By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Rafael Nadal swept Fernando Verdasco, 6-3, 7-5, to earn his 50th career Indian Wells victory.
Photo credit: Matt Hazlett/BNP Paribas Open
An energized Rafael Nadal has moved with urgency playing both singles and doubles at this BNP Paribas Open.
The three-time Indian Wells champion continued his forward march deconstructing a familiar face to moved closer to a possible desert dream clash with rival Roger Federer.
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In an all-lefty match of sometime doubles partners, Nadal deconstructed Fernando Verdasco, 6-3, 7-5, earning his 50th career Indian Wells victory to advance to the fourth round for the 11th time.
If Federer defeats American Steve Johnson tonight, he will square off with Nadal for the 36th edition of their historic rivalry. Federer fought back from a 1-3 deficit in the fifth set to defeat Nadal, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in last month’s Australian Open final.
Fresh off his run to the Dubai final, Verdasco had beaten Nadal in three of their last five meetings, including an opening-round upset at the 2016 Australian Open.
The 14-time time Grand Slam champion exhibited crisper footwork, won 10 of 13 points played on his opponent’s second serve and maintained better command of his nerve in crucial stages to defeat Verdasco for the second year in a row at Indian Wells.
Nadal’s quick court coverage and accuracy on the run have given him the edge over his sometime Davis Cup teammate in the past. Nadal knows if he stretches Verdasco wide, the 33-year-old Spaniard can struggle to recover to the center of the court and is prone to cracking lower-percentage drives down the line.
Opening the court, Nadal drove a backhand winner down the line for triple break point.
When Verdasco looped a forehand long to surrender serve he raised his hands in exasperation, like a weary traveler lost on the trail, as Nadal broke for 5-3.
Sliding a serve winner down the middle for two set points, Nadal ripped a roundhouse forehand into the corner barreling through to a one-set lead after 31 minutes.
Though Verdasco can crack his first serve in excess of 130 mph when he’s confident, his shaky second serve made him reluctant to attack the first serve. Preferring to spin his first serve into the box, Verdasco served 80 percent but won just three points on his second serve.
A distracted Verdasco complained about the glare coming off the railing in the crowd as he slapped a double fault to drop serve in the third game of the second set.
At that point, it appeared the Australian Open finalist would roll through the second set. Yet in his most ragged game of the match, Nadal lost his range scattering errors to give back the break at love for 2-all.
Both men tried to control the center of the court, hammering forehands into the corners.
Striking with renewed confidence, Verdasco stamped his second love hold of the set for 4-3.
Deadlocked at 5-all, Verdasco missed a wild forehand wide to face a second break point then spit up his second double fault of the game—and seventh of the match—gifting the break in the 11th game.
On his first match point, Nadal skimmed the tape spinning a forehand down the line to seal a 90-minute win, raise his Indian Wells record to 50-9 and get ready for Roger.