Publications
Partners
Indian Wells - World number one Novak Djokovic has kicked started his bid for a fourth Indian Wells title by beating Marcos Baghdatis 6-1, 6-3 in the second round of the WTA and ATP tournament.
Djokovic needed just 59 minutes to oust the former Australian Open finalist Baghdatis who at one time was considered one of the most dangerous players on the ATP Tour.
But defending champ Djokovic had his game in order Saturday, blasting six aces, winning 83 percent of his first serves and breaking Baghdatis four times.
He came into the tournament as the top seed and reigning Australian Open winner, his eighth career major.
"From the beginning it went well for me," Djokovic said. "A solid performance from the baseline.
"I thought that I served well and didn't give Marcos many chances to come back in the match."
Djokovic advanced to the third round where he will square off against Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain.
Djokovic is gunning for the 50th singles title of his career which would make him the 12th player in the Open Era to reach that milestone.
Djokovic won the first set in just 26 minutes, winning three straight games to close it out.
Baghdatis won the first game of the second set but he couldn't handle Djokovic's precision serving and superior groundstrokes.
"Great performance against a quality opponent, somebody that was a former top 10 player and knows how to play on the big stage," Djokovic said.
The 29-year-old Baghdatis, known for having played one of the greatest matches ever at the US Open against Andre Agassi in 2006, was done in by his sub-par serving, winning just four points on his second serve.
Japan's Kei Nishikori, the highest ranked Asian player in ATP Tour history, opened his campaign with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ryan Harrison.
The US Open runner-up broke Harrison five times to reach the third round.
"There were so many ups and downs in the first set. I broke him many times and that was the key for today's match," Nishikori said.
The 25-year-old Nishikori, who is ranked fifth in the world, next faces Fernando Verdasco of Spain.
Nishikori came into Indian Wells having won last month in Memphis after reaching the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.
He also reached the finals in Acapulco and has made it to the quarters in all four of his tournaments this year.
Nishikori beat Harrison in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Memphis in their only other career meeting last month. Saturday's contest was equally entertaining.
Nishikori secured a break to open the second set and then clinched the victory on his second match point when Harrison hit a shot long.
"Luckily I got the first break, so it was easier mentally to hit a lot of good shots," said Nishikori, who was ranked as high as fourth in the world earlier this month.
Andy Murray needed just 80 minutes to dispatch Canada's Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-3.
The Scot broke Pospisil five times to claim his 13th win of the season.
The fourth seeded Scot had lost twice previously in his opening Indian Wells match in 2011 and 2012, but had little trouble taking care of Pospisil.
Reigning US Open champ Marin Cilic crashed out, losing his first match of 2015 6-4, 6-4 to Juan Monaco.
Cilic, who is ranked 10th in the world, has been sidelined with a right shoulder injury.
On the women's side, Flavia Pennetta opened the defence of her WTA title by beating American Madison Brengle 6-4, 6-2.
Second seed Maria Sharapova rolled over Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 7-5, fifth seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-1 and fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki eased past Ons Jabeur 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
In the night match, sixth seeded Canadian Eugenie Bouchard dominated Lucie Hradecka 6-2, 6-2 in just 57 minutes.
Results at the ATP and WTA Indian Wells Masters tournament on Saturday:
Men
Second round
Kevin Anderson (RSA x16) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 7-5, 6-4
Juan Monaco (ARG) bt Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-4, 6-4
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x26) bt Tim Smyczek (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP x28) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA x25) 6-2, 6-3
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP x23) 7-5, 5-7, 6-3
Andy Murray (GBR x4) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-1, 6-3
Ernests Gulbis (LAT x14) bt Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 6-4, 6-1
Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
Kei Nishikori (JPN x5) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 6-4, 6-4
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA x19) 7-6 (10/8), 6-3
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-4
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-1, 6-3
John Isner (USA x18) bt Jrgen Melzer (AUT) 6-3, 6-4
David Ferrer (ESP x8) bt Ivan Dodig (CRO) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6)
Bernard Tomic (AUS x32) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 6-3, 6-4
Women
Second round
Belinda Bencic (SUI x31) bt Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 6-2, 7-6 (7/2)
Ana Ivanovic (SRB x5) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-3, 6-1
Sabine Lisicki (GER x24) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA) 6-1, 5-7, 6-4
Sara Errani (ITA x11) bt Zhu Lin (CHN) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2
Flavia Pennetta (ITA x15) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-4, 6-2
Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER x9) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Madison Keys (USA x16) bt Klara Koukalova (CZE) 6-3, 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x4) bt Ons Jabeur (TUN) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x32) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-2, 6-4
Jelena Jankovic (SRB x18) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 6-4
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x6) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-2, 6-2
Coco Vandeweghe (USA x30) bt Sesil Karatantcheva (BUL) 6-2, 6-3
Alize Cornet (FRA x20) bt Christina McHale (USA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Maria Sharapova (RUS x2) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-1, 7-5
Samantha Stosur (AUS x21) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-4, 6-2
