Indian Wells - ATP 2R done

Day Five at Indian Wells - the conclusion of second round matches for the ATP, and third 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)

ATP second round

• Kei Nishikori (6) v Adrian Mannarino 

Nishikori had met Mannarino once before, in Paris last year, winning in straight sets, but that was indoors so not too much to gauge for this match.

The Japanese number one served first and was untroubled to hold.  Mannarino levelled easily for 1-1.

Nishikori held to love, with a winning forehand and ace assisting.  The perfect follow up was to break the French serve, with some quality returning. 3-1 Nishikori.  Mannarino took advantage of some sloppy work from Nishikori and had two break points in the next game.  Both were erased, the second through a wonderful Nishikori overhead.  A third break chance was converted thanks to a double fault and games were back on serve.

Mannarino consolidated the break for 3-3, and serves were held for the next three games.

Serving at 4-5, Mannarino saved two set points, but an error on the third gave Nishikori the set 6-4.

Set two began well for both players, serve held comfortably for three games.  Mannarino faced a break point after Nishikori delivered a backhand screamer in the fourth game, but a neat backhand of his own saved the Frenchman and he proceeded to hold serve.

No drama until the ninth game where Nishikori found himself down 15-40 after a great Mannarino return. The break eventuated and Mannarino served out the set 6-4, converting his third set point.  

The decider was 1-1 and on serve, but only after Mannarino saved two break points in the second game.  Then in the next game he smashed a winner at the net to produce a break chance on the Nishikori serve.  That was converted, but the delight was short lived, with Mannarino’s following service game possibly the worst of his tournament.  2-2.

The pair struggled through to 5-5, with only Nishikori needing to deal with a break point which he did in the ninth game.

However, he dropped his guard in game eleven when he was broken to love.  Mannarino couldn’t serve it out, saving two break points, but not a third, and a tie break was required to solve the match.

From 2-2, Nishikori ran through the next four points to hold a commanding position with four match points.  He won the match on the third of these 6-4 4-6 7-6(4)

• Kyle Edmund (22) defeated Nicolas Jarry 6-2 6-0
• Lucky loser Andrey Rublev defeated Robin Haase 6-3 3-6 6-3
• Daniil Medvedev (14) defeated Mackenzie McDonald 7-5 6-0
• Qualifier Filip Krajinovic defeated David Goffin (20) 6-3 6-3
• Diego Schwartzman (25) defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 6-1
• Roger Federer (4) defeated Peter Gojowczyk 6-1 7-5
• Marin Cilic (10) defeated Dusan Lajovic 6-3 6-4
• Qualifier Radu Albot defeated Fabio Fognini (16) 6-0 7-6(4)
• John Isner (8) defeated qualifier Alexei Popyrin 6-0 6-2
• Guido Pella (32) defeated qualifier Alex  Bolt 7-6(5) 2-6 6-3 
• Denis Shapovalov (24) defeated Steve Johnson 6-3 6-4
• Karen Khachanov (12) defeated Feliciano López 6-3 1-6 6-4
• Rafa Nadal (2) defeated wildcard Jared Donaldson 6-1 6-1
• Hubert Hurkacz defeated Lucas Pouille (28) 6-2 3-6 6-4
• Stan Wawrinka defeated Marton Fucsovics (29) 6-4 6-7(5) 7-5