Share

Djokovic fights back to win

Indian Wells -World number one Novak Djokovic booked his third round spot in the Indian Wells hard-court tennis tournament on Sunday, fending off Bjorn Fratangelo in three sets, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

"I started awful," Djokovic said. "I just tried to win by using my experience and playing tougher in the key moments."

The defending two-time champ Djokovic has now won 12 consecutive matches in Indian Wells and is trying to become the first player in tournament history to claim five titles.

The reigning Australian Open champion Djokovic is hoping to use Indian Wells as a stepping stone as he seeks to win his first French Open in two months and complete the career Grand Slam.

Djokovic is coming off a year where he won 11 titles, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open. He lost in the final at the French Open.

"Obviously 2015 was a remarkable year," he said. "It will be a big challenge to repeat what I have done. Why not?"

Under windy conditions on Sunday, Djokovic won 78 percent of his first serve points, made three double faults and had his serve broken three times, including twice in the first three games against Fratangelo.

He returned the favour in the deciding third set by breaking world No 149 Fratangelo in games one, five and seven and then capping of the match with an overhead smash.

"The fifth game in the third set was the deciding one," he said. "I played more aggressive."

Djokovic next faces German Philipp Kohlschreiber who swept past Denis Kudla 6-0, 6-1.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 756 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 377 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE