WIMBLEDON, England - Defending champion Novak Djokovic had little trouble advancing to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, beating fellow Serb Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 Monday underneath the roof on Centre Court.
While rain washed out play on all other courts at the All England Club, Djokovic dispatched Troicki in just 90 minutes by breaking his friend and compatriot six times. Djokovic won 16 of his 19 approaches to the net and hit 31 winners overall, compared to 15 for Troicki.
The top-ranked Djokovic will next face the winner of Richard Gasquet and Florian Mayer, whose match was among those suspended for the day because of persistent rain at the All England Club.
Troicki has now lost his last 12 matches against Djokovic.
Six-time champion Roger Federer was the first to reach the quarters, overcoming an early back problem to beat Xavier Malisse 7-6 (1), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 and extend his record for most consecutive Grand Slam final-eight appearances to 33.
Federer said his back started hurting in the first few games of the match but he felt much better after taking a medical timeout for treatment.
"I feel way better than a few hours ago," Federer said after the match. "Honestly, I'm not too worried. I've had bad backs over the years. I just have to keep an eye on it now. ... I hope I'll be 100 percent on Wednesday."
Despite winning the French Open, Rafael Nadal will be seeded merely No. 5 at Wimbledon, opening the prospect of a quarterfinal with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray.
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