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Nadal, Djokovic advance at Indian Wells
  • | AFP | March 17, 2011 04:11 PM

World number one Rafael Nadal was tested by Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman but advanced to the Indian Wells quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-4 win.

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball during his match against Somdev Devvarman of India during the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, California.

Nadal, recovering from a left thigh injury that meant he took a break after the Australian Open, on Wednesday clinched victory in the match lasting almost two hours with a running cross-court forehand winner.

The Spaniard has been commanding the baseline all week but Devvarman proved to be a tricky opponent.

"I played really badly, especially in the beginning," Nadal said. "After that I improved a little bit. It is much more important to win matches when you are playing bad than when you are playing well.

"I played much better in the second set. Not perfect."

Devvarman, who received a standing ovation from the crowd, made the final of the ATP Johannesburg tournament last month.

Nadal advances to the round of eight where he will face hard-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic, who beat Albert Montanes of Spain 7-6 (9/7), 6-2.

Reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic crushed his doubles partner Viktor Troicki 6-0, 6-1.

Djokovic, who has only lost six games in three matches, clinched the win over his Serbian countryman Troicki with a backhand winner down the line.

"I am playing my best tennis of my life the last three months," Djokovic said. "It all started with my Davis Cup wins."

Djokovic and Troicki had a short rest before heading off to one of the outer courts to play doubles where they lost 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) to Rohan Bopanna of India and Pakistan\'s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi.

In the quarter-finals Djokovic will face Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who defeated Andy Roddick of the United States 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).

"It feels incredible for me to be in the quarter-finals here. I did well with my serve and my backhand, especially on match point," Gasquet said.

It was a frustrating loss for Roddick, who was runner-up in Indian Wells last year.

Roddick was warned by chair umpire Fergus Murphy after breaking a racquet. Then, in the tiebreaker, Roddick hurled his racquet across the court. He argued several times with Murphy and at one stage barked: "I am giving you a warning".

Asked why he was upset with Murphy, Roddick replied: "Because he gave me a warning. I feel like with the mistakes he made, it\'s only fair that I would give him a warning as well.

"I only made one mistake. I only broke one racquet. He missed a couple of calls, so I feel like it was a little presumptuous of him to give me a warning off one broken racquet."

Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (9/7).

He moves on to play Spain\'s Tommy Robredo, who easily beat American Sam Querrey 6-1, 6-3 in the first contest of the day on the main stadium.

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