INDIAN WELLS: Former champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal breezed through their Indian Wells openers and Serena Williams stepped up her comeback from a 14-year boycott with a similar crushing victory Sunday.

Second seed Federer opened his bid for a fifth Indian Wells title by easing to a 6-4, 6-2 second round victory over Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman. Nadal also opened his campaign on a successful note, blitzing Igor Sijsling 6-4, 6-2 in the joint WTA and ATP hardcourt tournament.

Federer, who is making his 15th appearance in the California desert, advances to the third round, where he will face Italy’s Andreas Seppi, who beat Federer earlier this year at the Australian Open.

“It was important to get a good start. I had to stay focused and try to stay aggressive on the return which isn’t always easy,” Federer said.

“It was a bit breezy and I had to be careful at times but it is good to get the first win.”

The 17-time Grand Slam winner Federer is ranked second in the world and has a shot at reclaiming the top ranking with a good showing at Indian Wells.

Federer said he is looking forward to getting another shot so soon at Seppi who beat him in four sets at the Australian Open in January.

“It was a tough match. It slipped away from me,” Federer said.

Top seed Serena Williams stepped up her comeback from a 14-year Indian Wells boycott by storming into the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of error-prone Zarina Diyas.

World number one Serena needed just 53 minutes to dismiss Diyas, blasting six aces and breaking the world number 32 six times in front of a crowd of about 10,500.

“This is going in the right direction,” Serena said.

“I was able to be a little more consistent today.”

Former US Fed Cup player Sloane Stephens defeated two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 6-4 to set up a clash with Williams with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals.

Results:

Men’s (second round):

Milos Raonic (CAN x6) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 6-3, 6-4; Aleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4); Donald Young (USA) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA x31) 6-4, 6-2; Lukas Rosol (CZE) bt Martin Klizan (SVK) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3; Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x11) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4); Michael Berrer (GER) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA x22) 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 3-1 abandon; Robin Haase (NED) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x7) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Roberto Bautista (ESP x15) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-4, 6-3; Andreas Seppi (ITA x30) bt Victor Hanescu (ROM) 6-4, 6-4; Rafael Nadal (ESP x3) bt Igor Sijsling (NED) 6-4, 6-2; Jack Sock (USA) bt Gilles Muller (LUX x33) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7); Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 6-4, 6-2; Steve Johnson (USA) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO/N.21) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5); Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Tommy Robredo (ESP x17) bt Andrey Golubev (KAZ) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4; Tomas Berdych (CZE x9) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 6-1, 6-4.

Women’s (third round):

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ x28) 6-2, 6-0; Heather Watson (GBR) bt Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x7) 6-4, 6-4; Elina Svitolina (UKR x23) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE x10) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5; Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x27) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x8) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4; Karolmna Pliskova (CZE x14) bt Garbine Muguruza (ESP x19) 7-5, 6-4; Simona Halep (ROM x3) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA x26) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; Carla Suarez (ESP x12) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (5/7), 6-0; Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x22) 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 6-4.—AFP

Published in Dawn March 17th , 2015

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