California [US], March 10 : Serbian tennis icon Novak Djokovic moved to the fourth round of the ongoing Indian Wells Open, beating American Aleksandar Kovacevic on Tuesday night.
Djokovic, the five-time champion, outclassed Aleksandar 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, facing a setback in the second set to book his place in the fourth round of the event for the first time since 2017. This is the second successive match where Djokovic has played three sets, having played a tough campaign opener against Kamil Majchrzak.
"It was a great performance from Aleks. We know each other. We speak the same language. His whole family is Serbian," said Djokovic as quoted by ATP's official website.
"It is great to see him doing well. He is played a great tournament so far. I knew coming into the match that if he serves well and picks his spots, it was going to be hard to break him. That is what happened, actually," he added.
Djokovic is tied with Roger Federer for most Indian Wells titles, but recent seasons have been a struggle for him. Last year was a shock first-round exit after losing to Botic van de Zandschulp. The 24-time Grand Slam champion will face defending champion Jack Draper after the Briton moved past Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5.
"I am not really enjoying myself at all times, to be honest," Djokovic said about his win. "You are trying to thrive in these kinds of conditions where you are facing an opponent playing lights-out tennis... But winning ugly, right? That is what counts. I am glad to be able to overcome the challenge today," he added.
Aleksandar first met Djokovic way back in 2005 and considers him his idol, and he pushed the Serbian icon to his limits. After a strong opening set in which he won 13 successive points on serve, he levelled with a brilliant second set win that left Djokovic searching for answers. However, the tennis legend saved his best for the decider and showcased a great range of shots, despite an ankle injury scare in the third game.