* Dolgopolov clinches Top Thirty spot by shocking defending Indian Wells champion Nadal in third set tiebreak
* Spaniard will still remain #1
* Wawrinka maintains hot form; loses only two games against Seppi
* Murray struggles past Vesely; Federer beats Tursunov in two tiebreaks; all other matches go as expected
* Isner/Querrey upset Australian Open champions Kubot/Lindstedt
Indian Wells
Alexsandr Dolgopolov stunned top seed and holder Rafael Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) in the third round for the biggest upset of the event, The win was the first for the Ukrainian against Nadal, who had not lost before the semi-finals in a decade at the tournament.
Nadal, victim of back pains in a losing Australian Open final six weeks ago, has not been on full form as the spring hardcourt season began, barely getting through his opening match against Radek Stepanek and finally falling to Dolgopolov, whom he beat on clay a fortnight ago for the title in Rio.
Andy Murray won with a sub-par performance while Roger Federer stayed cool under pressure as both seeds advanced. Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka maintained championship form at his first event in a month, crushing Italian Andreas Seppi 6-0, 6-2.
Fifth seed Murray turned in one of his most error-filled efforts but somehow squeezed past determined Czech Jiri Vesely 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4; he left the court in relief after his opponent’s double-fault set up a third match point which he converted.
Four-time winner Federer, the No. 7, had to fight for his win after losing a first-set break against Dimitry Tursunov as the Russian veteran who he last played in 2008 put up a fight before falling 7-6(7), 7-6(2).”This is one of those moments where you feel there is confidence around somewhere,” said Federer.
Murray won his 20th match at Indian Wells but gave his support team – missing coach Ivan Lendl – a fright with his patchy play. He ended with nearly 50 unforced errors in two and three-quarter hours of agony. “The most important thing today was that I won,” said Murray. “I wasn’t happy with the way that I played. I could have lost the match and you not get an opportunity until Miami to play better or to improve some things.”
Italian 13th seed Fabio Fognini saved two match points to beat Gael Monfils 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. South African Kevin Anderson defeated Yevgeny Donskoy 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of March 9, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Nadal………….13130
2..(2) Djokovic………..9945
3..(3) Wawrinka………..5650
4..(4) Ferrer………….5150
5..(6) Murray………….4795
6..(5) Berdych…………4540
7..(8) Federer…………4535
8..(7) Del Potro……….4270
9..(9) Gasquet…………2905
10.(10) Tsonga………….2615
11.(11) Raonic………….2485
12.(12) Haas……………2435
13.(13) Isner…………..2355
14.(14) Fognini…………2295
15.(15) Youzhny…………2135
16.(16) Dimitrov………..2130
17.(17) Robredo…………2040
18.(18) Anderson………..1850
19.(19) Almagro…………1795
20.(20) Janowicz………..1715
20.(21) Nishikori……….1715
22.(22) Gulbis………….1571
23.(25) Monfils…………1520
24.(24) Kohlschreiber……1510
25.(23) Simon…………..1485
26.(26) Cilic…………..1455
27.(27) Pospisil………..1343
28.(31) Dolgopolov………1285
******** SCORES ********
MONDAY
Indian Wells Singles
Singles – Third Round
[28] A Dolgopolov (UKR) d [1] R Nadal (ESP) 63 36 76(5)
[3] S Wawrinka (SUI) d [29] A Seppi (ITA) 60 62
[5] A Murray (GBR) d J Vesely (CZE) 67(2) 64 64
[7] R Federer (SUI) d [27] D Tursunov (RUS) 76(7) 76(2)
[10] M Raonic (CAN) d A Falla (COL) 64 63
[11] T Haas (GER) d [19] K Nishikori (JPN) 76(3) 62
[13] F Fognini (ITA) d [23] G Monfils (FRA) 62 36 75 – Saved 2 M.P.
[17] K Anderson (RSA) d [LL] E Donskoy (RUS) 46 60 63
Doubles – Second Round
[3] I Dodig (CRO) / M Melo (BRA) d [PR] C Fleming (GBR) / R Hutchins (GBR) 36 64 10-6
[4] L Paes (IND) / R Stepanek (CZE) d [WC] J Erlich (ISR) / R Gasquet (FRA) 63 75
T Huey (PHI) / D Inglot (GBR) d [5] D Marrero (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) 36 63 10-7
N Mahut (FRA) / J Tsonga (FRA) d [7] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) 67(7) 76(5) 11-9
J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) d [8] L Kubot (POL) / R Lindstedt (SWE) 63 76(6)
R Federer (SUI) / S Wawrinka (SUI) d E Gulbis (LAT) / M Raonic (CAN) 76(3) 76(4)
****
* Sharapova out of Top Five after loss to Giorgi in Indian Wells
* Giorgi to face countrywoman Pennetta after Pennetta, who appears bound for Top Twenty, upsets Stosur
* Wozniak produces another surprise, upsets Pavlyuchenkova
* Li cruises into fourth round
* Kvitova outlasts Kuznetsova, Stephens tops Ivanovic, Cibulkova eliminates Ivanovic
* Kleybanova easily beats Torro-Flor
Indian Wells
Chinese top seed Li Na beat Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-4 as defending champion Maria Sharapova was sent home in a shock 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 third-round defeat at the hands of Italian Camile Giorgi. The un-fancied challenger whose controversial father was going wild in the stand on his daughter’s every winning point against the fourth seed, will face off against compatriot Flavia Pennetta, a winner of Australian 16th seed Samantha Stosur 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
“If I’m speaking about my level, it was nowhere near where it should have been,” said Sharapova, “I didn’t play a good match at all, I started very poorly. She’s someone that doesn’t give you much rhythm. She’s quite aggressive, but some shots she hits incredible for a long period of time.
“I will probably head to Florida, I like Florida, “Sharapova said regarding the Miami Masters from next week. “I have a home there, so it will be good to train there, get used to the humidity, as well.”
Former Wimbledon champion, seeded eighth, had to fight to get past double grand slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova of 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. Alexsandra Wozniak continued to build on a comeback from 18 months of shoulder problems, with the Canadian defeating Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-0 to next face Li.
Wozniak will next test herself against Li.
Rankings
Estimated WTA Rankings As of March 10, 2014
Rank &
Prior
Rank Name Points
1 (1) SWilliams 12660
2 (2) LI 6915*
3 (3) ARADWANSKA 5685*
4 (4) AZARENKA 5441
5 (7) HALEP 4505*
6 (8) JANKOVIC 4495*
7 (5) SHARAPOVA 4271
8 (9) KVITOVA 4235*
9 (6) KERBER 4050
10 (10) ERRANI 3830
11 (11) CIBULKOVA 3375*
12 (13) IVANOVIC 3140
13 (14) VINCI 2925
14 (15) LISICKI 2660
15 (16) SUAREZ NAVARRO 2620
16 (12) WOZNIACKI 2605*
17 (18) STEPHENS 2530*
18 (19) BOUCHARD 2485*
19 (17) STOSUR 2420
20 (21) PENNETTA 2375*
21 (22) PAVLYUCHENKOVA 2240
22 (23) CORNET 2230*
23 (20) FLIPKENS 2215
24 (24) MAKAROVA 2125
25 (26) KANEPI 2045
26 (27) CIRSTEA 1910
27 (28) SAFAROVA 1880
28 (29) ZAKOPALOVA 1615
29 (25) Kirilenko 1596
30 (30) KUZNETSOVA 1583
******** SCORES ********
MONDAY
Indian Wells
Singles – Third Round
(1) Li Na (CHN) d. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 63 64
(Q) Camila Giorgi (ITA) d. (4) Maria Sharapova (RUS) 63 46 75
(8) Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. (27) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 63 26 60
(17) Sloane Stephens (USA) d. (11) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 76(3) 64
(12) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) d. (23) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 64 75
(20) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. (16) Samantha Stosur (AUS) 64 36 61
Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) d. (21) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 61 67(7) 60
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. María-Teresa Torró-Flor (ESP) 61 63
Doubles – Second Round
(4) Peschke/Srebotnik (CZE/SLO) d. Erakovic/Martic (NZL/CRO) 76(1) 62
(8) Hradecka/Zheng (CZE/CHN) d. Dushevina/Lucic-Baroni (RUS/CRO) 63 75
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