Novak Djokovic opened his bid for a third straight BNP Paribas Open title on Sunday by surviving an unexpected challenge from qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo of the US 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.
“All credit to Bjorn on playing a great match, but I wasn’t feeling comfortable at all on the court,” world No. 1 Djokovic said after extending his winning streak at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden to 12 matches. “I was just trying to find a way, trying to hang in there and make it through.”
The 22-year-old Fratangelo was the French Open boys’ champion in 2011 and turned professional in 2012, but has been playing almost exclusively on the satellite tours. He is ranked No. 149 and his first-round win on Friday was his first in four matches on the ATP Tour.
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He took a 4-0 lead in the opening set and kept the match interesting until Djokovic got back-to-back service breaks en route to winning the final five games.
“He deserved every point he got,” Djokovic said. “He played a great match, especially in the first set.”
Djokovic, who has a 17-1 record this season, took to the court after women’s world No. 1 Serena Williams moved into the fourth round of the singles with a ragged 7-6 (7/2), 6-0 victory over Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.
Later, fourth seed Rafael Nadal beat Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Simona Halep of Romania capped the night with a 64-minute 6-2, 6-4 win over Ekaterina Makarova of Russia.
Nadal got a tenuous grip on the match when a backhand passing shot gave him a 30-0 lead with Muller serving in the final game and Muller double-faulted to make it 40-0. Nadal gave two points back on errant forehands, then won it with a forehand return that handcuffed Muller as he moved to the net.
“He’s a very, very difficult player, especially in these conditions,” Nadal said of his left-handed opponent.
In the opening set, Williams showed the effects of a six-week layoff since losing the Australian Open final. The two-time tournament champion made 29 unforced errors and seemed completely out of a rhythm against Putintseva, who played aggressively and challenged every close line call.
“I was just trying to find my rhythm out there, trying my best to not get off to a slow start,” Williams said. “Then I got broken really early and I couldn’t manage to break back. I was just trying to fight out there and do what I could.”
Williams had to break the Kazakh’s serve to force the tiebreaker and then finally began to impose herself on the world No. 56.
“My intensity was higher and I started making my shots,” Williams said. “I was going for it. I just kept missing it either in the net or missing it out. Really, really close. I started making them and then I started getting more confidence to continue to go for it, and that kind of helped me out.”
The second set was over in 24 minutes, with Williams making just four errors and winning 24 of the 30 points. She faces Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine in the fourth round.
Williams was joined in the fourth round by third seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, a 6-2, 6-1 winner over Monica Niculescu of Romania; eighth seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, who won the final four games of the match to beat Johanna Larsson of Sweden, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; and 19th seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, who routed Coco Vandeweghe of the US 6-0, 6-1.
In the men’s singles, fifth seed Kei Nishikori of Japan got his tournament under way with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan; seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France beat fellow countryman Vincent Millot 7-5, 6-1; and 31st seed Sam Querrey of the US overcame Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
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