Serena, Djokovic Cruise Into Indian Wells Quarterfinals
World number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams both picked up straight sets in their respective fourth-round matches on Tuesday as each booked their spot in the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Djokovic took on Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber in his Tuesday match, and after taking the first set 7-5, the Serb built a 5-2 advantage in the second set. While serving for the set at 5-3, the four-time champion failed to capitalize on four match points as Kohlschreiber trimmed the deficit to 4-5.
But Djokovic would secure one more break in the 12th game to close out Kohlschreiber and advance.
“I was fortunate today to manage win in straight sets,” said Djokovic. “I allowed myself twice to lose my serve, when I was a break up in both sets…Especially in the second at 5-3, a 40/0 smash, an easy backhand, match points, got him back. But Kohlschreiber is an experienced player. He has played so many times on the big occasions, so he knows how to capitalize on the opportunities and come back to the match.”
With the win, Djokovic improves to 43-6 in his career at Indian Wells. He will next take on 18th seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez who hung on to beat compatriot Roberto Bautista-Agut 7-6(5), 6-7(10), 6-4.
John Isner was the lone American to advance on Tuesday as the ninth-seed defeated France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 7-6(4) to set up a quarterfinal matchup with fifth-seed Kei Nishikori.
Nishikori came back from 2-6 down to American Steve Johnson in a first-set tiebreaker and hung on for the 7-6(6), 7-6(5) victory on Tuesday.
Seventh-seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took out American Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-4. The Frenchman will take on 11th seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem, who beat another American, Jack Sock, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-1.
Fourth-seed Rafael Nadal moved past fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 7-6(9) in his fourth-round matchup, setting up a contest with German teenager Alexander Zverev who rolled past 15th seed Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-2.
On the women’s side, Serena dispatched Ukraine’s Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-2 in her fourth-round match on Tuesday. Serena converted on six break points and won 72 percent of her first serve points to advance in one hour and 12 minutes.
“It definitely wasn’t an easy match,” said Serena afterwards. “She’s obviously been a good player in the past, and she knows how to play on big courts against big players. So, it was a good match for me.”
The win sets up a quarterfinal match between Serena and Simona Halep. The fifth-seeded Romanian held a 6-3, 1-0 lead over Barbora Strycova before the Czech was forced to retire with an injury.
Petra Kvitova came back from a set down to beat American Nicole Gibbs 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, setting up a matchup with fifth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska who cruised past Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-3.
Magdalena Rybarikova, Darya Kasatkina, Karolina Pliskova and Victoria Azarenka rounded out Tuesday’s winners in Indian Wells.
