Murray eases into third round
Sun, 14 Mar 22:18:00 2010

World number four Andy Murray outclassed Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-4 to move into the third round of the Indian Wells ATP tournament.

The fourth-seeded Scot, although not at his very best, broke his opponent in the seventh game of the second set when the Italian pushed a backhand volley wide before wrapping up victory in 86 minutes.

Murray ended the match with a crunching forehand winner down the line on a sunny afternoon in the California desert and he will next meet either Russian Igor Andreev or American Michael Russell.

The opening set on the showpiece stadium court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden was a patchy affair with Seppi being broken twice and Murray once in the first three games.

However, the Briton took command when he converted his third break point opportunity in the seventh game with a forehand winner and clinched the set in 48 minutes when the Italian netted a backhand.

The second set went with serve until Seppi buckled in the seventh game and Murray, beaten by Spaniard Rafa Nadal in last year's final, held serve to close out the match.

"Obviously I did well last year but I would love to win this time," Murray said.

"This is a great tournament with great weather, and a really nice place to be."

Earlier on Sunday, Australian Open semi-finalist and ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France hammered Australian Marinko Matosevic 6-1 6-3 and Spaniard Nicolas Almagro upset 23rd-seeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic 7-5 7-6.

Davydenko pulls out with broken wrist
Sun, 14 Mar 23:11:00 2010

Fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko has pulled out of the Indian Wells ATP tournament because of a broken left wrist.

 Davydenko first suffered the injury last month in Rotterdam but it was misdiagnosed and the fracture was only revealed after an MRI scan on Sunday, an ATP Tour official said.

"He has a fracture in his left wrist and he will be in a splint for the next four weeks," the official added.

The 28-year-old Russian had been scheduled to play Serbia's Viktor Troicki in the third round at Indian Wells on Monday.

Troicki will get a walkover into the fourth round where he will take on either Czech Tomas Berdych or Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.

World number six Davydenko had made a bright start to the year, beating Spaniard Rafa Nadal to win his 20th ATP title in Doha in January before losing to eventual champion Roger Federer in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

However he hurt his wrist in a fall during a loss to Sweden's Robin Soderling in Rotterdam in his next event and had to retire with a wrist injury while trailing German Michael Berrer 6-3 at the Dubai Championships that followed.

"I was thinking maybe I retire before the match," Davydenko said at the time. "But I warm up and I was feeling okay. My wrist was holding. I have no more pain.

"But in the match it's different. It started to get swollen and I have more pain. It was too much for me, get too risky now and better to retire."

Nadal powers through as Cilic slips
Sun, 14 Mar 07:42:00 2010

Defending champion Rafa Nadal eased into the third round of ATP Indian Wells with a commanding 6-4 6-4 victory over Germany's Rainer Schuettler.

Second-seeded Serb Novak Djokovic survived a lapse in the second set before he held off American Mardy Fish to record a topsy-turvy 6-1 0-6 6-2 win.

Fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko also advanced, beating Latvia's Ernests Gulbis 6-4 6-4 - but eighth seed Marin Cilic of Croatia made an early exit, losing 7-6 6-0 to Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

World number three Nadal, who relishes playing at the California desert venue, broke his opponent in the seventh game of the second set before clinching victory in one hour 34 minutes on a blustery late afternoon.

The Spanish left-hander removed his red headband in celebration after a Schuettler backhand flew wide before approaching the net to shake hands with his opponent.

"Indian Wells is one of my favourite tournaments and I always feel like I'm at home here," said a smiling Nadal. "I have very happy memories here."

The six-times Grand Slam champion had to contend with gusting winds on the stadium court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden but he was overall pleased with his form.

"It was a good start in the conditions for me and I'm very happy," added Nadal, competing this week for the first time since shaking off the knee injury that forced him to abandon his Australian Open title defence in January.

"Later, when I was playing in favour of the wind, it was very difficult for me with the backhand because I feel if I only touch the ball, the ball was out. It went too much.

"I feel really well with the forehand, and that's very important to my game. Maybe I can play better in better conditions with the backhand."

Nadal, winner at Indian Wells in 2007 and again last year, will next meet Croatia's Mario Ancic who came from a set down to beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 4-6 7-5 6-3.

Djokovic, champion here in 2008 when he beat Fish in the final, appeared to be on track for a smooth passage when he breezed through the opening set 6-1.

However his game deteriorated in the second and Fish won seven games in succession to level the match before the Serb regained control in the third.

"I was very lucky to pull out it out in the end," Djokovic said after making 37 unforced errors and serving nine double faults in a contest lasting one hour 42 minutes.

Asked what had happened in the second set, he replied: "I had a terrible start. Mardy played some good shots and I made a lot of unforced errors. I'm still jet-lagged and it took some time for me to get used to the centre court."

Djokovic will play Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round.

In other matches on Saturday, 10th-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco eased past Paraguay's Ramon Delgado 6-4 6-1 while Verdasco's compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero kept up his outstanding recent form as he hammered Austrian Daniel Koellerer 6-3 6-0.

Kuznetsova exits Indian Wells early
Sat, 13 Mar 23:45:00 2010

Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova was bundled out of the Indian Wells WTA tournament when she was beaten 6-4 4-6 6-1 by Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round.

Twice champion and former world number one Kim Clijsters of Belgium had a much easier time on a sunny afternoon in the California desert, cruising into the third round with a 6-2 6-1 demolition of Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

French Open champion Kuznetsova, runner-up here in 2007 and 2008, delivered an erratic display and was broken three times in the final set to lose a match lasting one hour, 56 minutes.

The Russian world number three angrily slammed her racket to the ground after losing the first point of the seventh game of the third set when trailing 1-5 and serving to stay in the match.

Kuznetsova, who was eliminated in the same round here last year, failed to win a point in that game and Suarez Navarro sealed victory when a backhand by the Russian sailed wide.

"I feel now very happy," the 42nd-ranked Spaniard said in a courtside interview after booking a place in the third round against Hungary's Agnes Szavay.

"For me, this is one of the most important matches of my life. I play good and I am happy to be in the next round."

Kuznetsova, who has produced patchy form this season after winning her second grand slam title at last year's French Open, lost the opening set after being broken in the first and fifth games.

After trading service breaks with Suarez Navarro early in the second, the Russian appeared to regain control from the baseline with her crunching ground strokes and she levelled the match by breaking the Spaniard in the 10th game.

However, Kuznetsova struggled to maintain momentum and she ended a frustrating match with a total of 69 unforced errors compared to just 38 by Suarez Navarro.

"It's frustrating because I know I have the game," said Kuznetsova, who as the third seed reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in January before losing to compatriot Nadia Petrova.

"I do practice, play unbelievable and then I get to the match and I don't do much. I feel good and the ball doesn't go where I want it to go.

"So my thinking is I just need more matches," added the Russian who has advanced no further than the fourth round in her four WTA appearances this year.

Fourteenth seed Clijsters, who returned to competitive tennis in 2009 following a two-year retirement and won her second US Open title in just her third tournament back, made short work of Zahlavova Strycova in just under an hour.

In other matches, third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus breezed past Austrian Sybille Bammer 6-1 7-5 while 12th-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva, last year's champion, beat American qualifier Sloane Stephens 6-4 7-5.

Brilliant Baltacha stuns Li
Sat, 13 Mar 09:16:00 2010

British qualifier Elena Baltacha "fought her heart out" to record the biggest win of her career when she upset seventh seed Li Na of China at the Indian Wells WTA tournament.

Former world number one Justine Henin was also a shock loser, beaten 6-2 1-6 6-4 by Argentina's Gisela Dulko.

The 26-year-old Baltacha came from 5-1 down in the third set tiebreaker and saved two match points against the Australian Open semi-finalist before sealing a 7-6 2-6 7-6 victory in a contest that lasted two hours and 50 minutes.

It was her first success against a top-10 player, Li is ranked 10th in the world, and earned Baltacha a place in the third round against wildcard Alicia Molik of Australia.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," Baltacha, who won two qualifiers to reach the first round, told reporters.

"By the end of the match, I felt a little bit I was getting tired. At 5-1 (in the third set tiebreaker) I went into the zone and I felt really strong. I just fought my heart out."

Ranked 65th in the world, Baltacha broke into the top 100 for the first time last September and believes she has learned quickly by competing against the game's best.

"As I've played the big players this year, I've managed to gain quite a lot out of every single match and just build my game from that," she said.

In another upset, Dulko, who had lost to Henin here in straight sets in 2006 in their only previous meeting, broke the 2004 champion three times in an error-strewn final set before wrapping up the win in just under two hours.

Serving at 40-0, the 31st-seeded Argentine chased down a delicate drop shot by the Belgian before hitting a sharply angled crosscourt forehand winner to end the match.

The 25-year-old from Buenos Aires, who will play fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the next round, then sank to her knees in disbelief as the fans watching on the stadium court applauded.

"It feels great," Dulko said in a courtside interview. "I am so excited, so happy. She (Henin) is an unbelievable champion and to beat her on this court is very special.

"I was really emotional out there. I couldn't believe at the beginning I actually won the match."

Henin, a dangerous wildcard entry, had been competing in her first tournament since losing to American Serena Williams in the Australian Open final in late January.

"It was a tough day today and I've never really been into the good rhythm," the Belgian said. "It proves that I have a lot of things to work on, and that's what I'm going to do in the next few days and few weeks."

Henin, a seven-times grand slam champion, had reached successive finals since returning to the circuit this year after quitting the game in 2008.

In earlier matches, fourth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva beat Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-4 4-6 6-0 and 10th-seeded Maria Sharapova also had to work hard before winning 4-6 7-5 6-2 against fellow Russian Vera Dushevina.

Second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark battled past American Vania King 5-7 6-2 6-4 after clawing her way back from 4-1 down in the third set.

Wozniacki battles into third round
Fri, 12 Mar 22:36:00 2010

Second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark battled back from 4-1 down in the third set to scrape past American Vania King 5-7 6-2 6-4 at Indian Wells.

The 19-year-old Dane broke her unseeded opponent in the seventh and ninth games of the third set before sealing victory in two hours 28 minutes when King hit a backhand long.

"I just kept fighting for every point," a relieved Wozniacki said in a courtside interview at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after booking a third round spot.

"Vania was playing really, really good and it was a tough match but I am so happy I came through."

King had never beaten a top-10 player in 11 previous attempts but appeared on track for the biggest win of her career when she hit a backhand down the line to take the first set.

Wozniacki came from 0-2 down in the second set by breaking King's serve in the third, fifth and seventh games to level the match, but the American gained early momentum in the third.

Hitting penetrating ground strokes from the baseline mixed up occasionally with delicate drop shots, she broke the Dane in the fourth game to lead 3-1.

King then comfortably held serve to take a commanding lead before Wozniacki steadily regained control.

Asked what her strategy had been when she trailed in the final set, the Dane replied: "I just kept thinking she still has to win eight points.

"As long as I am still there, I keep on fighting and running."

In other matches on Friday, 22nd-seeded German Sabine Lisicki made an early exit when she retired from her match against American Jill Craybas trailing 4-6 7-5 2-0.

Fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland advanced when Russian Anna Chakvetadze also retired at 6-2 5-3 while 18th seed Zheng Jie of China beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-3 7-5.

Moya rolls back years at Indian Wells
Fri, 12 Mar 07:50:00 2010

Former world number one Carlos Moya survived a shaky second set to scrape through 7-6 7-6 against American qualifier Tim Smyczek in the first round of ATP Indian Wells.

Moya, who played only four events on the circuit last year after being hampered by a hamstring injury and having toe surgery, trailed Smyczek 3-5 and saved two set points before sealing victory in two hours 20 minutes.

Although the 33-year-old Spaniard failed to convert two match points when leading 6-5, he booked his place in the second round against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci on his fourth opportunity.

Moya, who saved two set points in the first set tie-break, struck a backhand winner past the 295th-ranked Smyczek to claim the win before being applauded by the fans at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

"I was nervous when I was closing the match but I'm hitting the ball well," said a smiling Moya, now ranked a lowly 639th. "I'm happy to be here with you."

Eleven years ago at this tournament, the popular Spaniard became the game's top-ranked player when he beat Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten in the semi-finals.

"I knew at the start of the tournament I had a chance," Moya recalled. "Four of us did -- me, Pete Sampras, Pat Rafter and Alex Corretja. But they all lost their first match and then I knew, if I got to the final, I would be number one."

American Mardy Fish, runner-up in Indian Wells to Serbia's Novak Djokovic in 2008, recovered from a poor start to beat Germany's Michael Berrer 1-6 6-1 6-3 in an evening match.

Fish, who recovered form after being broken three times by Berrer in the opening set, wrapped up victory in one hour 35 minutes and will next meet second-seeded Djokovic.

"It's great to be back at Indian Wells," the 28-year-old American said. "I have some special memories of the last two years here, winning the doubles with Andy Roddick last year and the run I made in '08."

Fish was eager to take on Djokovic in the second round.

"We have played three or four times and we have had some great matches," he said.

"He beat me at Wimbledon the last time we played in straight sets. Other than that, we've gone the distance."

Oudin falls at first hurdle
Fri, 12 Mar 11:41:00 2010

Home favorite Melanie Oudin crashed out of WTA Indian Wells in her opening match of the tournament.

The American teenager was unseeded for the tournament, but hopes were high after her stunning run at last year's US Open, where she beat Russians Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova.

But despite a solid start, Oudin went down 3-6 6-3 6-0 to Italy's Roberta Vinci.

Oudin's fellow American Sloane Stephens became the lowest-ranked player to win a main draw match at the event, the world number 747 enjoying a 7-6 7-6 victory over Czech Lucie Hradecka in their first-round clash.

Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro beat France's Alize Cornet 6-4 1-6 6-2, while Germany's Julia Goerges continued her recent excellent form with a 7-5 3-6 6-3 win over Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.