Rafael Nadal raced into the Indian Wells quarterfinals with a dominating win, while Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer needed three sets each to beat unseeded opponents on Wednesday.
Tennis' big three progressed in the California desert with World No. 2 Nadal storming into the quarters by beating 21st-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-2 in just 76 minutes.
World No. 3 Federer scrambled for the second straight day to eliminate an up-and-comer he was facing for the first time, coming from behind to beat Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Defending champ and World No. 1 Djokovic lost a second set tie-breaker en route to a 6-0, 6-7(5), 6-2 win over Pablo Andujar.
Li ousted
In the women's section, French Open champion Li Na, playing in her first event since pulling out of the Paris Indoor Open, exited on Wednesday, losing to 6-4, 6-2 to Angelique Kerber.
Sania-Vesnina advance
Sania Mirza and her Russian partner Elena Vesnina entered into the semifinals of the WTA Indian Wells Premier event after registering a straight-set victory over the Argentine pair of Gisela Dulko and Paola Suarez here.
The second seeds Indo-Russian pair took just over an hour to get the better of Argentina wildcard entrants 6-2, 6-3.
Paes-Stepanek lose
Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek's campaign in the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament came to an end after they lost 6-3, 7-6 (5) to Spain's Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez. The Indo-Czech pair had come to this match after defeating Juan Monaco and Kei Nishikori in the previous round.
The results: Men: Singles : Fourth round: Nicolas Almagro bt Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-0; Novak Djokovic bt Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-7(5), 6-2; John Isner bt Matthew Ebden 6-4, 7-5; David Nalbandian bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; Rafael Nadal bt Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-2; Roger Federer bt Thomaz Bellucci 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Gilles Simon bt Ryan Harrison 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-1; Juan Martin del Potro bt Denis Istomin 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-2.
Doubles: Quarterfinals : Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski bt Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan w/o.; Max Mirnyi & Daniel Nestor bt Julien Benneteau & Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(7), 6-3; Marc Lopez & Rafael Nadal bt Leander Paes & Radek Stepanek 6-3, 7-6(5); John Isner & Sam Austin Querrey bt Richard Gasquet & Paul Hanley 6-7(5), 6-1, 10-6.
Women: Singles: Quarterfinals : Victoria Azarenka bt Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-2; Angelique Kerber bt Li Na 6-4, 6-2. Doubles: Quarterfinals : Sania Mirza & Elena Vesnina bt Gisela Dulko & Paola Suarez 6-2, 6-3; Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka bt Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci 6-2, 7-6(4).
