Tennis: Djokovic, Wozniacki advance at Indian Wells

Defending champions ease past opponents, Murray ousted.

INDIAN WELLS: Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Caroline Wozniacki eased through their openers in the California desert, while fourth-seed Andy Murray bit the dust for the second straight year.

Djokovic has not made the same perfect start to the season as he did in 2011, but defeated Andrey Golubev in his first match of the ATP/WTA Indian Wells Tournament for the second time in as many years.

He easily beat the Kazakh qualifier 6-3, 6-2 in a 62-minute match — two minutes longer than he took last year, when he went on to capture his second Indian Wells title.

“It was a good start,” said Djokovic. “We didn’t play a beautiful match. There were a lot of unforced errors but it was the opening match and I am still trying to adjust to this court and get used to the conditions. Hopefully the next match will be better.”

Murray failed to advance past his opening Indian Wells match for the second year in a row, losing 6-4, 6-2 to unseeded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Murray, who was ousted by American Donald Young last year, made 34 unforced errors compared to just 16 for world number 92 Garcia-Lopez in the one hour, 40 minute night match.

“I squandered so many chances,” Murray said. “I was missing returns, had break points and that was it.

“He made me run. He made me pay. I had lots of forehands banging on the line on big points.”

Meanwhile, Wozniacki broke Ekaterina Makarova of Russia in every service game to post a 6-2, 6-0 win.

“I don’t like to be out there for too long if I don’t have to,” said Wozniacki. “I love grinding it out, but if I have the opportunity to finish it off fast, I like that.”

Stosur, Sharapova post second-round wins

Sixth-seed Australian Samantha Stosur Stosur breezed past American wildcard Irina Falconi 6-0, 6-3, while second-seed Maria Sharapova beat Gisela Dulko in 66 minutes, winning 6-2, 6-0.

In other men’s second-round matches, Andy Roddick rallied to beat Lukasz Kubot 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 and Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2012.