Tennis: Alcaraz, Swiatek roll into Indian Wells quarters, Medvedev survives

INDIAN WELLS -- Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek eased into the Indian Wells quarter-finals on cue on Tuesday as in-form Daniil Medvedev defied injury in a wild three-set win over Alexander Zverev.

Alcaraz, the world number two who can regain the top ranking with a win this week, had a short night's work on Stadium Court as Britain's Jack Draper retired with an abdominal injury with the Spaniard up 6-2, 2-0.

World number one Swiatek, meanwhile, had the last word in most of the long rallies as she powered past 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-3, 6-1.

Their smooth progression was a stark contrast to the drama earlier in the day, when Medvedev shook off a second-set fall and badly twisted ankle to beat Zverev 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 to push his ATP win streak to 17 matches.

The world number six, coming off ATP wins in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai, rolled his right ankle and lay on the court for several minutes before limping to his chair.

Zverev, who suffered three torn ankle ligaments at last year's French Open, looked on in concern, but after the injury was examined and taped by medical staff Medvedev continued -- and turned the match around.

"In the beginning it was quite painful, so I was more concerned and focused on my ankle than the game," Medvedev said.

"Then that actually helped me a little bit to play better. For the rest of the match, adrenaline was probably kicking in. So it was not easy to walk, that's why I was limping, but to move was easier."

He saved all 10 break points he faced in the second set, grabbing a 4-1 lead on the way to victory in the tiebreaker.

Up an early break in the third, Medvedev wasted a match point as he was broken in the 10th game.

Zverev couldn't build on that, however, and Medvedev held at love to clinch the win after three hours and 17 minutes.

Ankle allowing, Medvedev was scheduled to face 28th-ranked Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina -- a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin -- on Wednesday.

Alcaraz will have a day off before facing Felix Auger-Aliassime, who saved six match points -- three in the third-set tiebreaker -- in his 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) victory over Tommy Paul.

Not that Alcaraz will need the rest after his 46-minute outing.

"This is not the way anybody wants to win a match," Alcaraz said.

Swiatek's match followed a familiar pattern, with last year's French and US Open winner feeling out her opponent over a few close games before pulling away for a convincing win.

"I just feel like in these longer rallies I was the one who showed I can bring the pressure on defense and it's not easy to finish the rally.

"She was actually doing the same," Swiatek said. "She was running to every ball and she played those slices which are tricky, but honestly I'm pretty happy with how positive I was and disciplined."

She next faces Romania's Sorana Cirstea, who battled to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory over fifth-ranked Caroline Garcia of France.

- Kvitova escape -

Men's defending champion Taylor Fritz defeated Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 6-3 in a tense match that belied the straightforward scoreline.

Fritz will face Italian Jannik Sinner, who beat three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-4.

Britain's 2021 champion Cameron Norrie beat seventh-ranked Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 to line up a clash with American Frances Tiafoe, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Chilean qualifier Alejandro Tabilo.

Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarter-finals for the first time with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Barbora Krejcikova.

Sabalenka next faces 19-year-old American Coco Gauff, who squeezed past Swedish qualifier Rebecca Peterson 6-3, 1-6, 6-4. Gauff, the fourth seed, has won three of their prior four meetings.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, a former world number two now ranked 15th, saved four match points in a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (13/11) victory over third-ranked Jessica Pegula.

The Czech next faces last year's runner-up Maria Sakkari, the seventh seed who beat Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Fritz hands Nadal first 2022 defeat to lift Indian Wells trophy

INDIAN WELLS -- Taylor Fritz stunned Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) on Sunday to win the ATP Indian Wells Masters and end the 21-time Grand Slam champion's perfect 20-0 run to start 2022.

Fritz, ranked 20th in the world, claimed his second career title and his first at the elite Masters 1000 level while denying Nadal a record-equaling 37th Masters crown.

The 24-year-old American achieved his biggest triumph despite an injured right ankle that was so painful when he tested it Sunday morning he didn't think he'd be able to play.

"This is just one of those childhood dreams, winning this tournament especially, Indian Wells, this is one of those childhood dreams you never even think can come true," the Southern California native said, fighting back tears.

The 35-year-old Nadal was also pushing himself through pain, twice receiving treatment on his upper body during the match.

"Obviously there's some stuff going on," Fritz said of Nadal's struggles, but that didn't dim his joy in becoming the first American men's champion at Indian Wells since Andre Agassi in 2001 and the youngest Indian Wells men's winner since Novak Djokovic in 2011.

Nadal had already said he would skip next week's Miami Masters to give his body a rest and prepare for the claycourt season.

After fearing a foot injury that halted his 2021 campaign might end his career, the Spaniard claimed a record-setting 21st Grand Slam singles title with an epic comeback vicory over Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final, then won the title at Acapulco.

Battling to the end, he saved one match point in the 10th game of the second set, but in a tense tiebreaker that decided it all Fritz proved too much.

After Nadal spun a forehand wide to give up another match point, Fritz put it away with yet another of his big forehand winners.

Fritz's fitness concerns were at the forefront when the American fell on the very first point of the match. 

But otherwise he showed no ill-effects as he broke Nadal twice to race to a 4-0 led in the opening set in 19 minutes.

Nadal, coming off a draining three-set semi-final victory over 18-year-old compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, looked sluggish, but he appeared to have found his range when he held at love to make it 4-1.

But he was unable to make any inroads on Fritz's serve until the American served for the set at 5-2 and Nadal converted his only break chance of the set when Fritz sent a forehand long.

However, the Spaniard was unable to build any momentum, immediately surrendering the break and the set after 39 minutes.

Nadal, who had had a quick adjustment from the trainer on court against Alcaraz to address discomfort around the left side of his chest, took a medical timeout and left the court indicating the same area to the trainer.

But it was the world number four who gained the upper hand in the second set with a break for 2-1, Fritz giving him a first chance with an ill-timed double fault, coming up with a big serve then falling to a forehand winner from Nadal.

But the American broke back immediately and saved four break points in the next game and they went with serve to the tiebreaker.

Agence France-Presse

Djokovic comes from same stock as other sport icons

Tennis star Novak Djokovic, who won a record fifth Indian Wells title on Sunday, says when he is at the top of his game it feels like he is “in the zone”.

Djokovic has been ranked No. 1 in the world since July 2014 and credits his magical run of success to not only a strict routine off the court, but incredible instincts on the court.

Djokovic describes it as “pattern recognition” — reacting and remembering both consciously and subconsciously to what his opponent is doing then capitalizing on that.

“Subconscious and conscious are directly linked. When you’re able to understand both and grasp both sides, you’re able to be in the present moment, which I think most of the professional athletes call in the zone kind of moment,” Djokovic said following his 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Canadian Milos Raonic on Sunday.

“Conscious, I think touches the material, physical part, where you can actually do something that’s tangible, which means prepare yourself mentally with video analysis, the data, the stats, the previous experiences.

“Subconsciously, I think it relates to yourself and how well you’re moving and how focused you are on the court and on your opponent.”

Djokovic, who is one of just three players to have more than 700 career wins, shares the same championship pedigree as a Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, LeBron James or Tom Brady.

Thinking the same thing

“I can see that there is a lot of professional athletes at the very top level in different sports that explain it in maybe different words, but they are thinking about more or less the same thing that I’m thinking about,” Djokovic said.

“It all comes down to more or less the same thing, being able to use and maximize your potential as an athlete in every aspect of your being.”

Djokovic needed just 77 minutes to take down the hard-serving Raonic, who regularly clocks first serves at 140 mph (225 km/ph) and is off to a career best 14-2 start this season.

“All the top players have a very high level of sports and tennis intelligence otherwise they wouldn’t be here.

“There are people who rely more on the mathematical side and there are people who rely more on gut feeling, instinct and kind of figuring out the situations and doing what they think is most appropriate at the time.

“I believe the best way is somewhere in the middle.”

It is going to take that kind of dedication and devotion to get Djokovic over the next big challenge in his career  — winning a French Open.

He is hoping his third straight Indian Wells crown will finally be a stepping stone to his maiden win in Roland-Garros, completing the career Grand Slam.

“Roland Garros has been and is this year again one of the top priorities of the season,” he said.

“I grew up on clay, I love playing on clay. I still haven’t won that Grand Slam played on clay courts, but I have gotten very close a couple of times and I know that it doesn’t take too much more to win the trophy.”

source: sports.inquirer.net