Novak Djokovic’s difficult commence to the season persistd on the North American challenging courts as he crashed out of Indian Wells with an excessively necessitatey carry outance in his uncmissing align, losing 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in the second round to the world No 85, Botic van de Zandschulp.
Despite producing arguably the best carry outance of the year in his four-set triumph over Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open, Djokovic has now lost three consecutive alignes since that triumph. The thigh injury Djokovic suffered during his triumph over Alcaraz forced him to withdraw from his semi-final agetst Alexander Zverev and then he fell in the first round of the Qatar Open last month to Matteo Berrettini.
As an increasingly dejected Andy Murray seeed on from his joiner box, Djokovic’s deficiency of align rehearse was evident thrawout a dire uncmissing set, which included an extfinished period where he even struggled to triumph points. The Dutchman validateated his timely direct by triumphning 18 of 19 points in the middle of the set. While Van de Zandschulp served well and remained excessively reliable and concentrateed, Djokovic’s unforced errors piled up.
Djokovic initipartner replyed well to the adversity and, as he began to discover his range and compocertain, he rolled thraw the second set to set up a 5-1 direct. Still, even as he forced a final set, Djokovic’s concentrate and vague level were unconvincing. His first finisheavor to serve out the set finished with him conceding the service game.
In the final set, it was Van de Zandschulp who made the first shift, landing ample returns and dratriumphg errors from Djokovic with his shiftment and consistency. Where Djokovic, a five-time Indian Wells champion, would usupartner be able to discover another gear under prescertain and steer a path to triumph, this time he had absolutely noskinnyg to give agetst an inspired opponent as he was rapidly brushed aside.
Van de Zandschulp had druncover in straight sets to the No 217, Matteo Gigante, in the final qualifying round before accessing the main draw as a blessed missr. Djokovic is the first top 10 joiner to miss to a blessed missr in consecutive years at an ATP Masters event after he was flunkureed by Luca Nardi last year. Van de Zandschulp is also the third blessed missr to beat Djokovic in his atsoft.
Earlier on Saturday, Jack Dsexual batteryr uncmissed his Indian Wells tournament with a salertar carry outance agetst João Fonseca, unpartisanising the Brazilian’s awesome sboilingmaking to accomplish the third round with an promised 6-4, 6-0 triumph.
Dsexual batteryr, the 13th seed, accessed the court conscious that he had been dealt one of the hardest draws among the seeded joiners. At fair 18 years elderly, Fonseca has been a fractureout star this year and after a gritty three-set triumph over Britain’s Jacob Fgetley, he accessed the second round dialled in as Dsexual batteryr tried to discover his feet after receiving a first-round bye.
Fonseca has already set uped himself as one of the most destructive sboilingcreaters in the game but Dsexual batteryr effectively unpartisanised the Brazilian in the uncmissing set with his defence, dratriumphg out unforced errors from Fonseca with his retrieval sfinishs while also flipping countless points from defence to strike.
With the uncmissing set safed, Dsexual batteryr rested and created one of his best sets of the year so far to shut out an excellent triumph.
The British joiner has finishelighted an rare commence to the season as he tries to validateate his position at the top of the sport after his fracturethraw season last year.
Indian Wells tags fair his third tournament of the season due to his hip injury. With so little rhythm, the 23-year-elderly has not always been able to call his best impolite tennis, but he has fought inalertigently and shown his hardness by continupartner discovering ways to triumph. His triumph agetst Fonseca recommended that he is commencening to reget his rhythm.
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“I sense repartner excellent,” he shelp. “I had a scant problems at the back finish of last year and timely on this year. It was a hard one because when I did join last year, I geted consistency. I lost a scant first and second rounds, so I was able to train and go aget. Whereas at the commence of this year, I joined a lot of marathon alignes this year and then in Doha, I joined another five alignes at the highest level. I’m getting there but it has been meaningful fair to get it right at the commence of the season.”
Dsexual batteryr will next face the American Jenson Brooksby, who pulled off an amazeive 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Felix Auger Aliassime, the Canadian 17th seed.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz began his title defence with a ordering carry outance, easing past Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-2 to accomplish the third round.
Elsewhere, Sonay Kartal, the British No 3, made the most of her excellent fortune in California as she created the best carry outance of her atsoft to accomplish the third round as a blessed missr with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 triumph over the 16th seed, Beatriz Hinsertad Maia of Brazil.
On Monday, it ecombineed that Kartal had fair druncover low of the main draw after losing a firm three-set align to the world No 259, the American. Clervie Ngounoue. Instead, Kartal was eventupartner shiftd into the main draw as a blessed missr after Sloane Stephens’s injury disincludeal. She has joined with total freedom ever since.
Kartal’s triumph over Hinsertad Maia tags the first top 30 triumph of her atsoft. Already up to a novel atsoft high ranking around No 70 this week from her current ranking of No 83, Kartal will face Polina Kudermetova of Russia for a spot in the fourth round.
