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Indian Wells: Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic recovered from a poor start while third seed Andy Murray displayed much sharper form as they both advanced to the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday.
Top seed Djokovic beat Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 7-6, 6-1 in an error-strewn match on the Stadium Court in hot afternoon conditions at Indian Wells before Scotsman Murray overcame Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun 6-3, 6-2.
Seventh seed Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina brushed aside Germany’s Bjoern Phau 6-2, 7-5 while eighth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga withstood a fast start by Mardy Fish to overcome the American 7-6, 7-6.
Former champion Maria Sharapova raised her game when it mattered to storm into the quarter finals with a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino.
Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka also cruised into the last eight, pounding Poland’s Urszula Radwanska 6-3, 6-1 in a match lasting just under 90 minutes despite being hampered by a sore ankle.
Fifth seed Petra Kvitova advanced with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win over fellow Czech Klara Zakopalova but third seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland was knocked out, losing 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 to 13th-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko.
Russian world No.3 Sharapova won a tight opening set then swept through the second in only 22 minutes to reach the quarter finals for a third consecutive year.
Top seed Azarenka, who initially struggled to find her rhythm before battling past Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 3-6 6-3 6-0 in the previous round, broke Radwanska's serve three times in the opening set and twice in the second.
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