Novak Djokovic has clinically disposed of fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic, as he continues his relentless pursuit of a fourth successive Wimbledon title with a 6-0 6-3 6-4 victory.
The top seed was unplayable in the opening set of his third-round match on Centre Court, needing just 24 minutes.
Seeded 25, Kecmanovic received the biggest cheer of the day, when he finally got on the scoreboard after 35 minutes by taking a long service game.
But Djokovic, 35, was streets ahead of his 22-year-old rival, as he reached the last 16 at Wimbledon for the 14th time.
He needed just one break of serve in the second set and broke twice in the third to lead 5-2, before blotting his copybook slightly with a couple of loose games.
The lapse only delayed the inevitable, as Djokovic completed victory to set up a clash with Dutch wildcard Tim van Rijthoven.
"Obviously, it helps a lot if you start off the match very well," Djokovic said of his lightning start. "The way I played first set was great.
"I maintained that level pretty much throughout the entire match. Just overall very pleased."
Spanish teen Carlos Alcaraz stayed on course for a potential quarter-final showdown with Djokovic, after taking care of tricky German opponent Oscar Otte with a no-nonsense 6-3 6-1 6-2 third-round win.
Otte had stretched twice champion Andy Murray to five sets in a late-night second-round blockbuster 12 months ago, but any hopes of a repeat were quickly extinguished by the fifth seed, who seems to have found his comfort zone on grass.
Alcaraz, who had won only one match on grass before this year's championships, appears to have found his feet on the lush surface, as he saved the only breakpoint he faced, while capturing his opponent's serve six times.
He wrapped up the contest, when Otte misfired the ball into the sky, and will next face Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner. If he wins that match and Djokovic beats Dutch wildcard Tim van Rijthoven, the pair will meet in the last eight next week.
American John Isner broke the all-time record for serving aces early in his Wimbledon third-round match against Sinner.
Needing five aces to beat Ivo Karlovic's leading mark of 13,728, Isner, 37, sent three hurtling past Sinner in the first game and three more in the second. The record-breaking delivery was clocked at 209kph.
Isner, who stands 2.08m, served 36 while knocking out twice former champion Andy Murray in the previous round and spoke of his pride at being in a position to overtake Karlovic.
"It's actually really cool," he said. "It's something I'm really proud of.
"I will be the all-time leader. I'll keep playing, keep adding to my total... I don't know if [the record] will get broken.
"I could be up there for a long time."
The ATP began keeping records in 1991.
Sinner could not tame Isner's heavy-duty serving, but had enough other weapons in his armoury to win 6-4 7-6(4) 6-3 and sail into the fourth round.
Sinner lost in the first round in his Wimbledon main draw debut last year, but has reached at least the fourth round of his next four Grand Slams since then.
Friday's win makes him the youngest Italian in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon fourth round, while setting up a mouthwatering clash of young guns against Alcaraz.
Sinner said he was "good friends" with Alcaraz outside the court.
Reuters
