The world No. 1 Djokovic defeated Fabio Fognini 6-0, 5-7, 6-2, the struggles he encountered against the 36th-ranked Italian echoing world No. 3 Andy Murray's battle to a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory over unheralded Russian Evgeny Donskoy.
Djokovic improved to 14-0 in 2013, but he was kicking himself for letting control of the match slip away in the second set, when he went up an early break only for Fognini to get back on serve with a break of his own in the seventh game.
Fognini saved a match point with a service winner in the the 10th game of the second set and broke Djokovic in the 11th.
He duly served out the set, and had Djokovic under pressure in the opening game of the third, when the Serbian fended off one break point then battled through four game points and an irksome time violation before finally holding serve.
From there Fognini began to fade. Djokovic broke him to lead 3-1 and broke him again to secure the win.
Djokovic said his difficulties hadn't dented the confidence gained from capturing his fourth Australian Open crown in January, and a fourth ATP Dubai title last week.
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