Djokovic continues imperious march through draw

Wednesday, 3 July 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: The scorecard suggests a routine win for top seed Novak Djokovic but his satisfaction at reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals without dropping a set was mixed with relief after some tricky moments against German veteran Tommy Haas on Monday. Djokovic hardly broke sweat in the first set on Centre Court but he always knew it would not be that straightforward against the elegant stylist who had twice beaten him on grass. The evergreen Haas, 35, matched Djokovic shot for shot thereafter but fell to a 6-1 6-4 7-6(4) defeat, ending his hopes of becoming the oldest man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Dutchman Tom Okker in 1979.

Haas, whose single-handed backhand remains a stroke of wonder, led 4-2 in the second set and then hit back from 5-2 down in the third to stretch Djokovic into a tiebreak. For the army of Andy Murray fans hoping to cheer the Scot to the title, the occasional Djokovic lapse offers hope yet when it really mattered the six-times major winner showed the deadly precision that has taken him to world number one. The hurdles will get higher for Djokovic starting with Tomas Berdych, who beat him in 2010 semis, but he says he is playing better than when he beat Rafa Nadal to win the title in 2011.