Federer struggles, Nadal coasts to win at Indian Wells

Defending women’s champion Wozniacki ousted by Ivanovic.

INDIAN WELLS: Rafael Nadal breezed into the fourth round at Indian Wells, joined by Roger Federer who had to dig deep to fend off rising star Milos Raonic in three sets.

Where world number three Federer had to come from behind to beat Canada’s Raonic 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-4, his Spanish rival cruised pat Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-4, to extend his winning run against his compatriot to 10 matches.

Nadal will face Alexandr Dolgopolov in the fourth round of the hardcourt tournament in the California desert.

In the women’s draw, defending champion Caroline Wozniacki saw her bid for back-to-back titles fail as she was dumped out 6-3, 6-2 in the night match by former world number one Ana Ivanovic.

Federer also appeared to be facing an early exit after losing the first set to Raonic.

But the 30-year-old Swiss, who won three straight Indian Wells titles from 2004-2006, came back to take the next two sets and continue a strong run of form that has seen him take consecutive wins in Rotterdam and Dubai.

“It was a difficult match,” said Federer. “I hadn’t played him before. He’s probably seen me play a whole lot on TV that helped him out a bit.”

Federer hammered 10 aces and won 88 per cent of his first-serve points in the two hour, seven minute match, and expressed pride in the comeback.

“I hung in there and played great in the second set. The third set was close and I am glad to be moving on.

“Raonic played really well. He’s going to be a future top 10 player and a whole lot better.”

Nadal too good for Granollers

Meanwhile, Nadal has been a model of consistency in Indian Wells and is the lone player in the last six years to have reached the semi-finals.

He hit four aces and won 79 per cent of his first serve points against Granollers.“I think I did very well in the first set,” said Nadal. “In the second I didn’t play my best. I stopped moving my legs and in the end I got into a bit of trouble but I’m happy I finished the match well.”

Azarenka extends winning run

On the women’s side of the draw, top-seed Victoria Azarenka extended her winning streak this year to 20-0 by beating Julia Goerges 6-3, 6-1.

Azarenka advances to the quarter-finals where she will play number five-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska.

Wozniacki was disappointed after the 15th-seeded Ivanovic ended her run in the tournament.”I tried to fight and do my best but sometimes that is not enough,” said Wozniacki. China’s eighth-seed Li Na and second-seed Maria Sharapova also reached the quarter-finals.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2012.