Doubt is a distant memory for Novak Djokovic as the world number one returns to Indian Wells on top of the tennis world, one year after his shock loss to qualifier Taro Daniel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Djokovic is making his first start since winning his third Grand Slam title on the trot at the Australian Open in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\n said he wasn’t fully recovered from elbow surgery when he opted to \ncompete in the California desert last year, but it’s not a decision he \nregrets given the events that followed in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I definitely \nwasn’t ready to compete at this level last year,” the Serb said Thursday\n as he looked forward to his title defense in the elite Masters series \nevent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I was kind of convincing myself that I was, but I truly \nwasn’t. “I know most of my team members at the time were against me \nplaying in Indian Wells and Miami because it was too early after the \nsurgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I could have, should have made a different decision, \nbut I believe it also taught me some valuable lessons that helped me to \ncreate amazing results in the next seven, eight months and get from 22 \nin the world to No. 1 in the world in less than six months.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Djokovic\n would cement his return with a Wimbledon title and follow that with a \nUS Open crown. He dominated Rafael Nadal in January’s Australian Open \ntitle and must be favored for a sixth Indian Wells crown which would see\n him break the record he currently shares with fourth-seeded Roger \nFederer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Djokovic will open in the second round against \n128th-ranked American Bjorn Fratangelo, who beat fellow qualifier Elias \nYmer of Sweden 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He could face a dangerous \nthird-round clash with Australian Nick Kyrgios, seeded 31st, who is \ncoming off his first title in more than a year in Acapulco last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kyrgios\n will take on Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round after the German\n veteran dispatched France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-0. Kyrgios \nin-form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Australian beat Nadal, former world number three \nStan Wawrkina, ninth-ranked John Isner and number three Alexander Zverev\n on route the title in Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also holds a 2-0 career record \nagainst Djokovic, including a straight-sets victory over the Serb star \nin Indian Wells two years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If I get a chance to play against\n him I’ll look forward to that because he’s in-form,” Djokovic said. “On\n the other hand, I started the season very well. “I hope I can restart \nhere where I stopped in Australia.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other first-round matches \nThursday American Sam Querrey defeated Italian Matteo Berrettini 7-6 , \n2-6, 6-4 to line up a meeting with 13th-seeded Milos Raonic a rematch of\n their quarter-final here last year won by the Canadian.\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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