The British No 1 won 6-4 6-2 on the clay to breeze past Gilles Simon in straight sets.
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Djokovic said he could “identify myself with him because we have very similar backgrounds, coming from Croatia and Serbia”. “The conditions were quite different than yesterday, it was a bit slower but a bit more windier, so I had to be concentrating”.
Djokovic’s reward for his 30th win of the season is a meeting with Milos Raonic or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday.
Brazil soccer great Ronaldo was at the “Magic Box” to watch Djokovic.
Djokovic and Nadal were all smiles at the Bernabeu, but with the pair set to meet in the Madrid Open final should both reach that stage, the pleasantries will surely be put on hold. Nadal was also at the soccer match.
As part of a five-game winning run, Murray broke Simon for the first time to clinch the first set and never looked in danger of losing.
“In my second match, I was in a lot of discomfort”.
Djokovic consolidated his lead before breaking in the eighth game to wrap up the first set. The match resumed while doctors stayed on in the stands.
Already this season, the 21-year-old from Canberra has claimed his maiden ATP title with a win in Marseille and made no fewer than three semi-finals, one of which ended in him retiring injured against Wawrinka in Dubai while the Aussie produced a career best Masters effort in reaching the last four in Miami Masters. I couldn’t get to the ball.
The former No. 1 will next play Portuguese Joao Sousa, who defeated American Jack Sock 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-2.
Australian Nick Kyrgios beat Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3 behind 14 aces.
Azarenka said she would undergo medical tests before making a decision about playing in Rome next week.
Azarenka had been scheduled to play Louisa Chirico of the United States on Wednesday, but she withdrew during the warmups. She will next face either 38th-ranked Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia or wild-card entry Sorana Cirstea of Romania.
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In the women’s Madrid Open, the only remaining seed Simona Halep was victorious in an all-Romanian quarterfinal against Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3, 0-6, 6-1.
