Sunday Nov 17, 2024
Sunday Nov 17, 2024
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The Spaniard, in his first match as defending champion, was stretched to the limit before prevailing 2-6 6-4 7-5 in night match that lasted two hours, 24 minutes in the California desert.
Nadal served eight double faults and was broken three times, but he also broke his Czech opponent three times, including twice in the final set.
The pivotal moment came in the sixth game of the third set, when Nadal fended off three break points to hold serve.
Earlier, Briton Andy Murray recorded his 300th hardcourt victory when he beat Stepanek’s compatriot Lukas Rosol in three sets.
Fifth seed Murray recovered from a slow start to beat his Czech opponent 4-6 6-3 6-2 as the top seeds took to the courts for the first time after receiving first round byes.
“I got broken three times in a row the end of the first set, beginning of the second,” Murray told reporters. “I just kind of kept going and found a way to win, which is always the most important thing.”
Only five active players have won more tour-level hardcourt matches, headed by Roger Federer (575).
Seventh seed Federer dominated the first set but was taken to a tie-break in the second before prevailing 6-2 7-6(5) against French qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu, while Swiss compatriot and Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka clinched a 6-3 7-5 win over Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic.
Australian Lleyton Hewitt failed to notch his 600th career win when he was beaten by South African Kevin Anderson 7-6(5) 6-4.
The veteran Hewitt saved 10 of 11 break points but was unable to break the tall 17th seed’s powerful serve in the match.
There was high drama in another match as Colombian Alejandro Falla saved a match point at 5-2 down in the third set to beat Polish 18th seed Jerzy Janowicz 6-3 2-6 7-6(5).
On the women’s side, top seed Li Na beat Chinese compatriot Zheng Jie 6-1 7-5.
Australian Open champion Li notched six breaks as Zheng struggled on serve.
Defending champion Maria Sharapova made short work of her first match, beating German Julia Goerges 6-1 6-4 in barely an hour.
Unseeded Davis upsets Azarenka at Indian WellsREUTERS: Unseeded American Lauren Davis secured the first big upset of the BNP Paribas Open when she ousted third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the second round in Indian Wells on Friday. Davis broke serve seven times en route to 6-0 7-6(2) victory as she pounced on the 2012 champion’s second serve. Azarenka, who was hampered by a foot injury, did not help her cause with 12 double faults. It is the first time 20-year-old Davis, ranked 66th in the world, has beaten an opponent inside the top 20. Earlier in California, second seed Agnieszka Radwanska earned a belated birthday present when she broke the serve of British qualifier Heather Watson seven times to win their second round match. Radwanska was not exactly dominant, dropping serve five times herself, but she had enough of an edge to beat Watson 6-4 6-3. “I’m just very happy I could play quite well today and win in two sets,” the Pole told reporters a day after her 25th birthday. “Today was very windy and we were both struggling with the serve, so I’m happy I could make it through.” The top seeds received a first round bye and most of the big names will not make their first appearances until the weekend. But some notables were in action on Friday including Dane Caroline Wozniacki, the 10th seed, who beat Bojana Jovanovski 6-1 6-3. Wozniacki broke Jovanovski five times as she preyed on her Serbian opponent’s weak second serve. Top seed Li Na will start her campaign on Saturday against Chinese compatriot Zheng Jie. In the men’s doubles, Swiss grand slam winners Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka teamed up for the first time in 18 months and entertained a large crowd in beating Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-2 6-7 (4) (10-6). |
