Day Three at Indian Wells - the conclusion of first round matches for the ATP, and second round commencement for the WTA
BNP Paribas Open - an ATP Masters 1000 category tournament, on Hard Plexipave, in Indian Wells, California, USA, 4-17 March 2019.
Defending champion:
Juan Martin del Potro (6) who defeated Roger Federer (1) 6-4 6-7(8) 7-6(2)
Two late withdrawals from the men’s draw:
Pablo Carreño Busta (19) and Grigor Dimitrov (26), replaced by lucky losers Ricardas Berankis and Andrey Rublev, both inheriting first round byes. This is farcical, given that 64 others, who earned their spots in the main draw by either winning both their qualifying matches, or by other qualifying means, have been leapfrogged by two players who lost in qualifying.
Fortunately, the player who defeated Rublev in qualifying, Bjorn Fratangelo, won his first round, and is on equal footing with Rublev. And Filip Krajinovic, who defeated Berankis in qualifying, is also through that far.
ATP first round completion
- Tomas Berdych v Feliciano López
A battle of two veterans - Berdych 33 and López 37.
Berdych, on the comeback from injury this year, has done well with a 12-5 record on matches so far, whereas the Spaniard has only managed one win from three tries.
The opening set of this match was big on serving, Berdych winning 68% of points when at the line, López marginally better at 71%.
No break points, and only one faced, López able to brush that one off.
The tie break went the way of Spain, which was a relief for Feliciano because previously in 2019 he had surrendered all four tie breaks contested. 7-6(3) López.
Set two, and López had 40-15, before he netted a forehand and Berdych produced a magic backhand return winner. Deuce became break point after a Spanish forehand floated wide; an ace saved that.
A ripping Berdych forehand again put López under the hammer, but another ace fixed the problem. He held for 1-0, his eight ace the sealer.
Berdych began his first service game with a forehand winner, hit another of those and an ace for a decisive love game. 1-1.
In fact, as in set one neither of these men were going to offer a chance of cracking open their solid service credentials.
Berdych in particular was miserly, giving up no break opportunities to his opponent. López in game seven, saved a break point with an ace, and led 6-5.
Berdych at this stage was winning 89% of points on his first serve, but now had to hold serve to stay in the match.
He was taken to deuce a number of times, an unpleasant journey at the best of times, and he saw the percentages drop on the way.
However he did hold strong for another tie break.
López began with an ace, and two terrific forehands to hold 3-0 lead, two serves to come. An off the toes volley followed by an ace gave López a 5-0 advantage. Berdych won one point on his serve, but a backhand volley sent wide presented López with five match points.
The second of these did it for him, when he crunched a forehand winner.
Berdych did not face a break point throughout the match, but wasn’t able to win the key points.
Feliciano López won 7-6(3) 7-6(2)
- Hubert Hurkacz defeated wildcard Donald Young 6-3 6-3
- Qualifier Radu Albot defeated Marius Copil 6-2 6-2
- Peter Gojowczyk defeated Andreas Seppi 7-5 6-4
- Qualifier Alexei Popyrin defeated Jaume Munar
- Qualifier Alex Bolt defeated Ernests Gulbis 6-3 5-7 6-2
- Dusan Lajovic defeated Taro Daniel 7-6(6) 6-4
- Robin Haase defeated qualifier Denis Istomin 7-6(2) 6-1
- Steve Johnson defeated Taylor Fritz 6-3 6-3
- Stan Wawrinka defeated qualifier Daniel Evans 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3
- Qualifier Filip Krajinovic defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3 6-4
- Adrian Mannarino defeated Tennys Sandgren 6-2 6-7(5) 6-1
- Mackenzie McDonald defeated João Sousa 6-4 3-6 6-3
- Roberto Carballes Baena defeated Ryan Harrison 6-3 7-5
- Wildcard Jared Donaldson defeated qualifier Tatsuma Ito 6-3 7-5
- Nicolas Jarry defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-4 4-6 7-5
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