MELBOURNE, Australia - Novak Djokovic won his 17th straight match at the Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Radek Stepanek in the third round on Friday.
Djokovic, who has won the title at Melbourne Park in 2008, 2011 and last year, is hoping to be the first man in the Open era to win three consecutive Australian titles. Nine other men have won back-to-back in Australia since the Open era began in 1968.
On Friday, he broke Stepanek's serve in the 11th game of the third set, then held to win the match in 2 hours, 22 minutes.
The 25-year-old Serbian player will play either American Sam Querrey or Switzerland's Stanislaw Wawrinka in the fourth round on Sunday.
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