Indian Wells Open: Djokovic, Halep goes out

Also ousted were No. 6 Kei Nishikori, No. 10 Marin Cilic and No. 14 Daniil Medvedev.

Indian Wells Open: Nadal speeds into 3rd round, Federer battles hard for victory

Federer, who is seeking to break out of a tie with top seed Novak Djokovic for most titles in the California desert.

The second-round clash was the world number one's first match since he won his seventh Australian Open title in January.

Djokovic is making his first start since winning his third Grand Slam title on the trot at the Australian Open in January.

The graciousness with which he spoke of his opponent was symptomatic of the rarefied heights to which Djokovic has taken his game and his persona.

From Serena Williams to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the sportstars are focussing on mental strength to defy ageing and enhance their performance.

Djokovic will replace Rafael Nadal as the world's top player on Monday after a two-year absence.

They may be the best at their game but they believe a little bit of superstition can give them the edge.

Anderson came close to extend the match after holding five set points to force a fourth set.

The former world number slipped outside top four in the latest ATP Tour rankings for the first time since 2007.