Djokovic advances in Toronto

Toronto - The top seed and three-time Canadian titleholder won in a light-hearted match-up with one of the characters of the ATP Tour

Novak Djokovic stopped tennis showman Radek Stepanek on Thursday with a 6-2, 6-4 victory to march into the quarterfinals of the Toronto Masters.
The top seed and three-time Canadian titleholder won in a light-hearted match-up with one of the characters of the ATP Tour as the 37-year-old Stepanek kept the crowd entertained with extravagant shot-making.
Djokovic on Friday faces Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych, who got past Ryan Harrison of the US 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4.
Second seed Stan Wawrinka matched his best career result at the event with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 defeat of American Jack Sock.
It was the first time in five years that the double Grand Slam champion Swiss had reached the last eight in Canada; he went out in an opening match a year ago to Nick Kyrgios and got to the third round in 2014. The 31-year-old, who will depart for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as soon as his run in Canada is complete, saved all three break points he faced against the 16th-seeded Sock.
The first set provided a challenge, with Wawrinka winning it in a decider to seize the match momentum. Wawrinka next plays South African Kevin Anderson, who overhauled 12th seed Bernard Tomic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours, firing 26 aces and saving eight of nine break points.
Japan's third seed Kei Nishikori reached the quarters without the loss of a set as an injury from Wimbledon fades away.
Asia's top player advanced over Rajeev Ram 6-3, 6-4.
Washington champion Gael Monfils won his eighth match in a row with the tenth seed advancing over number seven David Goffin, 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4 in a debut meeting. He now takes on fourth seed Milos Raonic, a confident winner over Jared Donaldson 6-2, 6-3.
Venus loses
Sixth-seeded Venus Williams tumbled out of the Rogers Cup in the third round Thursday night, falling 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-3 to 10th-seeded Madison Keys in an all-American match. Keys faces 16th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in the quarterfinals. Pavlyuchenkova beat fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-4 6-7 6-1.
The 15th-seeded Johanna Konta beat American Varvara Lepchenko 6-3, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal against Slovakia's Kristina Kucova, a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in the late match.
Second-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.
Kerber will face Russia's Daria Kasatkina, a 7-5, 6-3 2 winner over seventh-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy 7-5, 6-3. - Agencies
Fifth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania, a finalist last year in Toronto, beat 14th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3.
Halep will face ninth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, a 7-6 (2), 6-3 winner over 12th-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.