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Novak Djokovic celebrates - Source: Reuters -
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Second seed Novak Djokovic saved three match points before
scraping past Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber while Rafa Nadal
eased into the fourth round of the Indian Wells ATP tournament on
Tuesday.
Trailing 4-5 and 0-40 in the deciding set, Djokovic took advantage
of a spate of unforced errors by his opponent to claw his way back
from the brink of defeat and triumph 6-3 2-6 7-6.
After Djokovic battled though in just over two-and-a-half hours on
the stadium court, twice champion Nadal of Spain eased home with a
6-2 6-2 demolition of Croat Mario Ancic.
World number two Djokovic, champion here in 2008, won the 10th game
of the final set when Kohlschreiber netted a forehand and the Serb
went on to clinch the tiebreak 7-3 as the German's resistance
crumbled at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Djokovic, who appeared to be in total control after sweeping
through the opening set and leading 2-0 in the second, let out a
loud yell of relief after sealing victory with a forehand
winner.
"Fighting through, it's another win so I try to look on the
positive side, the things I did well," the 22-year-old told
reporters. "He easily could be the winner of this match, and he
would deserve it.
"I am still trying to find rhythm, to feel good on the court. For
the next match, I want to maintain focus right up to the end and
not have any mental breakdowns in the middle."
The Serb will next meet 20th-seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic, who
crushed Argentine qualifier Brian Dabul 6-2 6-3.
Kohlschreiber, who beat Djokovic in straight sets when the pair
last met at the 2009 French Open, took the second set after winning
six games in a row on a sun-splashed afternoon in the California
desert.
He went on to break Djokovic in the second game of the third set
and immediately held serve to lead 3-0.
Pulling hair
"If I could pull my hair off, I would do it in that moment,"
Djokovic said of his frustration after losing nine games in a
row.
In a match of bizarre momentum shifts, the Serb saved two break
points in the next game and then broke his opponent twice to lead
4-3 before he lost serve in the eighth.
Djokovic appeared to be on his way out when he hit a forehand long
to trail 0-40 in the 10th game but he won the next three points
courtesy of a forehand smash at the net and successive backhand
errors by Kohlschreiber.
He managed to hold serve and maintained winning momentum after the
wildly fluctuating set went into a tiebreak.
Nadal, who beat Britain's Andy Murray in last year's final, broke
Ancic twice in each set to line up a fourth-round encounter with
either John Isner or Sam Querrey of the US.
"I am feeling confident, I am playing well," the Spanish world
number three said. "I am playing at the good level.
"My serve was important but more important was my rhythm from the
baseline. I lost only a few points because I didn't make many
mistakes, only seven unforced errors in two sets."
Earlier, 21st seed Juan Monaco of Argentina upset 11th-seeded
Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6 3-6 6-3 in three hours and one
minute, the longest match this week.
