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Djokovic dominant again at Australian Open

Novak Djokovic, shown in a file photo form November 2011, lost only two games in a three-set win Saturday during the third round of the Australian Open. UPI/David Silpa
Novak Djokovic, shown in a file photo form November 2011, lost only two games in a three-set win Saturday during the third round of the Australian Open. UPI/David Silpa | License Photo

MELBOURNE, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, losing just two games, needed just more than an hour Saturday to post a third-round victory at the Australian Open.

Djokovic ripped Nicolas Mahut 6-0, 6-1, 6-1, taking more than two-thirds of the points in the 74-minute match. He pounded out 31 winners against eight unforced errors and had breaks in eight of Mahut's 10 service games.

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Djokovic hasn't lost more than three games in any of his nine sets through the first three rounds.

He will go against unseeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt, whose 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 upset of 23rd-seeded Milos Raonic completed third-round play.

Fourth-seeded Andy Murray, who has won nine sets since dropping his opening set of the tournament, defeated Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-2, 6-0 in his third-round match. He won 70 percent of the points serving.

He'll face Mikhail Kukushkin in the Round of 16. Kukushkin is coming off a 3-hour, 40-minute upset of 14th-seeded Gael Monfils. Kukushkin overcame 72 unforced errors (against 61 winners) for a 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 win Saturday.

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Richard Gasquet, the No. 17-seed, knocked off ninth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 and earned a fourth-round shot at another Top 10 player in fifth-seeded David Ferrer. Ferrer got by 27th-seeed Juan Ignacio Chela 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 in his third-round match.

The fourth fourth-round match in this half of the draw will have No. 6-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga going against 24th-seeded Kei Nishikori. That pairing was set up by Tsonga's 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win over Frederico Gil and Nishikori beating Julien Benneteau 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.

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