Basle (Switzerland), Nov 6 (DPA) Second seed Novak Djokovic made quick work of Jan Henrych as he smothered the Czech 6-0, 6-0 at the Swiss Indoors to earn the first “double bagel” of his career at the elite level Thursday.
The Serb was unstoppable in 52 minutes as the journeyman donated 40 unforced errors in the hammering.
“I know the crowd wanted him to win the last game, but I felt the need to win every game. There’s no room for sympathy, we are professionals,” said the world number four.
“I played enough to win, I had great service games and on his serve I never felt pressure. He didn’t put up much of an effort. Anytime you win like this the opponent has to be playing really poorly.”
The last time Djokovic flirted with perfection was summer of 2008 in a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of David Nalbandian with the loss of just one game.
He also beat Andy Murray by that score in 2007 in Miami.
The whitewash was the first in Basle since 1977, when Jeff Borowiak beat Trey Waltke in a first round. There have been four other love-love results on the ATP this season, most recently in Los Angeles in the summer.
Djokovic, who broke six times, saved three break points in the first set prior to completing his rout of the number 59.
The 68-18 player for 2009 next plays Swiss sixth seed Stan Wawrinka a 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 winner over Finn Jarkko Nieminen.
“I’ll try to go all the way. Since the Cincinnati final (against Roger Federer) I’ve been playing really well. I’m getting better and better,” added the winner of last month’s Beijing title plus another two in 2009.
Federer now has a quarter-final opponent for Friday after Russian Evgeny Korolev won through over Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), just a day after the Frenchman beat seventh seed James Blake with 24 aces.
Fourth seed Marin Cilic, last week’s Vienna finalist, kept his hopes of a year-end place in London in a fortnight alive as he managed to come up a winner over Serb Victor Troicki 7-6 (9-7), 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (8-6).
Cilic stands provisional 12th in the race for the last pair of spots at the World Tour Finals with this week and next remaining in the ATP season.
Frenchman Richard Gasquet saved match points in his second set against John Isner to oust the big hitter despite 22 aces, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-2.
Gasquet Friday plays Marco Chiudinelli, who maintained his autumn run of form wih his second with after Bangkok six weeks ago, beating Michael Lammer 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
rounak