World No 1 Novak Djokovic advanced to the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Miami Open on Sunday, defeating Portugal's 38th-ranked Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1.
Two-time defending champion Djokovic, trying to match Andre Agassi's record of six career Miami titles, needed only 78 minutes to win his 12th match in a row at the hardcourt event and 26th in his past 27 Miami starts.
"That first set could have gone either way," Djokovic said. "I managed to hit the right balls at the right moment and make it to the finish."
The 28-year-old Serbian, who won his 11th Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open two months ago, also has crowns at Doha and Indian Wells this year and hopes to complete the Miami-Indian Wells sweep for the third consecutive year.
Sousa fell to 0-3 against Djokovic and 1-21 against top-10 foes with his 19th such loss in a row since beating David Ferrer in Kuala Lumpur in 2013.
Djokovic's next foe will be Austrian 14th seed Dominic Thiem, who dispatched 124th-ranked Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2 in 64 minutes.
Thiem captured his fifth career ATP title last month by beating Australia's Bernard Tomic in the Acapulco final.
FEDERER FILL-IN WINS AGAIN
Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, a lucky loser who replaced Roger Federer in the draw when the 17-time Grand Slam champion withdrew due to illness, advanced to the fourth round, rallying to beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
Zeballos, ranked 112th, had not won a match since last July before beating countryman Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round. After winning two in a row for the first time in more than two years, he will face Belgian 15th seed David Goffin on Tuesday for a quarterfinal berth.
"Life changed for me a lot here," Zeballos said. "Beating 'DelPo' and Verdasco, two better players than me, I greatly improved both the ranking and economically."
The South American is assured $67 590, which will help since his wife is due to give birth to their first child on April 10. "I am living happy moments," he said.
Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych reached the last 16, firing 16 aces in downing US 31st seed Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3. He faces French 10th seed Richard Gasquet next.
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