By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Novak Djokovic dismissed practice partner Malek Jaziri to collect his 700th career victory in Dubai.
Photo credit: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Celebrating milestones may dent Novak Djokovic's gluten-free diet, but it's not diminishing his appetite for feasting on history.
Djokovic dismissed Malek Jaziri, 6-1, 6-2, to collect his 700th career victory and roar into the Dubai quarterfinals. The world No. 1 is the 12th man to attain 700 victories.
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It took Djokovic just 65 minutes to reach the 700 club and a few minutes to munch on a slice of commemorative cake tournament organizers wheeled out onto court.
Djokovic is the third active player to attain the milestone, joining Roger Federer (1,067) and Rafael Nadal (775). Coach Boris Becker is also a member of the 700 wins club with 713 career victories. Djokovic's 82.7 winning percentage is highest among active players ahead of both Nadal and Federer.
It wasn't a perfect performance, but the six-time Australian Open champion was always in charge. Djokovic converted just four of 16 break points and committed 25 unforced errors, including several when Jaziri fed him no pace to the forehand.
Still, Djokovic was never in danger, winning 15 of 18 second-serve points and saving the only break point he faced in the final game.
Continuing his quest to reach a record-tying 18th straight final, Djokovic has surrendered just six games in two tournament wins.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion, who raised his record to 14-0 on the season, will face Feliciano Lopez in the quarterfinals.
The sixth-seeded Spaniard smacked 17 aces in a 6-3, 7-6 (7) victory over Lukas Rosol.
There are few secrets between the sometime practice partners Djokovic and Jaziri.
Knowing what Djokovic can do on the full stretch, didn't stop Jaziri from preventing a break.
A whipping forehand pass crosscourt gave the top seed a third break point. When Jaziri sent a backhand into the middle of the net, Djokovic had the break and a 3-1 lead.
The four-time Dubai champion breezed through 12 of the first 13 points played on his serve extending his lead to 4-1.
Using the slice backhand to change the pace and his topspin forehand with a bit of sidespin, Djokovic stretched the court earning three more break points in the sixth game. When a rattled Jaziri sent a double fault off the tape, Djokovic had a second straight break for 5-1.
Thumping a backhand down the line that froze his opponent, Djokovic cruised to a one-set lead in 27 minutes winning 16 of 18 points played on his serve.
Among Jaziri's issues in this match, his chip backhand did not deter Djokovic and the world No. 121 unwisely challenged Djokovic's superior two-hander with some approaches when the Serbian was sailing his forehand at the start of the second set.
Still, Jaziri fought off five break points in a nine-minute game to snap a five-game losing streak and hold to open the second.
That hard-fought hold got the crowd buzzing. Djokovic muted the uprising blasting a backhand return winner crosscourt to break at love for 2-1. Djokovic changed his shirt after the break then resumed the dress-down performance.
Zapping an ace wide, Djokovic stamped another love hold for 4-2.
The top seed double faulted on his first match point then bumped a backhand into net facing his first break point of the evening. Djokovic saved it with a body serve then buried a forehand winner down the line for a second match point.
When Jaziri ballooned a forehand well beyond the the baseline, Djokovic had win No. 700 and a slice of history.