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- Tim Henman Plays Tennis for 24 Hours to Benefit Children’s Charity
- Caroline Wozniacki and Six Aussies Receive 2024 Australian Open Wild Cards
- 2024 Brisbane event includes Nadal, Murray, Dimitrov, and Osaka
- Rafael Nadal Announces Brisbane Return
- Alicia Molik Named Adelaide International Tournament Director
- Defending Champion Tiafoe Returning for U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship
- Including doubles, Sinner defeats Djokovic three times in 11 days
- Sinner the hero as Italy captures first Davis Cup title since 1976
- Dana Mathewson Wins Two Gold Medals at the Parapan American Games
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- Davis Cup Finals Draws and Schedule for Sunday, November 26, 2023
- Stars Set for LA Tennis Bash on December 9th to Benefit First Break Academy
- SOLINCO NEW RACQUETS THE WHITEOUT AND BLACKOUT XTD+
- Serbia and Italy advance to Davis Cup semis, setting up another Djokovic vs. Sinner showdown
Indian Wells Tennis • Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer Continue To Cruise
- Updated: March 14, 2019
By Ricky Dimon
There were still a couple of surprises at the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday. Lucky loser Miomir Kecmanovic is in the quarterfinals. So, too, is world No. 67 Hubert Hurkacz–who ousted Denis Shapovalov. John Isner lost in straight sets after dropping only nine total games in his first two matches in the desert.
For the most part, though, the drama cooled off like the weather did earlier in the tournament. And both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer continued to restore order to the otherwise unexpected proceedings in Indian Wells.
Nadal maintained his routine trek through the event with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Filip Krajinovic during fourth-round action on Wednesday. The second-seeded Spaniard served at just 56 percent, but he struck seven aces without double-faulting and won an amazing 83 percent of his second-serve points while advancing in one hour and 26 minutes of work.
“I probably played a little bit worse today than yesterday,” Nadal assessed. “Maybe because of the conditions; [it was] windier out there today. But in general terms, (it has) been a positive victory again. (I’m) happy the way I played.”

Roger Federer of Switzerland serves against Kyle Edmund of Great Britain during the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, USA, 13 March 2019. The men’s and women’s final will be played, 17 March 2019. EPA-EFE/JOHN G. MABANGLO
Federer also improved to 6-0 in total sets through three matches, coasting past Kyle Edmund 6-1, 6-4 in their first-ever encounter. The world No. 4 fought off all seven of the break points he faced while firing eight aces without double-faulting.
“He didn’t have the best start, so that cost him the first set,” Federer commented in reference to the 23-year-old Brit. “Second set, it was definitely better. I think he probably struggled throughout a little bit; he never really got going. Conditions are tough with the glare, and the jump of the ball is sometimes hard to find the rhythm and timing.”
Next up for the 37-year-old Swiss is Hurkacz, a 22-year-old from Poland.
“I enjoy it,” Federer said of facing opponents for the first time. “Hurkacz, he’s also up and coming, so that’s fun. Kyle, the same thing. I have never played him before other than practice. It’s nice to see what they have in the matches and really get a sense how much more we will see of them. For me, at a top level, I like it that I’m not playing the same guys every single week.”
Editor’s note • both Rafa and Roger’s wins both were a little over an hour.