Federer, Murray enter Indian Wells quarters, set up mouth-watering potential semi-final
Federer, Murray enter Indian Wells quarters, set up mouth-watering potential semi-final
Roger Federer and Andy Murray edged closer to a semi-final clash at the Indian Wells tournament yesterday, each booking his quarter-final berth.
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fed up! Roger Federer serves to Fernando Gonzalez during their pre-quarter-final of the Indian Wells Open yesterday. Federer won 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. pic/AP |
World No 2 Federer, playing his first tournament since falling in a five-set thriller to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final, got past Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
Fourth-seed Murray had an easier than expected time, making the quarters as fourth-round opponent Tommy Robredo retired with an injured right wrist while Murray led 6-2, 3-0.
Federer stretched his record over Gonzalez to 12-1, and lined up a quarter-final clash against Spain's Fernando Verdasco, who beat unseeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
Murray next faces Croatian veteran Ivan Ljubicic, who defeated Russian Igor Andreev 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) in a match lasting more than three hours.
Meanwhile, defending champion Novak Djokovic, seeded third, made it into the quarters with a hard-fought 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) victory over Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka.
Among the women, Fourth-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva entered the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over ninth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki.
