Thaindian News

New York, Sep 2 (IANS) World No.1 Novak Djokovic took a mere 90 minutes to brush aside Argentine Carlos Berlocq and advance to the third round of the US Open here Thursday.

Djkovic romped past Berlocq 6-0, 6-0, 6-2 in a match demonstrating some quality tennis by the in-form Serbian.

Djokovic arrived in New York having lost just two matches in what is becoming one of the best year in his tennis career.

Berlocq, ranked 74th, could not live with the Serb’s pace and took 66 minutes to get a game on the board.

In another second-round match, five-time champion Roger Federer beat Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

The Swiss will next face 27th seed Marin Cilic, who enjoyed a similar impressive win in dismantling the rising Australian star Bernard Tomic in 6-1, 6-0, 6-2.

Federer’s way of proceeding was nothing compared to the performance given by Djokovic at the same Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Berlocq might be a relative journeyman of the sport at 28 and with a career-high ranking of 50, but he did little wrong against Djokovic.

The Argentine did at least avoid the ignominy of becoming the first man in 24 years to suffer a “triple bagel”, losing all three sets without winning a game, at the Open when he broke serve early in the third set.

Easy jobs were a commonplace Thursday. For women’s No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, it is also a stylish pattern as the Dane demolished Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 6-2, 6-0 in 63 minutes.

Local favorite Serena Williams also put on a red hot show, dusting off Michaella Krajicek 6-0, 6-1 in 49 minutes, thanks to 25 winners to just 10 unforced errors.

Williams will take on a real test in the third round as she comes across fourth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who ousted Argentinean Gisela Dulko 6-4, 6-3.

Seventh-seed Francesca Schiavone, who won the French Open last year, routed Mirjana Lucic, 6-1, 6-1 in the first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Schiavone did not face a break point against Lucic, and broke the 96th-seeded Croatian five times in eight chances.

In other women’s draw, former No.1 Ana Ivanovic faced even less of a test, advancing with a walkover against Petra Cetkovsa because of a left thigh injury. Cetkvosa had beaten Ivanovic in the third round of Wimbledon.

Jelena Jankovic took out Jelena Dokic 6-4, 6-4. The 11th-seeded Serbian, who is rumored to be feuding with Maria Sharapova, now takes on the 17th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who powered off Petra Martic of Croatia, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Other seeds who advanced were 10th seeded Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who beat China’s Zheng Jie 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; 15th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, who dismissed Britain’s Elena Baltacha, 6-4, 6-3 and 18th seeded Roberta Vinci as the Italian edged off Alize Cornet of France, 6-2, 6-3.

In the men’s action, ninth seed Tomas Berdych, the former Wimbledon finalist, beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 7-5, 6-0, 6-0.

Croatia’s giant player Ivo Karlovic powered through 13th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4).

Eighth seed Hardy Fish, Americans’ title hopeful, eased past Tunisian qualifier Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

Former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero managed to advance, defeating seventh seed Gael Monfils of France 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4.

Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic, seeded 20th, saw off Philipp Petzschner 6-0, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and the veteran German Tommy Haas defeated Alejandro Falla 7-6 (5), 6-1, 7-5.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga went through Ukraine’s qualifier Sergei Bubka in straight sets of 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.

There were seeded casualties either with 29th seeded Michael Llodra crashing 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to the giant South African Kevin Anderson, and Radek Stepanek becoming the 15th player at the tournament to withdraw, the Czech pulling out when 6-4, 6-1, 2-0 down to Juan Monaco.