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Fognini earns chance against Djokovic

INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 8 (UPI) -- Fabio Fognini earned a chance against the world's No. 1 player Friday by winning his first-round match at the BNP Paribas Open.

Fognini took out Aliaz Bedene 6-4, 6-3 during the completion of the opening round of the Masters series event.

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That puts Fognini up against Novak Djokovic in the second round. Djoknovic is unbeaten in 13 matches this year and already has two championships to his credit. Fognini has lost all three of his meetings with Djokovic, but did win a set off him at last year's Olympics.

James Blake and Nikolay Davydenko also advanced Friday on a day in which only unseeded players competed in the men's draw. The 32 seeded players all received a bye to the second round.

Blake got past Robin Haase 6-3, 6-4 and will now meet eighth-seeded Jo-Wilifried Tsonga. Davydenko defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 to earn a match against No. 7 seed Juan Martin del Potro.

Third-seeded Andy Murray will face Evgeny Donskoy in the second round after Donskoy blitzed Tatsuma Ito 6-2, 6-1.

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Other winners Friday included Matthew Ebden, Ivo Karlovic, Marinko Matosevic, Albert Ramos, Carlos Berlocq, Philipp Petzschner and Pablo Andujar.

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