,” said Serena. “It seems like I’m cruising but don’t think I’m cruising. I have my matches and I’m really focused in my matches because all these players I play are really good,” she added.

Venus will face Carla Suarez Navarro in the last eight following the Spaniard’s win over seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska 5-7, 6-0, 6-4.

Another American Sloane Stephens made it to the final eight at Key Biscayne for the first time by beating 18-year-old Belinda Bencic 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) while Romanian third seed Simona Halep also won through after beating Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 7-5.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2015

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