Carlos Moya withstood a determined challenge from qualifier Tim Smyczek in the first round at Indian Wells on Thursday, at the tournament where he seized the world No. 1 ranking in 1999.
The veteran Spaniard held off the 22-year-old from the US to triumph 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5).
Moya is playing the Masters 1000 tournament, which runs alongside a WTA premier event under the BNP Paribas Open banner, for the first time since 2008.
PHOTO: EPA
Smyczek, playing his third ATP Tour event and his first Masters 1000, had set points in each set, but Moya managed to outlast him in each.
“I’m hitting the ball well and training well, but I can see I’m having trouble closing out matches,” said the Spaniard, who was hindered by a series of injuries last season. “That’s not something you can practice for. My goal now is to try and play as many matches as possible. In the first set I had so many chances. I made it very difficult to win.”
Moya received a wild-card into the main draw. The top 32 seeds, led by Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, enjoy first-round byes.
Djokovic will open against Mardy Fish of the US — the man he beat in the final here in 2008.
Fish rallied on Thursday for a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Germany’s Michael Berrer.
Fish said the chilly wind that prevailed during their match as darkness fell made it hard to get into the contest, but he was looking forward to tackling Djokovic again.
“We’ve played three or four times, we’ve had some great matches,” Fish said. “He beat me at Wimbledon the last time we played in straight sets. Other than that, it has gone the distance. We’ve had some great matches.”
The women continued to jockey for position in their first-round matches.
Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan defeated Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland 6-0, 7-5 to advance to the second round.
Italy’s Roberta Vinci booked a second-round clash with two-time champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, the 21st seed, with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over rising US teen star Melanie Oudin.
Unheralded Sloane Stephens of the US, 16, booked a second-round match with defending champion Vera Zvonareva of Russia.
Stephens, ranked 747th in the world, beat Czech Lucie Hradecka 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (9/7).
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