Federer, Djokovic cruise, Clijsters out in Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, California (AFP) – Novak Djokovic extended his match win streak to 16 and Roger Federer barely broke a sweat as they powered their way into the Indian Wells fourth round with straight-set wins.

Djokovic on Tuesday capped his 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Ernests Gulbis with back-to-back aces and Federer had an equally easy time ousting Juan Ignacio Chela 6-0, 6-2 in the $9 million WTA and ATP Masters Series 1000 tournament.

The aces were an ideal exclamation point to a perfect season so far for Djokovic who has won all 14 of his matches this year.

"I have been playing great tennis, best tennis of my life," he said.

Djokovic, who is looking to secure his second Indian Wells title, has been unstoppable this year and is 16-0 dating back to a pair of Davis Cup matches late last season.

"I cannot ask for a better start of the year," he said. "I mean, I'm just building up on that confidence and continuing to play well, and feeling up from that run that I have from Davis Cup final."

Djokovic fired four aces Tuesday as he broke Gulbis' serve five times in the 54-minute match.

"You try to take serious every opponent you have even though you are a favourite in the match," Djokovic said.

"I was just trying to keep the ball in the court, not doing too much, just returning a lot and making him play an extra shot and changing the pace."

He captured his second major title at the Australian Open in January and followed up with his 20th career ATP Tour title last month in Dubai.

The 22-year-old Djokovic has dropped just five games so far after opening with a 6-0, 6-4 against Andrey Golubev.

Djokovic moves on to face his Serbian countryman and doubles partner Victor Troicki who beat France's Michael Llodra 6-3, 6-3. Troicki and Djokovic will play each other Wednesday in singles then team up for their doubles match.

Federer was on the court just four minutes longer in the hot California desert sun than Djokovic.

Chela handed Federer the first set with a pair of double faults on the final two points. He finished with six double faults while Federer won 80 percent of his first serve points.

The three-time champion Federer is looking to regain his match fitness as he has played just three tournaments this year and hasn't made the final of the last four Grand Slams.

The 16-time major winner booked his berth in the fourth round where he will play the winner of a match between Canadian wildcard Milos Raonic and Ryan Harrison of the United States.

In other men's matches Tuesday, Czech Tomas Berdych beat Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-3, 6-2, Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka defeated Marin Cilic 7-5, 6-3 and Richard Gasquet surprised 10th seed Jurgen Melzer of Germany 6-1, 6-3.

Second seed Kim Clijsters and defending woman's champion Jelena Jankovic and reigning French Open champ Francesca Schiavone, seeded fifth, were added to the growing list of seeded casualties on the women's side Tuesday.

Clijsters pulled out of her match with a shoulder injury in the second set against Marion Bartoli and Jankovic lost to Serbian countrywoman Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2. Italy's Schiavone lost in a third set tiebreaker to Shahar Peer 6-4, 3-6, 7-6.

Clijsters won the first set 6-3 but then called for the trainer early in the second set before packing it in with Bartoli leading 3-1.

The sixth seeded Jankovic was attempting to become the first women since Martina Navratilova (1990 and 1991) to defend her title at Indian Wells.

"I just didn't move. I felt really stuck with my feet," Jankovic said. Ivanovic added to the Serbian assault on Indian Wells Tuesday by hitting seven aces and saving six-of-seven break point chances to post her seventh win over Jankovic in 10 meetings.

"I'm really happy," Ivanovic said. "I played some good tennis in the past few weeks. To play consistent on that level, I'm really pleased."

I am not Spain’s Greatest Athlete – Nadal

MADRID – U.S. Open champion Rafael Nadal returned home on Wednesday, insisting his latest tennis triumph did not qualify him as Spain's greatest-ever athlete.

Nadal, who became the seventh player to complete a career grand slam with Monday's victory at Flushing Meadows, said any comparisons to the greats was "madness."

"As a tennis player I took an important step forward with this and these have been six unforgettable months," Nadal said shortly after touching down from New York at Madrid's Barajas airport. "I can't say that I'm the best Spanish sports person of all time because I have no idea. But it's an honor to be considered."

Nadal's 2010 triumphs, including French Open and Wimbledon titles, have brought his total of major championships to nine at age 24.
His successful season has been a big part of a tremendous year of international sporting success for Spain, which won soccer's World Cup for the fist time and saw Alberto Contador win his third Tour de France.

"I don't know where (my successes) fit into this year. They are all important," the top-ranked Nadal said. "Luckily, we're living during an era of Spanish sport that will be difficult to repeat. Of course we could repeat it, but we should enjoy it (now)."
Among Spain's greatest athletes are the likes of five-time Tour champion Miguel Indurain and two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso.

While Nadal has replaced four-time major champion Manolo Santana as the country's greatest tennis player, the Mallorca native still feels he has room for improvement.

"I'm not a complete player — there are always things I can improve," Nadal said. "(But) I'm so happy with everything that happened and can't ask for anything more"

Nadal said winning three majors in 2010 wasn't necessarily better than 2008, when he won his first Wimbledon crown and Olympic gold, something he considered more difficult than a Grand Slam title given the four-year gap between Olympic games. He also preferred to wait and see how he fares in November's World Tours Final in London.

Nadal, whose improved serve helped him drop only one set at the US Open en route to beating Novak Djokovic in the final, said his main rival Roger Federer was still the benchmark of the sport and should not be written off yet.

The second-ranked Swiss player, who has won a record 16 major singles titles, wasted two match points in his semifinal defeat to Djokovic.

"I would love to have the success of Federer," Nadal said. "In nine years he's achieved things that are practically impossible to repeat. It's difficult to be 100 percent each year, but he's managed to do it and it's normal to have a little drop."