Federer, Nadal win; Wozniacki falls early

Resurgent Ivanovic knocks out Danish star

Fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer was ousted from the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Tuesday as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both moved into the fourth round.

Ferrer was upset 6-4, 6-3 by Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, Nadal swept past fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-4 and Federer survived an early storm from Milos Raonic before completing a 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory.  A winner of three titles this year, Ferrer had lost only once in 20 ATP matches this season before struggling badly on his second serve as he was outplayed by the 51st-ranked Istomin.

Second seed Nadal, Indian Wells champion in 2007 and 2009, dominated Granollers with his superb baseline game but lost a bit of momentum in the second set before triumphing in one hour, 25 minutes with an ace on his fifth match point.

Federer was stunned by Raonic’s power serving in the opening set but delivered a master class in the next two before wrapping up the win in just over two hours when the towering Canadian netted a forehand. The Swiss, who had never previously played the 21-year-old, will next face Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, who benefited from a walkover when Russian Nikolay Davydenko withdrew due to illness.

Big-serving Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina survived a shaky second set to beat Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 7-6 in the first match of the day on the stadium court.

Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France battled back to beat Czech Radek Stepanek 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 while Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov scraped past Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Wozniacki exits

World number one Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova stayed on track for a mouth-watering showdown in the final while defending champion Caroline Wozniacki was beaten by Ana Ivanovic.

Top-seeded Belarusian Azarenka eased into the last eight with a ruthless 6-3, 6-1 demolition of Germany’s Julia Goerges before Russia’s second seed Sharapova swept past Italian Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-1.

Dane Wozniacki, however, was ousted by 2008 winner Ivanovic, who produced sizzling tennis from the baseline to triumph 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth round. The Serb will next meet seventh seed Marion Bartoli of France after she breezed past Czech Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-4.

Azarenka will next face fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Radwanska, who won her eighth WTA title in Doha last month, advanced when American wild card Jamie Hampton retired with cramp when trailing 6-3, 4-6, 3-0.

Ivanovic booked her place in the last eight after breaking Wozniacki three times in the opening set and twice in the second, leaping into the air in delight when she clinched victory after one hour 10 minutes.

In other matches, eighth seed Li Na of China crushed Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-1, 6-0, Maria Kirilenko beat fellow Russian Nadia Petrova 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 and Germany’s Angelique Kerber edged past American Christina McHale 6-3, 3-6, 7-6.

Paes-Stepanek win

Australian Open winners Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek saw off a stiff resistance from Juan Monaco and Kei Nishikori 7-6 (7-5), 6-4  to advance to the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles.

They will now fight it out with the Spanish pair of Marc Lopez and Rafael Nadal for a place in the last-four stage.

Sania Mirza and her Russian Partner Elena Vesnina moved to quarterfinals after scoring a  6-1, 3-6, 10-2 win over Timea Bacsinszky and Alberta Brianti.

They face Argentine pair of Gisela Dulko and Paola Suarez in the last-eight stage match.