Djokovic in Toronto quarters

TORONTO, July 29 

Top seed Novak Djokovic breezed into the quarterfinals as the Rogers Cup continued pretty much according to script at the Aviva Centre on Thursday.

Djokovic beat Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek 6-2 6-4 in a friendly encounter, during which both players repeatedly hammed it up for the crowd. Stepanek, at 37 the oldest player in the field, broke serve in the first game of the second set but it was merely a stay of execution against the world No. 1 from Serbia.

Djokovic is the only member of the so-called “big four” competing in Toronto, with last year’s champion Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal all absent from the $4.7 million event.

In a tournament so far devoid of major upsets, the top five seeds advanced to the quarters, with Swiss Stan Wawrinka, Japanese Kei Nishikori, Canadian Milos Raonic and Czech Tomas Berdych booking last eight berths. Only Berdych needed three sets to progress and the fifth seed’s reward is a showdown against Djokovic, who leads their head-to-head by a staggering 24-2 margin.

Wawrinka won a hard-hitting battle with American Jack Sock, 7-6(3) 6-2.

Nishikori had little trouble getting by American Rajeev Ram, requiring just 68 minutes to register a convincing 6-3 6-4 win. — Reuters