17 March,2017 08:34 AM IST | | PA Sport
Roger Federer registered a third successive win over Rafael Nadal for the first ever time and he was left purring with the manner of his performance
Indian Wells (US): Roger Federer registered a third successive win over Rafael Nadal for the first ever time and he was left purring with the manner of his performance.
Federer dismantled his rival with a scintillating display to reach the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters, hitting 26 winners in a 6-2, 6-4 success. "It's a nice feeling to win the last three. I can tell you that," Federer said. "But most importantly, I won Australia. That was big for me. On the comeback, I look back at that and think that was one of the coolest things I ever experienced in my career. All the matches that we have played are unique in many ways for both of us, winning or losing. So I take it.
Achieving the impossible
"For me, it was all about coming out and trying to play the way I did in Australia. I didn't think it was going to be that possible, to be quite honest, because the court is more jumpy here so it's hard to put the ball away. So getting in the lead was crucial, and then staying on the offence and pressing was the goal for me. It was a really good performance by me, I thought," Federer added.
Kyrgios stuns Djokovic
Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios ended Novak Djokovic's reign at Indian Wells, toppling the World No. 2 in the fourth round of the year's first Masters event. The 21-year-old Australian triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), notching his second victory over Djokovic in less than two weeks.
