Miami: World number one and two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic continued his dominant run as he saw off battling Dominic Thiem of Austria in straight sets to storm into the quarterfinals of the Miami Open on Wednesday.
The five-time Miami champion failed to produce his best tennis and struggled hard against his Austrian compatriot before eventually claiming a 6-3, 6-4 triumph in a thrilling contest that lasted for one hour and 49 minutes.
Admitting that the victory was far from easy, Djokovic said that Thiem had produced some really powerful strokes, but added that he somehow managed to stay tough and able to tire the Austrian.
With the win, the Serbian has set up quarterfinal showdown against seventh-seed Tomas Berdych, who also made it to the last eight after beating Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 .
Djokovic, who is aiming to equal Andre Agassi’s record of six career Miami titles, holds a 22-2 lead against Gasquet in their FedEx ATP Head to Head rivalry.(ANI)