Federer claims rain-delayed opener at Indian Wells

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Xinhua) -- World number one Roger Federer prevailed 6-3, 7-6(6) against Argentina's Federico Delbonis to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.

The match was carried over from Saturday evening when play was suspended due to persistent rain, with the Swiss leading Delbonis 6-3, 2-2.

Upon resumption on Sunday, Delbonis did well to force tiebreak, but Federer was too strong in the end. He closed out the win after one hour and 41 minutes, saving all three break points he faced.

It's Federer's 17th appearance in Indian Wells, where he kicked off his bid for a sixth tournament title. It was also the Basel native's 450th match at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level, improving to 351-99.

"It is interesting, when you go from night to day and you know there is a difference," said Federer, who just returned to the top spot of the ATP Rankings. "So naturally it's all a change. Here now you play the same guy the next day, so you can really compare how different conditions are. It was actually quite interesting."

"It's been a long time since I have been interrupted at night and have to come back the next day. They play very different. In the nighttime, the ball is much deader. The surface doesn't react so much. The ball doesn't travel so fast. Even though I served my five aces yesterday, I hit none today. So talking about faster, I just think there is more bounce to it, especially if you play someone who has a lot of spin like he has and kicks the ball around a lot."

Federer will be assured of remaining at the pinnacle of the ATP Rankings should he reach the semifinals in Indian Wells. Enditem