Djokovic makes winning return to Indian Wells
INDIAN WELLS: Novak Djokovic was pushed by Aleksandar Vukic but held on to win his first match back in Indian Wells after a five-year absence on Saturday, as he looks to capture a record sixth title in the California desert.
The world number one has not competed at the tournament since 2019 as he was unable to enter the US due to travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, but he received a warm welcome from the fans on hand for the 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 victory.
“It certainly does feel like home,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview. “Five years is a very long time for a tennis player. They call this tournament Tennis Paradise for a reason.”
Djokovic claimed the opening set in 35 minutes with two service breaks but had to come from a break down in the third against his 69th-ranked Australian opponent.
Vukic held for 6-5 in the second set and landed a reflex service return winner on the line to square the match at a set each.
In the third, top seed Djokovic broke for a 3-2 edge and closed out victory with a second break after just over two hours, notching his 51st win at the tournament where he first competed in 2006.
Earlier, American Taylor Fritz put on a serving clinic to beat Alejandro Tabilo 7-6(2), 6-2 in their second round contest.
The 2022 champion never faced a break point and crushed down his 14th ace on match point to beat the Chilean under sunny desert skies.
Canadian Milos Raonic withdrew ahead of his second round clash with seventh seed Holger Rune due to a calf strain.
Former champion Cameron Norrie, French teenager Arthur Fils and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov all progressed in straight sets to reach the third round.
In the women’s draw, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka saved four match points on the way to her 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) second-round victory over 64th-ranked Peyton Stearns and US Open champion Coco Gauff rallied in the final set to beat France’s Clara Burel 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
Stearns was on the brink of the biggest win of her career when she led the reigning two-time Australian Open champion 5-4 40-0 in the third set with most of the 16,000 fans packed into Stadium Court behind her.
But the world number two came up with some gutsy returns to stay in the match and, even after appearing to hurt her ankle late in the final set, stayed aggressive in the tiebreak to book a third-round meeting with Emma Raducanu.
“At the net she said, I had you,” said Sabalenka. “And she’s right. I was probably just a little bit lucky to get this win.”
Third seeded Gauff, who turns 20 next Wednesday, trailed her 47th-ranked French opponent 4-0 and 5-2 in the deciding third set, but was able to power back and throw it into a tie-breaker.
She paved the way by breaking Burel to love as the Frenchwoman served for victory leading 5-4. In the tie-breaker, Gauff advanced on her third match point as Burel swung wide.
Gauff will next face Lucia Bronzetti after the Italian beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-3, 6-4.
Gauff’s doubles partner and fifth seed Jessica Pegula was unable to stage a comeback of her own against Anna Blinkova, falling 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Naomi Osaka continued to build positive momentum as the 2018 champion dispatched 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova 7-5, 6-3. Osaka will next face 24th seed Elise Mertens in the third round.
Ninth seed Maria Sakkari, 11th seed Daria Kasatkina, 16th seed Elina Svitolina and American Sloane Stephens were among the other players to advance to the third round with wins on Saturday.
Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2024