Edmund, Djoker to lock horns
Indian Wells, March 11: Briton Kyle Edmund cruised into an Indian Wells ATP Masters meeting with three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic on Friday with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Portugal’s Gastao Elias.
Edmund, ranked 46th in the world, needed just 65 minutes to get past the 95th-ranked Elias and line up a third career meeting with Djokovic, a five-time winner at Indian Wells who is seeded second this year behind world number one Andy Murray of Britain.
“The things (Djokovic) does well are making a lot of balls and being quick around the court. It’s tough to get the ball by him and break him down,” said Edmund. “These are things that I’ve experienced the last two times I’ve played him. I’ll try and use that on Sunday.”
With 32 seeded players enjoying first-round byes, it was unseeded players jockeying for position on Friday.
US 19-year-old Taylor Fritz dispatched France’s Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-2 to line up a meeting with thirdseeded Croatian Marin Cilic.
Fritz, a Southern California native, kept his focus as injury contributed to some erratic play from Paire.
“My focus was just to serve, serve well, kind of just manage my service games, because I felt like I would get chances on his serve and I would just have to take them,” said Fritz, who saved the only break point he faced in the 65minute match.
In other matches, France’s Stephane Robert defeated Israeli Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-4 to book a meeting with ninthseeded Roger Federer, a four-time Indian Wells winner who is riding high after capturing his 18th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
Britain’s Daniel Evans cruised past German Dustin Brown 6-1, 6-1 to secure a meeting with fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan.
Pliskova edges past Puig
Karolina Pliskova battled back to beat Monica 1-6, 6-4 6-4, but says she’ll have to do better to go further at Indian Wells.
“I don’t even think I deserved to win tonight,” Pliskova said after recovering from a break down in the third set to reach the third round. — AFP