By Chris Oddo | Friday March 18, 2016

 

Novak Djokovic came through an entertaining tussle by winning two straight tiebreakers from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday at Indian Wells.

Photo Source: Julian Finney/Getty

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga displayed some of the red-line rips that make jaws drop, but Novak Djokovic absorbed all of the Frenchman’s punches and threw a few of his own to notch a satisfying, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) victory on Friday at Indian Wells.

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The two-hour and six-minute victory improves Djokovic’s record to 20-1 on the season and sets up a 48th meeting with his longtime rival Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.

Djokovic improves to 15-6 over Tsonga with the win, and he’s now won 13 of the last 14 against the Frenchman.

“He was solid,” Tsonga told reporters after the match. “He didn't give one point in those tiebreaks, which was not my case. I gave some of them, and it makes the difference at the end.”

Djokovic looked to be cruising to a first-set victory in the seventh game when he had two break points for a double-break, 5-2 lead. But Tsonga summoned his “Je ne sais quoi,” rallying behind scintillating shotmaking to win the next four points and stay within touch of Djokovic. A few games later Tsonga would make good on his first break point of the match as he crunched a forehand pass winner that drew roars from the crowd and brought him level at five-all.

"He started mixing up with a slice and decided to play a bit different tactically," Djokovic said after the match. "That got me off a little bit, you know, the balance and the rhythm."

Tsonga would save two more break points in the 11th game and Djokovic answered with some big-time clutch in the 12th when he won a 20-stroke rally at 5-6, 0-30. The world No. 1 would need to go to deuce twice later in the game but eventually held and took the 1st-set tiebreaker with ease.

There was no letdown in quality in the second set, and this time it was Tsonga who jumped ahead by forcing a Djokovic error with another booming forehand for a 2-1 lead.

But Tsonga’s lead was short-lived. He committed four straight errors from 2-1, 40-15 to hand the Serb the break-back, dropping the game with a double-fault.

Tsonga saved two match points in the 12th game of the second set, the second with a brilliant crosscourt forehand winner to force a second-set tiebreaker, but Djokovic once again took over and closed affairs on his third match point when a Tsonga return dribbled wide.

"I take positives out of today's match, the fact that I have played somebody that was feeling good throughout the week, somebody that serves very, very big and plays very, you know, quick and efficient, precise forehands," Djokovic said, adding: "I think it's gonna help definitely my confidence and, you know, mentally I will take that."

Notes and Numbers: Djokovic hit 18 winners vs. 24 unforced errors for the match, while Tsonga hit 22 winners and 47 unforced… Djokovic improves to 15-6 vs Tsonga but has won 13 of 14 against the Frenchman… Djokovic is bidding to win his 27th Masters 1000 title here at Indian Wells, which would tie him for most all-time with Nadal…. Djokovic is bidding for his 62nd career title here at Indian Wells… Djokovic has win five straight against Nadal and taken the last eleven sets the pair has played.