World No.1 tennis star Novak Djokovic won a hard-fought first set that lasted well over an hour before asserting full control in a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victory over Spain's Rafael Nadal at the BNP Paribas Open.
Djokovic had won the last five matches against Nadal to take a career lead in their head-to-head record for the first time, reports Efe.
But he nearly dropped his first set here on Saturday against the fifth-ranked Spaniard since a four-set loss in the 2014 French Open final, staving off a set point when serving at 4-5 in the first set in what proved to be a crucial juncture of the match.