Powerful Djokovic sees off Hewitt

Djokovic reaches the Australian Open quarters for the first time

Third seed Novak Djokovic ended the challenge of home favourite Lleyton Hewitt with a 7-5 6-3 6-3 win in their fourth-round encounter in Melbourne.

The Serb's extra power, especially on serve, saw him win a tight first set before he took control in the second.

Hewitt saved two match points as he broke Djokovic, but then lost his own serve as the Serb sealed victory.

Djokovic faces Spaniard David Ferrer in the quarter-finals after the fifth seed beat compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero.

"It has been an amazing tournament for me so far," said Djokovic, who has yet to lose a set in Melbourne.

"I was very nervous before this match because I know that Lleyton is a fighter, but there was a lot of pressure on him.

"The first set was luck and afterwards I relaxed and tried to be aggressive and take control of the match which I did.

"He made a couple of unforced errors and he was very tired and exhausted from the (Marcos) Baghdatis match a few nights ago, so I used my opportunity."

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Hewitt's third-round encounter with Baghdatis had finished at 0433 Melbourne time on Sunday, making history as the latest finishing Grand Slam match in history.

But the Australian did not show any visible signs of tiredness as he came out in typical fired up fashion for his match with Djokovic.

Hewitt survived break points in the fourth game, before immediately breaking the third seed and taking a 4-2 lead to cheers from the partisan crowd.

The 20-year-old Djokovic, however, took advantage of Hewitt's misfiring serve to break back before breaking for a second time to clinch a tight opening set in exactly one hour.

A dogged Hewitt kept on at Djokovic and was rewarded with a break at 2-1 in the second only for the big-hitting Serbian to break right back.

I didn't feel too bad, but probably not quite as sharp as I would have liked to be Lleyton Hewitt

As he gathered momentum, Djokovic's superior pace on the ball and serving slowly wore down Hewitt.

He broke the Australian 19th seed at 4-2 to secure a two-set lead before breaking him twice in the third for a 5-2 lead.

Hewitt, a Melbourne finalist in 2005, was determined not to give up without a fight and fended off two match points on his way to clawing back a break in the eighth game.

But Djokovic's power proved too much, and he broke the Australian with relative ease to close out an absorbing contest in two hours 26 minutes.

"He was too good," said Hewitt, 26. "He's shown in big matches and over best-of-five sets in the big tournaments that he is the worthy world number three.

"I would have had a lot better chance if I had consolidated and won that first set.

I had problems in the fourth set because the match was very tough David Ferrer

"It's obviously disappointing to lose tonight, but I felt like there were patches there where I was playing some pretty good tennis."

Hewitt refused to blame his late finish against Baghdatis for his loss: "I felt ready when I had to go on the court.

"I didn't feel too bad, but probably not quite as sharp as I would have liked to be."

Ferrer won a gruelling baseline battle 7-5 3-6 6-4 6-1 to reach the last eight in Melbourne for the first time.

Ferrer, a semi-finalist at last year's US Open, twice needed treatment on a leg injury but clinched victory on his first match point to end a contest lasting just over three hours.

"It was a very tough match. I am very happy but a little bit tired. I had problems in the fourth set because the match was very tough," said Ferrer.