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Djokovic stars in Indian Wells late show

Novak Djokovic © AP

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It started late, but Novak Djokovic wasted little time on court as he extended his winning run this year to 16-0 with a comprehensive victory over Sam Querrey at the BNP Paribas Open.

Following a lengthy day session at Indian Wells, Djokovic and Querrey came on court some four hours late at a shade after midnight. The world No. 1 approached the match like he was in a hurry as he raced through the first set to love. Querrey put up stiffer resistance in the second, but he was cut down 6-0 7-6(2).

Djokovic is threatening to hit the heights of a couple of years ago and set the tone for the match with a break in the opening game and then held serve to love.

A second break followed when Querrey threw a forehand over the baseline. The big-serving Querrey was broken for a third time in the set and one game later Djokovic wrapped up the bagel in 22 minutes with a brilliant backhand winner.

Querrey got on the board in the first game of the second set and he then worked a break point in the second game, but an ace down the middle from Djokovic staved off the threat.

Querrey came under pressure in the fifth game and despite saving a break point with a deft backhand volley, he was broken. But it did not signal the waving of the white flag as the American brought the home crowd to their feet, and sent Djokovic crashing to the concrete, when breaking back in the sixth game.

Djokovic emerged unscathed from his nasty-looking tumble and wrapped up the match in the tiebreak.

He set up match point with a brilliant drive volley, which prompted a roar of delight from the Serb, but he then threw a backhand wide to bring the breaker back on serve. However, another error came off the Querrey racket when he sent a forehand over the baseline and Djokovic sealed the win when his opponent netted a backhand.

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