Djokovic off to blazing start

Second seed Federer beat Russia’s Igor Andreev 7-5, 7-6, third-seeded Serb Djokovic crushed Kazakhstan’s Andrey Golubev 6-0, 6-4 and eighth seed Roddick overpowered fellow American James Blake 6-3, 7-5 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

In the day’s final match, fast-rising Canadian Milos Raonic shrugged off a back spasm to upset 13th-seeded American Mardy Fish 7-5, 6-4, his sixth win over a top-25 player this season.

Fan favourite Federer ended his match by clinching the second set tiebreak 7-4 when his opponent, on the stretch with his forehand, was unable to return a probing first serve.

It was Federer’s fourth victory over Andreev in four meetings but the first time he had not lost a set to the hard-hitting Russian.

The Swiss master, who claimed a hat-trick of titles at Indian Wells from 2004, will next face Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, who came from a set and a break down to beat Germany’s Philipp Petzschner 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Australian Open champion Djokovic extended his perfect record this season to 13-0 after storming through the opening set in just 21 minutes and then holding off a brief fightback by Golubev early in the second.

Kim Clijsters survived a second-set wobble and an erratic serving display to beat Italy’s Sara Errani 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the women’s competition.

While the Belgian world number two was unhappy with her overall display in a battling win, third-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva was upset 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 by Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova in a marathon lasting just over three hours.
There were also comfortable wins in store for holder Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, who crushed Germany’s Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-4, and Italy’s French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, the fifth seed, who brushed aside Alize Cornet of France 6-2, 6-3.

In other matches, 10th seed Shahar Peer of Israel scraped past 17th-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 while Ana Ivanovic of Serbia swept aside Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-2, 6-2.