INDIAN WELLS – Five-time Indian Wells champion Roger Federer thwarted a second-set challenge from Peter Gojowczyk to reach the third round on Sunday with a 6-1, 7-5 victory.
Fourth-seeded Federer, like top seeded Novak Djokovic gunning for a sixth ATP Indian Wells Masters crown, said he was relieved not to go to a second-set tiebreaker after falling behind 3-1 to the free-swinging German who is ranked 85th in the world.
The Swiss regained the break and, after saving four break points to make it 4-4, he broke Gojowczyk for a 6-5 lead, the German double-faulting on break point to give Federer a chance to serve it out.
Federer could find himself fighting for a fourth-round berth against fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion currently unseeded as he continues his return from injury.
Wawrinka was to face 29th-seeded Hungarian Marton Fucsovics later Saturday.