Indian Wells, California  - Holder Novak Djokovic swept through the first set and struggled in the second before consolidating his Indian Wells Masters title defence campaign with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) defeat of Tommy Haas on Tuesday.

The Serbian third seed finally prevailed over the one-time number 2 from Germany - now ranked 64th - in an hour and three-quarters.

"I played really well in the opening set, but I could have finished the job a bit earlier," said Djokovic.

"I had some break chances and didn't make a couple returns and gave him a chance to come back into the match. I was lucky, because it could have gone to a third set, and then who knows?"

Djokovic is bidding for his second title of the season, after winning a fortnight ago in Dubai before losing both of his Davis Cup rubbers against Spain.

The 21-year-old now stands 2-0 against Haas, 31 next month, who is again struggling to come back after more shoulder trouble in 2008. Djokovic won his 16th match of the season against six losses while Haas now stands 6-5.

Djokovic lost serve once while breaking Haas three times.

"I'm playing a very solid game for now, saving lots of energy and being focused, not underestimating my opponents, and then really going step by step," said the winner.

"The game, for now it's quite fine. There are, you know, certain things that I need to focus on more, but I'm on the right path."

David Nalbandian won a third-round encounter, with the Argentine beating Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-2.

Women's seeds continued to advance, led by number 1 Dinara Safina, who broke in the penultimate game to defeat American Jill Craybas 7- 5, 6-4.

At almost the same moment on an outside court, Safina's big brother Marat Safin lost to American John Isner 6-4, 6-4.

Number 4 Russian Vera Zvonareva beat China's Li Na 6-4, 6-4.

"It was very tight from the very beginning. I wouldn't say I was controlling everything," said Zvonareva, now 3-2 against the Chinese number 45.

"I'm very happy about the way I was able to finish up the first set and the second set. I had to serve out for the first set and serve out to close the match, and I did that well."

Eighth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus ended the run of Israeli Shahar Peer 7-5, 6-4 while 18-year-old Danish talent Caroline Wozniacki, seeded ninth, beat the younger of the Polish Radwanska sisters, Ursula, 7-5, 6-3.

Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who upset second seed Jelena Jankovic in the second round last week, advanced into the quarter- finals as Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives wilted with a left hip injury trailing 6-3, 3-0.

"I tried to really focus on the next next matches after Jankovic, because it was a little bit difficult," said the Paris-based teenager.

"I was a bit excited about my big win, and I played very good that day. But it's always tough to keep focused and keep doing exactly the same things. Overall, I'm happy with the way I played, and hopefully I can continue." (dpa)