Indian Wells Day 6 Review: Nadal and Sharapova ousted, Federer and Murray struggle

Defending champions Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova were both ousted from Indian Wells on Day 6

Day 6 at Indian Wells was a day of madness. The women completed round 3 action while the men began the same round. Here is a recap of the most significant results:

Women’s 3rd round

4th-seeded Russian and defending champion Maria Sharapova was shocked by Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi. Both had an inconsistent day, the difference being that Sharapova was a little more erratic; her 58 unforced errors were a testament to that in her 3-6 6-4 5-7 loss to the Italian. Giorgi advanced to the 4th round and now faces fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta. Pennetta, the 20th seed, defeated Aussie Sam Stosur 6-4 3-6 6-1 in another see-saw affair that saw neither lady really able to establish control.

American Sloane Stephens defeated Ana Ivanovic even as Ivanovic finally hit the “tweener” she had been practising. Stephens played much better attacking tennis and picked up a deserving straight set victory, winning 7-6 6-4. The two played in front of an empty stadium but made light of the underwhelming conditions. Stephens’ next opponent will be the resurgent Russian Alisa Kleybanova. Kleybanova defeated Spaniard Maria Teresa Torro-Flor 6-1 6-3 in straight sets, with considerable ease.

Czech Petra Kvitova had one of her typical see-saw matches against Svetlana Kusznetsova, winning the first set, losing the second before blitzing past the Russian in the third to register a 6-3 2-6 6-0 win. The former Wimbledon champion now plays diminutive Aussie Open finalist, Dominika Cibulkova. Cibulkova picked up a straight set 6-4 7-5 against Russian Ekaterina Makarova. The Aussie Open runner-up played a solid match, albeit with the odd hiccup here and there.

China’s Australian Open champion Li Na also advanced to the 4th round as she comfortably overcame Czech Karolina Pliskova in straight sets, 6-3 6-4. The top seed now faces the inconsistent Alexandra Wozniak who overcame Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a 6-1 6-7 6-0 victory. The Canadian showed plenty of brilliance in two sets – the first and the third – but put up a lacklustre display in the second that extended the match to the distance.

Fourth round match to watch out for- Eugenie Bouchard vs Simona Halep

Men’s 3rd round

In men’s action, top seed Rafael Nadal was sent packing by Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov in three sets. Dolgopolov had a typical outing, playing with reckless abandon, seemingly without a care in the world, yet somehow coming out on top in a 6-3 3-6 7-6 win. Dolgopolov set up a fourth round clash with Fabio Fognini. The 13th seeded Italian defeated Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-2 3-6 7-5 in a match without many inspiring highlights.

Andy Murray faced a surprisingly tough outing against an opponent he was expected to beat comfortably, Jiri Vesely. Murray struggled throughout, before coming from behind in a 6-7 6-4 6-4 win. The Scot, a member of the increasingly weak-looking “Big Four” of tennis, has now set up an intriguing clash against someone knocking on their door, Canadian sensation Milos Raonic. The powerhouse Raonic eased past Colombian Alejandro Falla in a 6-4 6-3 victory. It was yet another solid display by Raonic, who now has the perfect opportunity to enhance his reputation as a real contender.

Third seed Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka played a fantastic match and is quite clearly carrying his Aussie Open form with him as he demolished Italian 29th seed Andreas Seppi 6-0 6-2. The man of the moment now plays Kevin Anderson. The 17th seeded South African defeated Evgeny Donskoy in a come-from-behind 4-6 6-0 6-3 win. Anderson struggled in the first set, but showcased his class and character in the second and third. The South African will hope that Wawrinka is tired due to his doubles commitments, which would give him a chance of crafting an upset.

The veteran of the tour, German Tommy Haas defeated Japanese hero Kei Nishikori 7-6 6-2 in yet another age-defying performance. It seems that being over 30 isn’t a curse on the tour any more as another man over 30, seventh seed Roger Federer, struggled to play decisive tennis, but closed out points when it mattered for a 7-6 7-6 win over another resurgent Russian in Dmitry Tursunov. Federer struggled, but showed character when it mattered as he even recovered from a break down in the second set.

Federer and Wawrinka, doubles partners here, look destined for a meeting in the quarters unless there’s an upset. Meanwhile, with Nadal’s loss, the top quarter has been thrown wide open because Andy Murray doesn’t look at his best, which means someone like Raonic can make some noise.