Roger Federer was pushed by left-handed Argentine Federico Delbonis but won their second-round match at the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event.

Federer, who led by a set when play was halted due to rain at 2-2 on Saturday night, staved off a set point in a tiebreak to beat Delbonis 6-3 7-6 (8-6).

The world No.1 – who has a perfect 13-0 record this year – is the defending champion and is bidding for a sixth Indian Wells title.

Novak Djokovic produced a puzzling performance in his loss to Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel.

On his highly-anticipated return to the tour after right elbow surgery, Djokovic looked a shadow of his former self.

The 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-1 loss resulted in a quick exit from a tournament the Serbian has won five times.

The 10th-seeded Djokovic acknowledged his poor performance against the world’s 109th-ranked player.

“It felt like the first match I have ever played on the tour, very weird,” the 12-times grand slam champion told reporters.

“I just completely lost rhythm, everything, struggled a little bit with the health the last couple of weeks.

“I was grateful to be out on the court after surgery that quickly but at the same time just didn’t feel good at all.

“Nerves were there. I made so many unforced errors.”

Djokovic took six months off after Wimbledon last year and returned at January’s Australian Open, where he lost in the fourth round.

He had elbow surgery in Switzerland shortly after that.

Frenchman Gael Monfils survived a match point before beating big-serving American 15th seed John Isner 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.

Yuki Bhambri of India pulled off a surprise when he toppled ninth-seeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-4 6-4.

The Indian Bhambri will meet 18th-seeded Sam Querrey in the third round after the big-serving American accounted for Germany’s Mischa Zverev 6-4 7-5.

Israeli Dudi Sela beat British 21st-seeded Briton Kyle Edmund 6-4 6-4 while Luxemburg’s 24th seed Giles Muller was upset by Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-3 7-5.

Spanish veterans David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez recorded routine straight-sets wins over Tennys Sandgren and Ernesto Escobedo respectively while Philipp Kohlschreiber outlasted Tim Smyczek.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori withdrew through illness before playing his opening match of the tournament.