INDIAN WELLS, California (AP) ― Rafael Nadal eased into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, beating countryman Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-4.
It was similarly easy on the women’s side for top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and No. 2 seed Maria Sharapova, who won their matches in just more than an hour to reach the quarterfinals.
In the late match, Roger Federer outlasted hard-serving Milos Raonic 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4 under the lights.
Ana Ivanovic defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-2 in a matchup of former Indian Wells champions and former top-ranked players.
Nadal, ranked second in the world, has won his past 10 matches against fellow Spaniards, and 22 of his past 23 sets against them. Granollers, who has risen from 50th to 26th in the rankings over the past year, cracked a 132-mph serve during the match, but he couldn’t overcome Nadal’s quickness and touch.
Nadal served out the match in a deuce game, then drew cheers from female fans when removed his shirt and toweled off courtside before donning a warm-up jacket.
“I didn’t play my best in the second,” he said. “I had a few mistakes, especially for the backhand. But I am happy that I finished the match well.”
Azarenka, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Julia Goerges, moved on to play fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who advanced when American wild card Jamie Hampton retired with cramping in the third set trailing 3-6, 6-4, 3-0. Azarenka (20-0) and Radwanska (20-3) have the most match wins this year on the WTA Tour.
Sharapova beat Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-1, and next plays against either 20th-seeded Maria Kirilenko or No. 30 Nadia Petrova.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
