Tennis

Federer cruises and Nadal advances via walkover at Indian Wells

 

The Sports Network

Second-seeded Roger Federer was an easy straight-set winner and former champion Rafael Nadal reached the fourth round without lifting his racquet at the $4.33 million BNP Paribas Open on Monday.

The former world No. 1 and reigning Wimbledon champion Federer needed only 61 minutes to send Croatian Ivan Dodig packing with a 6-3, 6-1 decision. Federer is the reigning Indian Wells champion and a four-time winner here.

Federer will take on Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round after the 18th- seeded Swiss earned a 6-4, 7-5 decision over two-time Indian Wells titlist and former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.

The fifth-seeded Nadal was scheduled to meet Leonardo Mayer on Day 5, but the Argentine pulled out of their scheduled third-round match with a back injury on a day when an earthquake shook Southern California.

"I was very scared. First time in my life," Nadal said. "I finish the earthquake, and my legs were (trembling)."

The quake had an estimated magnitude of 4.7 on the Richter scale and the epicenter was about a dozen miles from the desert town of Anza, about 100 miles from Los Angeles.

The former world No. 1 and reigning French Open champion Nadal was the 2007 Indian Wells titlist and 2011 runner-up.

Up next for Nadal will be talented Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who stayed red-hot with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 come-from-behind victory over 20th-seeded Italian Andreas Seppi. Gulbis has won his last 13 matches, including qualifying ones in order to enter the main draw at Indian Wells. He was a titlist in Delray Beach, Fla. two weeks ago.

Sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych moved on by defeating 27th-seed German Florian Mayer, 6-4, 6-1 and is seeking a trip into a third final in his last three events. He will first need to get through Richard Gasquet, who he will face in the fourth round after the Frenchman ousted 24th-seeded Jerzy Janowicz, 6-1, 6-4.

Also on Monday in the California desert, tall South African Kevin Anderson handled Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen, 6-3, 6-1. To advance in fourth round play, he will have to defeat 13th-seed Gilles Simon, who bested French countryman Benoit Paire, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

The 2013 Indian Wells champ will collect $1 million.

Read more Tennis stories from the Miami Herald

  •  

FILE - In this May 9, 2013 file photo, Serena Williams from U.S. returns the ball during the match against Maria Kirilenko from Russia at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain. The French Open begins Sunday, May 26, 2013.

    French Open

    Another French feast likely for same players

    There is little to suggest Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams won’t continue their run of dominating play at Roland Garros.

  •  

Russia's Maria Sharapova adjusts her cap during a training session for the 2013 French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday May, 25, 2013.

    Year later, Serena Williams seeks more in Paris

    In the moments immediately following her stunningly early exit from the 2012 French Open, as her eyes welled with tears and she bemoaned how she's "been through so much in my life," Serena Williams could not possibly find anything positive to take from the experience.

  •  

FILE - In this May 31, 2012 file photo, Andy Murray of Britain grimaces as a doctor tends to his back injury in his second round match against Jarkko Nieminen of Finland at the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Thursday May 31, 2012. Murray has pulled out of this years French Open.

    10 things to know for the French Open

    A look at 10 of the top topics at the French Open, the clay-court Grand Slam tennis tournament that begins Sunday and ends June 9:

Get your Miami Heat Fan Gear!

Join the
Discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.

Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category