Djokovic Survives Scare in Indian Wells

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic was tested in the second round at the 2013 BNP Paribas Open second-round match, winning 10 of the first 11 games, before Fabio Fognini staged a big comeback, forcing a third set before Djokovic sealed the win 6-0, 5-7, 6-2. Djokovic is undefeated to date in 2013, with a 14-0 record with victories at the Australian Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He will next will face the number 31 seed, Grigor Dimitrov, who defeated Australia’s Matthew Ebden 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic won their one previous meeting at the 2013 Shanghai Rolex Masters.

The number eight seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced with a 7-6(6), 6-4 victory over American wild card James Blake. The Frenchman rallied from 4-2 down in the first set and saved three set points in the tie-break before clinching the opener. Tsonga is coming off a first-round exit in Dubai, having won the Marseille title a week earlier, improving to a 10-3 record on the season.

American Sam Querrey defeated qualifier Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-4, and the number 16 seed, Japan’s Kei Nishikori converted five of his seven break points to defeat Philipp Petzschner of Germany 6-3, 6-2. Nishikori improved to a 12-3 match record on the season, highlighted by winning his second ATP World Tour title in Memphis. Former world number two Tommy Haas reached the third round with a 6-3, 7-6(0) victory over Pablo Andujar of Spain, hitting eight aces and breaking serve twice. 

World number three-ranked Andy Murray rallied to win his opener, overcoming Evgeny Donskoy 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. After dropping the first set, Murray took hold, breaking Donskoy twice in the second and third sets to fend off the Russian’s challenge. Murray avoided losing his opening-round match at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the third straight year. He will next meet Yen-Hsun Lu who edged the 26 seeded Martin Klizan, 7-6(5), 7-6(5).

Juan Martin del Potro was a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Nikolay Davydenko, and is seeking his second trophy of the year, having triumphed at the ATP World Tour 500 indoor hard-court event in Rotterdam. del Potro will next face Bjorn 

Former top-ranked American Mardy Fish made a winning start in his return to the ATP World Tour, defeating countryman Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in their second-round encounter. Fish found himself down a break in the third set against Reynolds, but rallied to win the final four games of the match.