The Hindu : Sport : Nadal holds off Tsonga; Federer cruises

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Nadal holds off Tsonga; Federer cruises

Sharapova extends her unbeaten run this year with a win over Hantuchova

INDIAN WELLS: Rafael Nadal came back to win the final five games and beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday in an intense, crowd-pleasing rematch of their Australian Open semifinal. Nadal, the defending Indian Wells champion, avenged his lopsided loss in Melbourne with a scrappy 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-5 victory in the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open.

After Tsonga, a hard-hitting Frenchman, went up 5-2 in the third set, Nadal held serve the rest of the way and broke Tsonga’s serve in the ninth and 11th games to take a 6-5 lead.

No. 1 Roger Federer, bidding for his fourth Indian Wells title in five years, cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Ivan Ljubicic to move into the quarterfinals.

The women’s side saw an Australian Open rematch as well, as second-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova gained a measure of revenge for a third-round defeat in Melbourne with a 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal win over Agnieszka Radwanska. In the semifinals, Kuznetsova will face Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova, who saved two set points in the opening set en route to a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory over defending champion and fifth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia. Sharapova, the fourth seed, remains unbeaten in 2008 with 18 straight match wins.

James Blake took a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Richard Gasquet, and Mardy Fish beat two-time Indian Wells champion Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4) to advance to the quarterfinals.

Emphatic finish

With the crowd beginning to cheer even as he set up for the shot, Nadal capped the match by slamming an overhead past Tsonga.

The 22-year-old Tsonga, who has vaulted from 212 in the rankings in 2006 to No. 17, had upset Nadal in straight sets in the Australian Open semifinals before losing to Novak Djokovic in the final.

Nadal insisted he wasn’t out for revenge, but acknowledged that the match was significant in another way.

“He is going to be one of the rivals for this year, will try to be in the top positions, so I try to win. These matches are very important always,” the 21-year-old Spaniard said.

He believes Tsonga has the potential to move into the top three or four spots, saying, “He has an unbelievable forehand.”

Tsonga considered the match important for another reason.

“I would like to show everybody my run in the Australian Open was not luck,” he said. “I want to prove to everybody I can play at this level, so I’m disappointed about this.”

Patchy form

Tsonga played brilliantly at times in the rematch against Nadal, but mistakes cost him at other times.

After ending a long rally when both hit several outstanding shots, Tsonga ended it with a drop shot that Nadal somehow managed to hit back, then a volley exchange that left Nadal lying on the ground at the end of the point.

That brought Tsonga back from a 15-40 deficit to deuce in the 11th game, but he quickly followed that with a double-fault, then hit a forehand long to lose the game.

Driving powerful forehands down the line, Tsonga had 47 winners overall — but made 56 unforced errors. The far more consistent Nadal finished with 27 winners and 27 unforced errors. Tsonga, who had 18 aces when he stunned Nadal in Australia, had 11 against him at Indian Wells, but also double-faulted seven times.

The match lasted three minutes over three hours, and the crowd seemed rapt, reacting loudly to practically every point.

Some fans yelled “Go, Ali!” a Tsonga nickname alluding to his resemblance to boxing great Muhammad Ali, and others screaming, “You can do it, Rafa!”

Novak Djokovic advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Guillermo Canas, Tommy Haas edged Andy Murray 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 and David Nalbandian beat Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2, 6-2.

Federer was pleased to break the big-serving Ljubicic three times to complete his third straight sets win of the week.

“I really felt good and thought I moved extremely well,” the Swiss said.

“I came up with some great plays at the right time. He’s a tough player and to break him three times is a great effort, I think.

“He really had trouble acing me today,” the 26-year-old added, referring to Ljubicic’s match tally of four.

“I felt like nothing could get past me and this is exactly how I want to feel this week.”

The World No. 1 now plays Haas, who is on the comeback trail again after undergoing a third shoulder surgery in November.

The German admitted he was pleased to settle the score after falling to Murray in the fourth round here last year.

“It’s nice to get your revenge back at the same place,” Haas said.

“It was another great match, very exciting. I came up with the goods at the right time.”

Djokovic was delighted to wrap up his match in two sets against the player who stunned Federer in the second round last year.

“I think the characteristic of the top players is to play better and better, match after match, and I think I’m doing that,” the World No. 3 said.

Bhupathi & Knowles beaten

In the doubles quarterfinals, the fourth-seeded Israeli pair of Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich beat Mark Knowles and Mahesh Bhupathi, the sixth seeds, 6-3, 6-4.

Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek were stretched, but eventually advanced to the semifinals with a 7-5, 4-6, 11-9 win over Chan Yung-jan and Chuang Chia-jung from Taipei.

The results:

Men: Fourth round: Stanislas Wawrinka bt Hyung-taik Lee 6-1, 5-7, 6-4; Rafael Nadal bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-5; David Nalbandian bt Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2, 6-2; Tommy Haas bt Andy Murray 2-6, 7-5, 6-3; Novak Djokovic bt Guillermo Canas 6-2, 6-3; James Blake bt Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-2; Mardy Fish bt Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4); Roger Federer bt Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-4. Doubles: Quarterfinals: Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram bt Mahesh Bhupathi & Mark Knowles 6-3, 6-4.

Women: Quarterfinals: Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 6-4; Maria Sharapova bt Daniela Hantuchova 7-6(2), 6-1. Doubles: Bethanie Mattek & Sania Mirza bt Chan Yung-jan & Chuang Chia-jung 7-5, 4-6, 11-9. — Agencies

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