Novak Djokovic won another tough match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
In the third round, the third-seeded Serbian star defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in two hours and two minutes.
Novak took control early in the first set. After saving a break point in the second game, he broke Kovacevic’s serve in the very next game and gained an advantage he kept until the end of the set. With solid serving and very few mistakes, he closed the set 6-4.
Djokovic lost his rhythm and focus in the second set, and Kovacevic used it well. The American played with confidence, hitting more winners. That approach brought him two breaks of serve, and he comfortably won the set 6-1.
The third set was played at a high pace, with Kovacevic showing great intensity, although he made more errors than in the previous sets. Djokovic stayed patient and kept putting pressure on his opponent’s service games, often reaching 30-30. In the final game, he finally took his chance, broke serve, and sealed the win.
“It was a great performance from Aleks,” said Novak. “It’s great to see him doing well. He’s played a great tournament so far. I knew coming into the match that if he serves well and picks his spots, it was going to be hard to break him. That’s what happened.”
Match statistics: aces (6-16), double faults (4-1), winners (22-50), unforced errors (20-44), total points won (83-83).
For a place in the quarter-finals, Djokovic will play against the winner of the match between Jack Draper and Francisco Cerúndolo.
