TENNIS BNP PARIBAS OPEN – Novak Djokovic started his title defence with a 6-1 6-3 win over Marcos Baghdatis in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. Andy Murray, runner-up at Indian Wells in 2009, eased past Canadian Vasek Pospisil with 6-1 6-3. Diego Sampaolo
Novak Djokovic improved his winning record to 8-0 in his head-to-head matches against Marcos Baghdatis with a easy 6-1 6.3 win to advance to the third round. Djokovic is bidding to win his fourth title at Indian Wells and become the 12th player in the Open Era to win 50 titles.
Nole fought back from 15-40 in the second game on Baghdatis’ serve to break. The Serbian player took control of the match and got another break at 4-1 before holding serve in the next game to wrap up the first set with 6-1. Djokovic hit 10 winners to 3 unforced errors in the first set.
The second set went on serve until the fifth game when Djokovic broke serve with a return winner and a service winner before holding serve in the sixth game to pull away to 4-2. Djokovic earned two match points on Bagdhatis’ serve at 5-3 and wrapped up the match on the second opportunity.
Djokovic will take on Albert Ramos in the third round before a possible clash against John Isner in the fourth round if the US player beats Kevin Anderson in the third round.
Isner beat Jurgen Melzer 6-3 6-4 after 68 minutes winning 92 percent of his first serve points.
Isner lost the semifinal against Djokovic in last year’s edition at Indian Wells and finished runner-up to Roger Federer in 2012.
Andy Murray, who finished runner-up to Rafa Nadal at Indian Wells in 2009, made a winning start to the tournament with a 6-1 6-3 win over Vasek Pospisil. The Scotsman broke three times in the first set. Pospisil won 33 percent of his first serve points and committed 10 unforced errors. Pospisil broke serve at the start of the second set but Murray broke back in the next game. Pospisil saved two break points in the fourth game but Murray got the break in the eighth game before serving out for the match to love
Murray continued dominating the match breaking serve four more times.
Murray will face Phillip Kohlschreiber who dropped just four games in his 6-3 6-1 win over Tim Smyczek. The German broke serve twice in the first set and cruised to 5-0 in the second set. Smyczek avoided the bagel by winning his first game of the second set. Kohlschreiber clinched the win with an ace.
Murray edged Kohlschreiber 12-10 in the fifth set at the 2014 Roland Garros. He could meet Nishikori in the quarter final
Kei Nishikori did not play a great match but he beat Ryan Harrison 6-4 6-2. It was the second match in one month between the two players after Nishikori won Harrison in three sets in Memphis
Both players struggled to hold their serve in the first set and traded breaks seven times Nishikori clinched the first set on the third set point with 6-4 after 48 minutes. Nishikori committed less unforced errors in the second set (seven compared to 18 in the first set) and broke immediately. He got a break in the second set and held on to win the second set with 6-2 after one hour and 27 minutes. Nishikori, who reached the quarter final at each of his four tournaments this year, set up his next round match against Fernando Verdasco who beat James Duckworth 6-2 7-6. Verdasco, who reached the Round of 16 at Indian Wells last year, did not face any break point chances and converted on three of his break points.
“There were ups and downs in the first set. The first match is always tough. In almost every game we couldn’t hold serve but we also returned well. That’s why there were a lot of breaks. In the second set I was playing an almost perfect game. I was hitting good serves. No break points. I didn’t face any break points. Luckily I got the first break, so it was easier mentally to hit a good shot”, said Nishikori.
David Ferrer came back from a set down to battle past Ivan Dodig 4-6 6-1 7-6 (8-6). Both players traded breaks at the start of the first set. Dodig rallied from 0-40 to break serve in the seventh game and managed to hold his serve until the end to win the first set with 6-4. Ferrer broke serve in the second game to 30. Ferrer saved three break points in the fifth game en route to winning the second set with 6-1. In the third set Dodig saved two break point chances in the second and the fourth game, while Ferrer fended off one break point in the fifth game. The decider went on serve until the 11th game when Ferrer got the crucial break. Dodig saved two match points forcing the decider to the tie-break. Dodig opened up a 2-0 lead but Ferrer broke back for 3-3 with a mini-break. Dodig got another mini-break for 4-3 and held serve for 5-3. Ferrer reeled off three consecutive points to take the 6-5 lead before clinching a hard-fought win on his fourth match point. Ferrer, who won three titles in Doha, Rio de Janeiro and Acapulco, will take on Bernard Tomic who beat Croatian rising star Borna Coric
Juan Monaco, this year’s runner-up in Buenos Aires, knocked out US Open champion Marin Cilic with a double 6-4.
Feliciano Lopez fought back from a set down to battle past Edouard Roger Vasselin 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-4.
