Djokovic marches into Miami quarters as Ruud exits

AFP | Miami

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Novak Djokovic cruised into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Italian Lorenzo Musetti in one hour 22 minutes.

Musetti, the 15th seed from Tuscany, got off to a flying start to take a 2-0 lead in the first set but then proceeded to lose the next nine games as the Serb, looking confident and sharp, ran away with the game.

Djokovic has won the Miami Open on six occasions but has not featured in the quarters since his last victory here in 2016.

The 37-year-old is now just three wins away from winning his 100th tour-level title.

“He had a really good start of the match. First couple games I started a little bit slow and then I knew that if I give him time, he’s going to make his shots,” Djokovic said.

“He loves kind of running around his backhand, hitting forehands. But he is so talented, he can play any shot in the game on any surface.

“ It was tough, particularly in the first seven, eight games of the match. But I think breaking his serve to come back to two-all and break right away at 3-2, it was a momentum shift and I tried to use that,” he added.

Djokovic was to face American Sebastian Korda yesterday for a place in the semi-finals after the 24th seed beat French veteran Gael Monfils 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in a rain-affected match.

Korda visibly struggled with his wrist, however, and said after the match that he had been in discomfort with an injury that has caused him trouble in the past.

“It’s pretty painful right now, we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.

Will do a lot of work with my physio now, we’ll see how it is tomorrow. “I haven’t played a lot of tournaments this year. Hopefully I can play some good tennis and see where it takes me,” he said. Korda later pulled out of his doubles match with partner Jordan Thompson.