Novak Djokovic continued his blistering start to the season as he defeated Former world no. 8 Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-2 in just sixty-nine minutes. Verdasco was at least able to detain the world no.1 for over an hour, something first round opponent Dustin Brown had been unable to do. Djokovic was nonetheless still massively impressive, winning sixty-nine percent of points on Verdasco’s second serve, breaking four times in the match.
In other matches, Leonardo Mayer progressed to a quarter-final meeting with Djokovic after he dismissed Pablo Andujar 6-2, 6-4. Mayer broke three times, and did not face a single break point as he improved his head-to-head against Andujar to two-all. Mayer will be hard-pressed to improve his love-one record against Djokovic, having taken just eight games from their single previous meeting at the 2014 Australian Open. Djokovic did however suffer just one of six defeats in 2015 at the quarter-final stage in Doha, when he was beaten by Ivo Karlovic 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
Seventh seed Jeremy Chardy will also contest the quarter-finals after his 6-2, 6-4 winover fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu. Chardy has a excellent opportunity to make the semi-finals as his expected seeded opponent David Ferrer, failed to win his first round match. Chardy will instead face Ferrer’s conqueror Illya Marchenko, after the Ukrainian managed to continue his surprising run with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Teymuraz Gabashvili. It will be a first career meeting between the two.
Andrey Kuznetsov beat Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis 7-6, 6-1. Kuznetsov could face Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals provided the second seed wins his second round match.
Rafael Nadal takes on Robin Haase later, and Tomas Berdych is to follow against Damir Dzumhur. Kyle Edmund faces Daniel Munoz De La Nava for a chance to reach his first ATP quarter-final. He has never met Munoz de la Nava on either the ATP or Challenger Tours.
