ATP Tour
Djokovic downs Dimitrov
2013-03-13 07:07
California - World No 1 Novak Djokovic survived a rocky start to beat Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 on Tuesday and reach the fourth round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters.
Djokovic trailed 4-1 and 5-3 in the opening set, but Dimitrov - at 21 the youngest player remaining in the men's draw - couldn't close it out.
Serving for the set in the ninth game the Bulgarian coughed up four double faults and was broken.
That was the only opening that Djokovic needed and the Serbian star battled back to win in 67 minutes.
"I tried to hang in there," Djokovic said. "I started very poor and he served well, but he made four double faults at 5-3 and got me back into the match.
"He made a lot of unforced errors and I just needed to get the ball back in the court," he added.
Djokovic improved to 15-0 in 2013 and 20-0 since October 31 - when he lost to American Sam Querrey in the Paris Masters.
He'll get a chance to avenge that defeat in a fourth-round meeting with Querrey, who edged Australian Marinko Matosevic 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (7/9), 7-5.