Two-time former BNP Paribas Open champion Novak Djokovic moved into the third round of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event with a 7-6 (1), 6-2 victory over world no.87 Victor Hanescu in the Sunday night session.
The match at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden lasted one hour and 24 minutes.
Novak was unable to earn a single break point opportunity in the opening set. The world no.2 saved all five break points he faced, including two set points for Hanescu in the 12th game, before winning a tie-breaker in convincing fashion, 7-1.
Djokovic then capitalised on his first chance in the second game of the second set and broke his opponent once again to close the match.
The 26-year-old Belgrade native improved his perfect H2H record with the Romanian to 7-0 and recorded his 550th career match win, becoming the sixth active player to reach the milestone, behind Federer, Nadal, Hewitt, Ferrer and Haas.
“It’s one of those days where you get to serve well and everything else is just kind of trying to find the way to play the right shots at the right time,” said Djokovic. “I didn’t make any returns in in the first set. Second set I also struggled with the return, which is one of my better sides in the game generally speaking. It’s the first match and it takes a little bit of time to get used to the center court.”
Match statistics: aces (5-1), double faults (0-1), winners (20-7), unforced errors (24-14), total points won (73-60).
Novak will next face no.91-ranked Alejandro Gonzalez of Colombia, who upset no.31 seed Ivan Dodig (6-4, 2-6, 7-6). It will be their first career encounter.
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