Rafa, Federer set up mouthwatering clash
Indian Wells, March 15: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer booked a mouthwatering fourth-round clash at the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Tuesday, where five-time champion Novak Djokovic also advanced from the “group of death”.
With the three superstars drawn in the same quarter, only one - at most - can make it to the semifinals.
The weeding out will start in earnest on Wednesday, when Federer meets Nadal in the round of 16 in a reprise of the Australian Open final in January that saw the Swiss star claim an 18th Grand Slam crown.
“I think it’s a great thing for tennis, and it’s exciting for Rafa and me,” said Federer, a four-time Indian Wells winner. “It’s a tough draw, but rankings are not the priority for both of us.
Three-time Indian Wells champion Nadal, was the first through, defeating fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-5.
Federer edged American Steve Johnson 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) in a match in which neither player was able to break.
Djokovic downs del Potro Djokovic made it past dangerous Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, who shocked the Serb star in the first round of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last year en route to singles silver.
Djokovic eked out the first set despite going down an early break, but couldn’t do the same in the second.
Djoko will next meet Kyrgios, who defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4.
Meanwhile, fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan advanced to the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Gilles Muller.
Nishikori booked a date with unseeded American Donald Young, who ousted 14th-seeded Lucas Pouille 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
American Jack Sock saved four match points in a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) win over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. Sock next faces Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 winner over 19year-old American Taylor Fritz. Vesnina shocks Kerber
Angelique Kerber won’t celebrate her return to world number one with an Indian Wells title after a shock fourth-round exit on Tuesday at the hands of Elena Vesnina.
Russia’s 14th-seeded Vesnina toppled the second-seeded German 6-3, 63 to book a quarter-final clash with seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.
Williams battled back from a break down in the final set to beat Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai 3-6, 61, 6-3.
Eighth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova sped past Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-4 to lead the way into the quarters.
Kuznetsova next faces compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who toppled fifth-seeded Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Third-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova booked her quarter-final berth when Timea Bacsinszky retired with a left wrist injury.
Pliskova next faces seventh-seeded Garbine Muguruza, who downed 10th-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 7-6 (7/5), 16, 6-0.
Sania-Barbara pair ousted India’s Sania Mirza and her women’s doubles partner Barbara Strycova crashed out after going down in straight sets in the quarter-finals here.
The Indo-Czech pair suffered a 4-6, 4-6 loss against Switzerland’s Martina Hingis and Taiwan’s Yung-jan Chan in the quarter-final match that lasted an hour and 20 minutes here.