INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — For the first time in four years, Novak Djokovic is without a big title to start the year. Or any title.

The Serb is used to arriving at the BNP Paribas Open with the Australian Open in his back pocket, having won the season’s first Grand Slam three straight years. He lost in the quarterfinals in Melbourne in January, and then lost in the semifinals at Dubai.

“That is a different feel from previous years,” he said.

So Djokovic is especially eager to hoist the trophy at Indian Wells, where he’s a two-time champion. He took a step toward that goal with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Julien Benneteau in just over an hour in the quarterfinals on Friday.

“I’m on the right path and playing semifinals, which is always of course a challenge and a good result,” he said, “but I want to try to go as far as I can.”

Djokovic never faced a break point on his serve against Benneteau, the only unseeded player left in the men’s draw. The Serb held break points on Benneteau’s serve in seven of eight games, and broke him four times during the match played in near 90-degree temperatures.

It was Djokovic’s easiest match so far. He needed three sets to get by Marin Cilic and Alejandro Gonzalez, and had to win a tiebreaker against Victor Hanescu in his opening match.

“I felt like I was very focused on the court from the start, and it’s what I was looking for. First few matches I played good tennis but I had some ups and downs,” Djokovic said. “He made a lot of unforced errors, and obviously I just needed to make him play an extra shot and serve well.”

On the women’s side, top-seeded Li Na played 20th-seeded Flavia Pennetta and No. 2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska took on sixth-seeded Simona Halep in evening semifinals.

Djokovic, a two-time champion at Indian Wells, will play 12th-seeded John Isner, the lone remaining American, in Saturday’s semifinals. The Serb has lost at that stage the last two years, including 2012, when Isner beat him and lost to Roger Federer in the final.

Federer, a four-time winner here, will meet Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine in the other semi.

Isner fired 13 aces to beat 20th-seeded Ernests Gulbis 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3). Isner got broken twice to trail 4-2 in the second. He broke back at 5-all and after Gulbis tied it 6-all, Isner dominated the second tiebreaker.

He served consecutive aces, including one at 141 mph to set up match point. Isner’s backhand down the line clinched the victory. Last year, Isner played in and won the most tiebreakers on the ATP Tour.