Djokovic eases into quarterfinals

ROME: World number two Novak Djokovic had few problems in disposing of Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the ATP Rome Masters 1000 on Thursday.

It was not always plain sailing for Djokovic as he was broken twice during the match but in the end he was never really under pressure as his opponent made twice as many unforced errors as him.

The 22-year-old Serbian has a good record here at the Foro Italico having won the tournament two years ago and also having reached the final last time out.

Djokovic will face Spanish sixth seed Fernando Verdasco next after the latter beat countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(2).

Verdasco, who won in Barcelona last week and was a finalist in Monte Carlo the week before, beating Djokovic in the semifinal, looked to be cruising when he took a 5-2 lead in the second set.

But he suddenly encountered problems closing out the match and was broken at 5-3 before needing a tie-breaker to clinch win in about two hours.

Safarova advances

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki still suffered from a recent ankle injury as she crashed out of the Porsche Grand Prix on Thursday, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round against Lucie Safarova.

The unseeded Czech Safarova took 66 minutes for victory against Wozniacki, who was playing her first match after a first-round bye.

The results: At Rome (Rome Masters): Third round: Novak Djokovic bt Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-4; Fernando Verdasco bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 7-6(2); Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 6-4. Second round: Stanisla Wawrinka bt Tomas Berdych 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(6); Guillermo Garcia-Lopez bt Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-3

At Stuttgart (Porsche Grand Prix): Second round: Samantha Stosur bt Alexandra Dulgheru 3-6, 6-0, 6-2; Lucie Safarova bt Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4 . — Agencies