Bhambri stuns Pouille in round two

Federer advances, Djokovic crashes out

Indian Davis Cupper Yuki Bhambri registered the biggest win of his career as he toppled world number 12 Lucas Pouille to breeze into the third round of the Indian Wells Masters here.

In a stunning performance, the 110th-ranked Yuki, a qualifier, dispatched the ninth seed Frenchman 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 19 minutes.

The win is the biggest for the 25-year-old Indian, who had shocked the tennis world by demolishing Citi Open defending champion and world number 22 Gael Monfils in August 2017.

Yuki had beaten world number 16 Fabio Fognini in 2014 at the Chennai Open but the Italian had retired from that match due to a fitness issue.  The win has assured Bhambri 45 ranking points and USD 47,170.

He will next take on American world number 21 Sam Querry, who ousted Germany's Mischa Zverev 6-4, 7-5.

Elsewhere, world number one Roger Federer finished off Federico Delbonis in a rain-disrupted match on Sunday to reach the third round while five-time champion Novak Djokovic was toppled.

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

Federer is making his 17th appearance in the California desert and is assured of remaining world number one if he makes it to the semifinals.

He extended his 2018 win streak to 13 matches and has only dropped three sets from 34 played this year.

He will face 25th-seed Filip Krajinovic in the third round.

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 number 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," he said.

Daniel, who is ranked 109th in the world, advanced to the third round where he will face Monfils.

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).

World number three Marin Cilic also won, defeating Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3.

Kvitova Beaten

In the women's event, Simona Halep rallied past 19-year-old Caroline Dolehide while Petra Kvitova's remarkable win streak skidded to a halt against another US teen.

World No 1 Halep came from behind to beat Dolehide 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in the third round while two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova had her 14-match winning streak snapped as she lost 2-6, 4-6 to 149th-ranked Amanda Anisimova.

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

In the fourth round,  Anisimova faces fifth seed Karolina Pliskova, who beat China's Zhang Shuai 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.  

Elsewhere, US Open winner Sloane Stephens cruised past wild card Victoria Azarenka in straight sets 6-1, 7-5.  German 10th seed Angelique Kerber beat Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.