Tennis-Djokovic sweeps into last four at Indian Wells

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

INDIAN WELLS, California, March 20 (Reuters) - Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic survived an erratic first set to beat Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 6-2 in the Pacific Life Open quarter-finals on Thursday.

Third-seeded Djokovic, defeated in last year's final by Spaniard Rafael Nadal, raised his game in the second set to wrap up victory in just over two hours on the Stadium Court.

The Serb will next meet either second seed Nadal or American James Blake in the last four.

On a sun-splashed afternoon at Indian Wells, Djokovic charged 5-3 up in the opening set after breaking his opponent for a second time, ending a protracted rally with a forehand volley at the net.

However, the 22-year-old Swiss, who won the 2003 French Open junior title, broke back in the ninth and 11th games to edge 6-5 up as the Serb's unforced error count mounted.

Serving for the first set, Wawrinka was again broken and Djokovic clinched the tiebreak 7-5 after establishing a 5-3 lead.

The relieved Serb sank to his knees after winning the set with a forehand volley and beat his chest several times in celebration.

World number three Djokovic tightened his grip in the second set, breaking the Swiss in the first and fourth games before serving out for victory.