FEDERER TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS, DJOKOVIC CRASHES OUT

WORLD No. 1 Roger Federer finished off Federico Delbonis in a rain-disrupted match yesterday to reach the third round at Indian Wells as five-time champion Novak Djokovic was toppled.

Federer returned to stadium court yesterday afternoon and needed an hour to close out his second-round victory 6-3, 7-6 (8-6).

“It’s been a long time since I have been interrupted at night and have to come back the next day,” Federer said.

Federer and 10th seed Djokovic both came into the tournament seeking to become the first six-time winner of the event.

But Djokovic fell at the first hurdle with a shock loss to Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel, who sent the out-of-sorts Serb tumbling with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-1 victory.

It was another snag in the return for world No.13 Djokovic, who admitted he lacked composure while playing in just his second event of 2018 and first since having surgery.

Djokovic said it felt like the “first match I ever played on the tour. I mean, I just completely lost rhythm, everything.”.

In other men’s matches, Juan Martin del Potro steamed his way into the third round as the sixth seed needed just 69 minutes to beat Australian teenager Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-1.

The win sets up a third round showdown with Spaniard David Ferrer who defeated Tennys Sandgren of the US 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) while world No. 3 Marin Cilic also won yesterday, defeating Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3.

“Also when I had to finish the points, I did. I’m really, really happy about this victory. It was tough down there.”

Halep booked a round-of 16 clash with China’s Wang Qiang, who defeated 14th seed Kristina Mladenovic, of France, 6-1, 6-2.

Elsewhere, US Open winner Sloane Stephens cruised past wild card Victoria Azarenka in straight sets 6-1, 7-5 in a second round match that was postponed from Saturday night because of rain.

German 10th seed Angelique Kerber and Ekaterina Makarova of Russia stretched their match over two days because of the showers before Kerber prevailed in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.