Defending champion Jack Draper advances to Round of 16 at Indian Wells

Defending champion Jack Draper has missed most of the last nine months with an elbow injury. He said he elected not to force his way back too early by playing in the Australian Open so he would be healthy and ready for the BNP Paribas Open.

So far so good.

Draper made it look easy on Monday. He quickly dispatched the No. 19 seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5 to book a spot in the fourth round.

His next opponent is also a past BNP Paribas Open champion — a five-timer, in fact. It’s none other than Novak Djokovic. They’ve only played once, back in 2021 at Wimbledon, which Djokovic won.

Daniil Medvedev tops Baez

Medvedev cruised Monday inside Stadium 2, beating Argentina’s Sebastian Baez, 6-4, 6-0. The Russian, tennis star, who is seeded 11th in the men’s draw, will play American Alex Michelsen next, in the Round of 16.

Medvedev and Michelsen have played three times previously, with Medvedev winning all three matches.

Other results

Rinky Hijikata def. (10) Alexander Bublik, 6-7 (3), 7-6(3), 6-3: From the qualifying ranks all the way to the Sweet 16. Hijikata, a 25-year-old Australian upset the No. 10 seeded Bublik in a high-drama three-setter. Next up for Hijikata is a clash with 2021 BNP Paribas Open champion Cam Norrie.

(13) Casper Ruud def. (24) Valentin Vacherot, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4: Ruud roared back from down a set to beat Vacherot in front of a packed crowd inside Stadium 3. This is the third time he has reached the Round of 16 at Indian Wells.

(27) Cam Norrie def. (6) Alex De Minaur, 6-4, 6-4: I guess Cam Norrie just feels at home here in the desert. The 2021 champion used his patented left-handed, flat, hard-to-handle ground strokes to erase the No. 6 seed from the bracket. Norrie was in control from the start and his next match will be against qualifier Rinky Hijikata as his section of the bracket has opened up.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Defending champion Jack Draper advances to Round of 16 at Indian Wells