Miami Masters: Nadal ‘pleased’ with performance

Spaniard continues to dominate; beats Istomin in straight sets.

MIAMI: World number one Rafael Nadal said he was satisfied with his performance as he continued rioting through the Sony Open on Monday, crushing Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-1, 6-0 to reach the fourth round at Crandon Park.

“I played a very complete match,” said Nadal, who was given a warning for slow play. “No match is perfect but this one went well — no mistakes, serving with good percentage, and playing a lot of winners.”

Nadal has shown no signs of losing focus. He broke Istomin twice to open the match and grab a 4-0 lead. The 57th ranked Istomin finally held serve at 4-1, but that would be the only time as Nadal thundered through the next eight games to complete the rout.



Nadal, who has reached the final three times but never lifted the Miami title, blew past Lleyton Hewitt in the second round before overwhelming Istomin in less than an hour in a centre court master class.

‘I’m happy with the way I was fighting’

Reigning Australian Open champ Stanislas Wawrinka said he was ‘happy’ with his show against Edouard Roger-Vasselin as he posted a straight-set victory in the third round.

“I’m happy with the way I was fighting,” said the 28-year-old Wawrinka.

“The way I stayed positive in the game. Even if I wasn’t moving or playing so as well at the beginning, I stayed with him. I was fighting with myself to get control of the point.”

Wawrinka cruised into the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-4 dismantling of the French Edouard, at Crandon Park.

He will now square off against Alexandr Dolgopolov after the 22nd-seeded Ukrainian rallied for a 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7/5) win over Dusan Lajovic.

Nothing was working out: Sharapova

Russian fourth seed Maria Sharapova felt relieved after battling through three sets to defeat Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, to reach the quarter-finals.

“I didn’t start off the way I wanted to,” said Sharapova. “Nothing was working. Just the way it went in the beginning.”

But the Russian tackled the difficulty posed by Flipkens to reach the last-eight — she is still seeking her first title at the hardcourt event.

“Of course it would be meaningful for me to win this tournament after being so close.

“It’s not like I didn’t have my opportunities in earlier finals. I just didn’t take them. That’s why you come back and hope for another chance.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2014.

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