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Nadal, Djokovic advance with ease

Source: Agencies | March 17, 2009, Tuesday | Print Edition

TOP-RANKED Rafael Nadal needed just 67 minutes to beat Michael Berrer of Germany, 6-2, 6-1, in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, on Sunday.

Nadal, enjoying his 30th consecutive week at No. 1, had a bye in the first round before overwhelming Berrer, a qualifier ranked No. 112 on the ATP Tour. Nadal lost just five points in seven service games and broke Berrer five times.

"For me it was perfect," said the Spaniard, who will meet Dmitry Tursunov of Russia in the third round. "I played a very comfortable match. I had the break in the first game of both sets. That's really important. I felt well on the court, playing good."

The 26th-ranked Tursunov struggled to a 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3 win over American qualifier Michael Russell.

Seventh-seeded Andy Roddick didn't play quite as well against Austrian qualifier Daniel Koellerer, but still managed a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win. Fellow American Sam Querrey beat No. 18 Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-3.

Defending champion and third-seeded Novak Djokovic also advanced to the third round with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina.

Djokovic struggled at the start of the season, but is coming off a tournament title at Dubai last month.

"Winning Dubai meant a lot for my confidence level and for my game overall," he said. "I've changed my racket. Probably that was the big reason for mental instability in certain stages at the start of the year. I was thinking about that more than my game. Luckily for me, it has changed."

American Mardy Fish, last year's runner-up, lost to Jeremy Chardy of France, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1).

Fish, who beat Nikolay Davydenko, David Nalbandian and Roger Federer en route to last year's final, had beaten Chardy two weeks ago at Delray Beach, where he won the title.

No. 8 Juan Martin del Potro moved into the third round with a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1 win over American wildcard Ryan Sweeting, while the towering John Isner upset ninth-seeded Gael Monfils of France, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4.

In the women's draw, top-seeded Dinara Safina, No. 4 Vera Zvonareva of Russia, No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and unseeded American Jill Craybas all won their third-round matches.

Safina, who will move to the top of the WTA Tour rankings if she reaches the final round, beat Peng Shuai of China, 7-5, 6-4; Zvonareva, on track for a possible semifinal meeting with Safina, was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Czech Petra Kvitova; and Wozniacki, Zvonareva's potential quarterfinals foe, beat Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Craybas, No. 102 in the WTA Tour rankings, ousted Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-3.


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