SISTERLY LOVE PUT ASIDE AT INDIAN WELLS
Swiss closer to sixth Indian Wells title after disposing of Krajinovic
INDIAN WELLS: World No. 1 Roger Federer stepped up his bid for a sixth Indian Wells Masters title with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Filip Krajinovic.
The 36-year-old marvel continues to defy the ageing process as he needed just 58 minutes to overpower the Serb with a brilliant display of Swiss timing in the third round on Monday.
“I was feeling like he was not loving my slice and I was also mixing in dropshots,” said Federer who extended his perfect record this season to 14-0.
“I was able to mix up my game nicely, make it difficult for him.
“At the same time, have fun with my game, play a variation, but for the most part try to stay on the offensive.”
Federer blasted six aces, had one double fault and won 89% of his first serve points, losing just three points on his serve the entire match.
“I actually was explosive out there today and I felt good,” he said.
“So I’m very happy how things are turning out to be.”
After handing back an early break to allow Krajinovic to draw level at two-all, Federer moved into cruise control.
At one point he won 17 straight points en route to taking a 6-2, 3-0 lead, winning 10 of the final 11 games in the match.
Federer, who is the defending champion and trying to win a record sixth title in the California desert, was on the centre stadium for the third day in a row.
His opening match on Saturday night against Federico Delbonis carried over into Sunday afternoon after heavy rains forced a postponement of several night matches.
He said playing matches three days in a row doesn’t faze him.
“You’ve got to be ready for it. It’s what tennis players do. We wait, we play, we wait again, we play again.
“In Rotterdam I played five matches in a row,” he said.
“Back in the day, I used to play six matches in a row.
“At the Masters 1000s, when the format was different, it was the best-of-five-set finals in the finals. Playing three matches in a row. I think I’m okay.”
Federer has already won two titles in 2018, claiming his 20th Grand Slam crown by winning the Australian Open in January. The other victory came in Rotterdam.
In the next round he faces Jeremy Chardy, who beat fellow Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 4-6, 6-1.
In other men’s matches, fifth seeded Dominic Thiem became the latest top seed to fall as he was forced to retire from his match with Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay in the third set with a right ankle sprain. Cuevas was leading 3-6, 6-4, 4-2 when Thiem packed it in.
Also, American Taylor Fritz defeated Fernando Verdasco of Spain, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1), Croatia’s Borna Coric breezed past Roberto Bautista 6- 1, 6- 3 and Pablo Carreno-Busta of Spain, stopped Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 7-5.
In the women’s competition, Serena Williams’ return to tournament tennis came to an abrupt end as she crashed out of Indian Wells with a 6-3, 6-4 loss to her sister Venus.
Venus closed out the 29th career meeting between the two on her second match point as Serena sailed a forehand long to end the third round match in front of a main stadium crowd of about 13,000.
It was the first meeting between the sisters since they clashed in the final of the 2017 Australian Open, which Serena won before taking a 15-month hiatus due to her pregnancy.
Serena said she is still easing her way back into match fitness.
“It wasn’t very easy, obviously,” she said.
“It was good to play and try to get in the rhythm and get into the swing again.
“I can’t really replicate the situation no matter how much I do in practice. I make those shots 10 times out of 10 in practice.
“It’s just the nerves, the anticipation you feel naturally. It’s a little bit of everything that comes in a match that just doesn’t normally happen.”
The 10th seeded Venus moves on to the round of 16 where she will face Anastasija Sevastova, who defeated 12th seeded Julia Georges 6-3, 6-3.