Djokovic Thrashes Blake to Stretch Win Streak
Novak Djokovic ran his phenomenal 2011 win streak to 20-0 Sunday, with a 6-2, 6-0 thrashing of former top 10 player James Blake at the $9 million Miami WTA and ATP Masters.
The second-seeded Serb, winner of all three events he has played this season, remains the only man in the top 125 not to have lost a match this year.
Fresh from beating Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal en route to victory in last week's Indian Wells Masters, Djokivic is bidding to add a second Miami trophy to the one he won in 2007.
Djokovic raced to victory in 52 minutes to reach the fourth round of the tournament that concludes next Sunday.
"It has been a dream run for me the last couple of months," said Djokovic, who opened his year with an Australian Open triumph. "I'm playing the best tennis of my life."
Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro also advanced Sunday, storming further down his comeback path with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over fourth-seeded Swede Robin Soderling.
Del Potro, who beat Roger Federer for the 2009 US Open crown but then missed eight months in 2010 as he recovered from wrist surgery, thrilled his fans at Crandon Park with a victory over one of the year's hottest players.
Soderling has won 20 matches this year and three titles.
But now Del Potro has pulled alongside him as he produced his own 20th win of 2011.
Del Potro, ranked 51st but climbing fast, has won five of his last seven matches against top-four players and has now beaten Soderling in their last three encounters.
Spain's David Ferrer, the world number six, also produced a third-round victory as he defeated Indian Somdev Devvarman 6-4, 6-2. Mardy Fish kept the US flag flying as he defeated Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3.
Home events have been to Fish's liking, with the right-hander reaching semi-finals in Memphis and Delray Beach in February.
Kim Clijsters led a string of women's seeds into the fourth round. The second seed and winner of the last two Grand Slams got past tricky Spanish left-hander Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
"My footwork wasn't right there and I was not playing the game that I should be playing," said Clijsters. "I'm the one who should be going for the lines and being aggressive and step into the court.
"A few times I felt like I was in a backhand rally with her, that she was dictating a lot of the points. That's obviously not the right thing to do against somebody like her."
Third seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia beat Australian Jarmila Groth 7-6, (7/4), 6-2 while fifth-seeded French Open champion Francesca Schiavone beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).
Number eight Victoria Azarenka rallied to overcome Domenika Cibulkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 while Poland's number nine Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Russian Maria Kirilenko 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.
French 15th seed Marion Bartoli, Indian Wells runner-up, beat Ekaterina Makarova of 6-0, 6-2.
Serbian 2008 Roland Garros champion and one-time world number one Ana Ivanovic advanced as Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano retired from their match with a left thigh injury trailing 2-6, 6-2, 3-0.
Source: Agence France Presse
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