Top ranked Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki eased through their Indian Wells openers yesterday, but Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray bit the dust in the Californian desert
Top ranked Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki eased through their Indian Wells openers yesterday, but Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray bit the dust in the Californian desert.
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| Spain's Rafael Nadal returns to South Africa's Rik De Voest during their Paribas Open clash in California yesterday. PIC/AFP |
Nadal defeated South African Rik de Voest 6-0, 6-2 while Wozniacki rolled over American wildcard Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 at the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters 1000 event.
The Spaniard won his only previous meeting with Voest in 2003 at a Challenger event in France when he was just 16.
"I'm a better player now. The worst thing is I am eight years older," said the top seed Nadal, who had a bye in the first round.
He will next tackle Ryan Sweeting who beat Argentine 27th seed Juan Monaco 6-1, 0-6, 6-1.
American qualifier Donald Young shocked World No 5 Murray 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 with the Scotsman looking rusty in his first career meeting against his 21-year-old opponent.
"I started the match well but then when it got close I didn't do anything to lift myself," said Murray.
Spain's sixth seed David Ferrer was also sent crashing, falling in the second-round to unseeded Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
India's Somdev Devvarman defeated Marcos Baghdatis 7-5, 6-0.
Devvarman worked out 14 winners to race away with the match against Baghdatis.
Roger Federer, seeded number two, plays his first match Sunday against Russia's Igor Andreev.
