Tennis great Novak Djokovic battled through another demanding three-set contest to advance to the last 16 at the Indian Wells Masters, keeping his hopes alive for a record-extending title run.
The Serbian star struggled to find rhythm on return early in the match but regrouped in the decisive third set, eventually breaking his opponent in the final game to seal victory.
Reflecting on the contest, Djokovic admitted the match could have gone either way until the closing moments.
“I knew coming into the match that if he serves well and if he picks his spot in the box it’s going to be tough to break him,” Djokovic said.
He added that the opponent’s strong serving made life difficult.
“He was just acing me all over, getting a lot of free points. Today was really anybody’s game until the last couple of points.”
Djokovic said the turning point came late in the third set when missed first serves offered him an opening.
“That last game in the third where he missed some first serves gave me looks on the second and I used it.”
Djokovic Chasing Another Indian Wells Title
Djokovic currently shares the Indian Wells title record with Swiss legend Roger Federer, with both players having won the prestigious tournament five times.
However, the Serbian superstar has struggled in the California desert in recent years, failing to reach the quarter-finals since his last title run in 2016.
This year he has already survived two three-set matches to reach the last 16.
Draper Awaits in High-Stakes Clash
Djokovic will next face defending champion Jack Draper for a place in the quarter-finals.
Draper secured his spot after defeating Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5.
The British player’s breakthrough victory at Indian Wells last year—highlighted by a semi-final win over Carlos Alcaraz—sparked his rise to world No. 4.
However, Draper was sidelined for nearly six months with an arm injury and arrived at this year’s tournament ranked No. 14. His win over Cerundolo marked the first time since June that he has recorded back-to-back ATP victories.
Cerundolo had served for the second set at 5-4, but a series of errors allowed Draper to break back before eventually closing the match.
Norrie, Hijikata Produce Major Upsets
The tournament also saw two top-10 seeds eliminated.
Britain’s Cameron Norrie defeated eighth-ranked Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4 to advance.
Meanwhile, Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata, ranked No. 117, stunned Alexander Bublik 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
The victory marked Hijikata’s first career win over a top-10 player, setting up a next-round meeting with Norrie.
Alcaraz Eyes Another Indian Wells Title
Meanwhile, Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz entered the night session riding a 13-match winning streak, taking on France’s Arthur Rinderknech.
The 22-year-old Spaniard recently made history by winning the Australian Open, becoming the youngest male player to complete a career Grand Slam.
He followed that achievement with a title at the Qatar Open in February.
Now Alcaraz is aiming to reclaim the Indian Wells crown after his bid for a third consecutive title last year was halted by Draper in the semi-finals.