Djokovic On Course for Olympic Showdown with Nemesis Federer

Djokovic On Course for Olympic Showdown with Nemesis Federer
2012 London Summer Olympics

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London, England

Smarting from the semifinal loss at Wimbledon a few weeks back, Serbia's former World No.1, Novak Djokovic, gave an indication that he meant business at the Olympics when he crushed three-time Wimbledon finalist, Andy Roddick of the US, 6-2, 6-1 in a second round match at SW19.

With Spain's Rafael Nadal not in contention --- he is out with injury --- it was a timely reminder from the Serb to Swiss master Roger Federer that he would be gunning for gold after settling for bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games.

A brutal 54-minute job finished off Roddick's challenge, who had said in the run-up to the Olympics that grass was his favorite surface. The Serbs next opponent in last-16 will either be Croatia's Marin Cilic or Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, though he has firmly set his sights on beating Federer to avenge the Wimbledon semifinal loss to the Swiss.

.Of late Roddick's career has gone into a downward spiral. The American, who was returning to the Olympics after a gap of eight years, hasn't been able to clear the third-round hurdle in the three Grand Slams this year and struggled to keep fit.

Russia's 25-year-old star and French Open champion this year, Maria Sharapova, beat Britain's Laura Robson 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in the second round, while Venus Williams showed that the hunger for a fourth Olympic gold was very much alive as she crushed Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1 6-3 in 63 minutes on way to the third round.

Venus, whose singles success came in the 2000 Sydney Games, is extremely determined this time around as, at 32, she knows this is her best chance to take a shot at Olympic glory --- on her favorite surface.

Venus also has two doubles gold, with sister Serena, who too would be gunning for Olympic glory in singles. Venus will now take on German seventh seed Angelique Kerber in the last-16.

Home favorite and Wimbledon finalist this year, Andy Murray, moved into the third round with a 6-2, 6-4drubbing of Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.