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Federer, Nadal win, Ferrer goes out

Tennis
World number four David Ferrer became the first top seed to make an early exit from the BNP Paribas Open.

INDIAN WELLS  — While Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal won their opening matches in straight sets on Saturday, world number four David Ferrer became the first top seed to make an early exit from the BNP Paribas Open.

Reuters

Spaniard Ferrer, a winner of two ATP titles this year who is known for his speed across the court, was ousted 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 by big-serving South African Kevin Anderson in the second round at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Four-times champion Federer, however, wasted little time in pounding Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-2 6-3 with a ruthless display of seemingly effortless movement and razor-sharp shot-making.

In a heavily anticipated evening encounter, Spaniard Nadal overcame early resistance from American Ryan Harrison to win 7-6 6-2 in his first match on a hardcourt surface in 346 days, following a left knee injury.

Nadal, a twice former champion at Indian Wells, did not appear to be in any discomfort after being sidelined for seven months last year and he dominated the second set before wrapping up victory in just over an hour and a half.

Federer, who beat American John Isner 7-6, 6-3 in last year’s final at Indian Wells, was in peerless form on Saturday, blending a series of crunching groundstrokes with his typically dominant net play to break Istomin’s serve twice in each set.

Federer will next play Croatian Ivan Dodig, who eased past Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-4 6-2.

Earlier, fourth-seeded Ferrer was overpowered by the towering Anderson in the final set as the South African booked his place in the third round after a contest lasting just under two hours.

Serving for the match in dazzling afternoon sunshine, Anderson earned his first win against the Spaniard in two career meetings when Ferrer dumped a backhand service return into the net.

The six-foot eight-inch (2,03 metre) South African, ranked 37th, clinched both fists in jubilant celebration before walking to the net to shake hands with his opponent. Anderson, who broke Ferrer’s serve once in the second set and twice in the third, will next face Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen, who crushed Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-0 earlier in the day.

Ferrer was frustrated after squandering two break points on Anderson’s serve in the ninth game of the second set.

In other matches, Latvia’s unpredictable Ernests Gulbis stunned ninth-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic 6-2, 6-0 while sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win against Germany’s Mischa Zverev.

Tenth seed Richard Gasquet of France beat Australia’s Bernard Tomic 7-6, 6-2 and twice former champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia upset 15th-seeded Isner 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.