INDIAN WELLS, California (AP) ― Novak Djokovic opened his bid for a third BNP Paribas Open championship by topping qualifier Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday.
The top-ranked Djokovic, who beat Rafael Nadal in last year’s finale at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and also won in 2008, is 23-4 on the slow PlexiPave courts that he said favor his game and will face No. 29 seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa in the third round.
It is the second year in a row that Djokovic has beaten Golubev in the second round of this $11 million event.
Djokovic used a serve and high forehand volley to set up match point and a service winner to bring the 80-minute match to a conclusion.
Americans John Isner and Andy Roddick won their opening matches as well. Isner, the No. 11 seed, earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Frederico Gil of Portugal. But Roddick, who is at his lowest ranking (31) since August 2001, needed three sets to top Poland’s Lukasz Kubot 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.
It was a badly needed win for Roddick, who has struggled with injuries this season, and it came after what he called an hour and a half of playing so poorly “I couldn’t have hit a return into the ocean from the beach.”
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
