Djoker out as Federer pressed

NOVAK Djokovic produced a puzzling performance losing to Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel in the second round at the BNP Paribas Open in California.

On his return from elbow surgery, the former world No.1 looked a shadow of his former self as he went down 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-1 to make a quick exit from a tournament he has won five times.

“It felt like the first match I have ever played on the tour, very weird,” he said.

“I just completely lost rhythm, everything, struggled a little bit with the health the last couple of weeks.”

Djokovic took six months off after Wimbledon last year and returned in January’s Australian Open where he lost in the fourth round. He had surgery in Switzerland soon after.

“I was grateful to be out on the court after surgery that quickly but at the same time just didn’t feel good at all,” he said. “Nerves were there. I made so many unforced errors.”

Djokovic’s performance in the final set against the world’s 109th-ranked player on centre court raised some eyebrows, with four-times grand slam champion Jim Courier saying the Serb had “capitulated”.

Holder Roger Federer was pushed by left-handed Argentine Federico Delbonis in a match completed on Sunday after being halted by rain at 2-2 in the second set.

The top seed fended off a set point in the tiebreak to beat Delbonis 6-3, 7-6 (8-6).

Australian Alex de Minaur had no answer to the heavy artillery of Juan Martin del Potro in their second round match, the big Argentine winning 6-2, 6-1.

De Minaur, a wildcard in his first 1000 series event, had saved match points to win his opening round clash against German Jan-Lennard Struff. But the sixth seed, who enjoyed an 18cm height and 28kg weight advantage, wrapped up the match comfortably in 68 minutes.

Frenchman Gael Monfils survived a match point before beating American John Isner 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 in a contest that had only one break.