INDIAN WELLS: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer booked a mouthwatering fourth-round clash at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, where five-time champion Novak Djokovic also advanced from the “group of death”.

With the three superstars drawn in the same quarter, only one — at most — can make it to the semi-finals.

The weeding out will start in earnest, when Federer meets Nadal in the round of 16 in a reprise of the Australian Open final in January that saw the Swiss star claim an 18th Grand Slam crown with a rousing 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 triumph.

“I think it’s a great thing for tennis, and it’s exciting for Rafa and me,” said Federer, a four-time Indian Wells winner. “It’s a tough draw, but rankings are not the priority for both of us. Anything else but a finals, it almost doesn’t matter which round it would be.”

Fifth seed Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-5, while ninth seed Federer served impeccably to get past American Stevie Johnson 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4) and book the 36th showdown of their famous rivalry.

Federer, 35, lost only five points on his first serve in his double tie-breaker win over Johnson in a match completed without a service break.

Fourteen-time Grand Slam winner Nadal, 30, was comfortable as usual in the California desert, dismissing compatriot Verdasco to keep his date with the Swiss maestro.

It was the 50th win at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for Nadal, who has lifted the trophy three times, in 2007 (over Djokovic), 2009 (Andy Murray) and 2013 (Juan Martin del Potro).

“History says that this tournament works well for me,” Nadal, who holds a 23-12 winning record over Federer, told reporters.

Djokovic defeated Del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 and next faces Nick Kyrgios, who prevailed 6-3, 6-4 over Alexander Zverev in an entertaining first tour-level meeting between the young guns.

Fourth seed Kei Nishikori of Japan also cruised into the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-2 rout of Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.

Nishikori booked a date with unseeded American Donald Young, who ousted 14th-seeded Lucas Pouille of France 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

American Jack Sock saved four match points in a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) win over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. Sock, winner of ATP titles in Auckland and Delray Beach this year, next faces Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 winner over 19-year-old American Taylor.

VESNINA UPSETS KERBER

On the women’s side, Russia’s Elena Vesnina ousted German second seed Angelique Kerber, assured of retaking the No 1 ranking from injured Serena Williams next week, 6-3, 6-3 to book a quarter-final clash with seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.

Venus battled back from a break down in the final set to beat Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

“I think I played a really good match,” the 14th-seeded Vesnina said in her courtside interview.

Vesnina blasted 28 winners to 21 unforced errors and broke Kerber’s serve five times to forge ahead before holding off a late rally by the German. Venus advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2001, having ended her 15-year boycott of the event last year, when she lost in the second round.

She had 40 winners, 40 unforced errors and won the final four games of the match after trailing 3-2.

“It was so frustrating,” Venis said. “But I feel like I got my focus more in that second set and towards the end of the third because I’m just a competitor. If things get closer, then I think my better tennis is going to come.”

World number three Karolina Pliskova advanced to the last eight after 15th seed Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland retired from their match while trailing 5-1 in the first set.

The Czech will face reigning French Open champion Garbie Muguruza of Spain, a 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-0 winner over in-form Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.

Caroline Wozniacki, the 13th seed and 2011 champion, reached the quarters with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over ninth-seeded American Madison Keys. The Dane will meet Kristina Mladenovic of France, who beat American Lauren Davis 6-3, 6-3.

Eighth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova sped past Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-4 to lead the way into the quarters.

She will compete in an all-Russian quarter-final against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a 6-4 3-6 6-2 upset winner over fifth seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2017