BEIJING — Novak Djokovic was happy to reach the China Open quarterfinals in straight sets Wednesday as he targets his fourth title of the season and presses his bid to be crowned year-end world number one. The Serb, second in the world rankings behind Roger Federer, dismantled unseeded Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-1, 6-3 to extend his unbeaten record at an event he won in 2009 and 2010 and missed last year through injury. Djokovic is playing his first tournament since losing last month's US Open final to Andy Murray, and looked ring-rusty in the first round when he was taken to three sets by Germany's Michael Berrer. But the five-time Grand Slam-winner, 25, won the first set against Berlocq in only 25 minutes and raced to a 5-0 lead in the second. He then lost three games carelessly and was relieved to wrap it up without playing a third set. The top seed will play Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the next round. Melzer knocked out sixth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in three sets. Djokovic's main challenger for the title, third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, enjoyed an easy passage when his opponent Nikolay Davydenko pulled out ahead of their match citing an injury. In the women's draw, world No. 2 Maria Sharapova coasted through her second-round match, while defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska came from behind to defeat Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain. The third seed required physio treatment on her right thigh early in the match and looked to be heading out. However, she rallied to a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory and will play either Li Na or Peng Shuai in the quarterfinals. Russian tennis queen Sharapova made simpler progress as she beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea, ranked 29th, 6-2, 6-2. However, there was a shock in the last 16 when the 69th-ranked Romina Oprandi of Switzerland beat former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic in straight sets to progress to the quarterfinals. Oprandi defeated the 11th seed from Serbia 6-4, 6-3. Ivanovic's compatriot Jelena Jankovic was also knocked out, losing to Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5, 6-4. Navarro will play France's Marion Bartoli in the quarterfinals after the ninth seed overcame Julia Goerges of Germany 6-3, 7-6 (7-2). Murray-Wawrinka quarters In Tokyo, US Open Champion Andy Murray posted a comfortable straight-sets win over Lukas Lacko of Slovakia to earn a place in the quarterfinals at the Japan Open tennis tournament Sunday. The top-seeded Olympic champion from Britain, who won the title last year, needed only 56 minutes to secure a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the second round. With the win, Murray set up a quarterfinal meeting against Beijing Olympic doubles gold medalist Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland. Wawrinka squandered three match points in the second set leading 6-3 in the tie-breaker before beating Jeremy Chardy of France 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (6-8), 7-5 in two hours 37 minutes. In the first round action, Juan Monaco of Argentina whipped Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-2, 6-1, while third seed Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia outclassed Bangkok finalist Gilles Simon of France 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. — Agencies
