Doha: World number one Novak Djokovic took a significant step towards winning an opening week tournament for the first time in eight years on Wednesday, simultaneously earning himself a meeting with the man with 9,000 aces.
The Serb’s increasingly fluent performance during a 6-2, 6-1 win over the Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky avoided a potential banana skin against an opponent best known for upsetting Roger Federer at Wimbledon 18 months ago, and it carried him into the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open.
Djokovic was pleased that, after saving three break back points in the seventh game, he acquired more rhythm and started dominating an opponent whose penchant for net attacks can be disruptive.
“From that moment on it felt a different match,” Djokovic said. “I felt I was more swinging through the ball on the court and playing more confidently.”
It earned him a meeting with another unusual opponent who can be dangerous in a very different way — the seventh seeded Ivo Karlovic, whose 17 aces during a straight sets win over Nikoloz Basilashvili, a qualifier from Georgia, increased his career total to 9,041.
This is the most aces of any active player and places Karlovic only 33 behind Andy Roddick, the former US Open champion, whose total is the second highest of all time.
Karlovic’s aim, he says, is to beat the all-time record of 10,183 held by his Croatian compatriot, Goran Ivanisevic.
“How do you think I feel?” said Djokovic, his animated response to the matchup causing laughter. “I’m definitely going to try to get some sleep so my reaction tomorrow is quick, because I’m going to need it.
“He is one of the best servers ever to play the game. If you serve two or three aces per game, you create a lot of pressure. That’s why it’s very important for me to stay mentally strong and wait for the opportunities, wait for some second serves and hope he will miss some volleys.”
The man most likely to reach the final in the other half may be the winner of the meeting between Richard Gasquet, the sixth seeded Frenchman who won the title in Doha two years ago, and Tomas Berdych, the third-seeded former Wimbledon finalist from the Czech Republic.
Gasquet, who is hoping for better fitness after his disappointing 2014, certainly looked in good shape during a 6-3, 6-2 win over Simone Bolelli, the world number 52 from Italy.
“I think I’m feeling better,” Gasquet said. “I feel no pain in my back. That’s the most important for me.”
Berdych eased past Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-1, 6-2 while Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer defeated compatriot Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-2.
