Federer, Nadal Cruise on Day of Upsets at Indian Wells

On a day filled with upsets at the BNP Paribas Open, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal advanced in straight sets.

By Chris Oddo

(March 9, 2013) -- Four-time and defending BNP Paribas Open champion Roger Federer needed only 58 minutes to blast past Denis Istomin, 6-2, 6-3, on Saturday afternoon at Indian Wells.

Federer broke serve in the first game, then again in the fifth to take a commanding 5-1 lead. With the World No. 2 serving as well has he has all year, Istomin's chances were few and far between on this afternoon.

Federer didn't lose a single point on serve in the second set, and secured another two breaks for good measure to breeze into the third round where he will face Ivan Dodig on Monday.

Rafael Nadal, playing in his first hard-court match in nearly a year, slid past 20-year-old American Ryan Harrison, 7-6(3), 6-2, after surviving a shaky first set. Nadal blew a 4-1 lead to the youngster, and faced a break point at 5-all, before holding on to force a tiebreaker.

Nerves seemed to get the batter of Harrison in the tiebreaker, however, and Nadal found ways to win the important points for most of the night. Though it wasn't sparkling, there is a lot the two-time Indian Wells can build on in his third-round match against Leonardo Mayer of Argentina.

Nadal saved all three break points he faced to hand Harrison his 17th consecutive loss against top ten opposition.

Things didn't go as smooth for fourth-seeded David Ferrer, as the Spaniard was ousted in a tough three-setter against Kevin Anderson of South Africa. After taking the first set, Ferrer was unable to convert two break points at four-all in the second set. In the next game Anderson would secure the break to force the decider.

After breaking for a 4-2 lead in the decider, Anderson held the rest of the way to secure the third win against top 5 competition in his career.

Ferrer wasn't the only top ten seed to fall, as 9th-seeded Janko Tipsarevic was steamrolled by red-hot Ernests Gulbis, 6-2, 6-0, in 48 minutes. Gulbis, who became the first qualifier to win on the ATP Tour in 2013 last week in Delray Beach, struck 14 winners to just 3 for Tipsarevic. The Latvian No. 1 will face 20th-seeded Andreas Seppi in round three.

15th-seeded John Isner was also shown the door, as two-time Indian Wells champion Lleyton Hewitt came back from a one-set deficit to send the big American tumbling 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4. The loss sends Isner out of the top 20 and means that, barring a deep run by Sam Querrey, the American men could find themselves without a top 20 player for the first time in history.

Hewitt needed four match points and also had to save a break point in a tense final game to close out the victory. "I needed to play well to win today, and I don't feel like I necessarily did that," a disappointed Isner said afterwards.

Four other seeds were ousted earlier in the day as 21st-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber, 28th-seeded Julien Benneteau, 29th-seeded Fernando Verdasco, and 30th-seeded Mikhail Youzhny, all lost in straight sets.

But the news wasn't all bad for seeded players. 24th-seeded Jerzy Janowicz notched a tough three-set victory over David Nalbandian, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3. Janowicz will face Richard Gasquet in the third round. Gasquet defeated Bernard Tomic in straight sets.

(Photo Credit: AP)