Djokovic, Azarenka, Sharapova win at Indian Wells

(AP) Djokovic, Azarenka, Sharapova win at Indian Wells
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
INDIAN WELLS, Calif.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic reached the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday when he beat Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (4), 6-1 for his 20th consecutive victory.

No. 2 Maria Sharapova joined Azarenka in the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino of Spain, someone she had never played before.

Defending women’s champion Victoria Azarenka extended her own streak despite a nagging right ankle problem, routing Urszula Radwanska 6-3, 6-1 for her 17th straight win. Urszula’s sister, third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, was beaten by No. 13 Maria Kirilenko, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

No. 3 Andy Murray beat Yen-hsun Lu of Taiwan 6-3, 6-2 in their first meeting in five years.

No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki defeated No. 10 Nadia Petrova 7-6 (3), 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal against Azarenka that matches former top-ranked players against each other.

Djokovic trailed 5-3 in the first set when the 21-year-old Bulgarian committed six double-faults, including four in one game, to help the Serb force the tiebreaker. Djokovic won it on a backhand error by the youngest player remaining in the draw.

Dimitrov was broken twice in the second set while falling to 1-17 against top-10 opponents.

Djokovic moves on to play Sam Querrey, a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (7), 7-5 winner over Marinko Matosevic.

Djokovic hasn’t lost since Oct. 31, when Querrey beat him at the indoors Paris Masters.

Querrey is poised to take over as the top-ranked American in the men’s game–albeit not in the top 10–from Mardy Fish, who lost 7-6 (4), 7-6 (0) to No. 8 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Azarenka was clearly bothered by her right ankle, wincing after shots. She also has a stuffy nose.

No. 2 Maria Sharapova joined Azarenka in the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino of Spain, someone she had never played before.

Sharapova trailed 2-0 and 3-2 in the first set before rallying on a cloudless day in the desert when temperature reached the lower 90s.

Tsonga has beaten Fish all four times they have played. The Frenchman next plays 17th-seeded Milos Raonic, who outlasted Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Fish lost in the third round for the second straight year. He is playing his first tournament since last September after being sidelined with a heart condition, although he hasn’t disclosed the exact nature of the problems.

Fish is still in contention in doubles with partner James Blake, and he plans to play in Key Biscayne, Fla., next week.

In other men’s matches, No. 7 Juan Martin del Potro beat Bjorn Phau 6-2 7-5; 19th-seeded Tommy Haas got by No. 11 Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (2), and Carlos Berlocq defeated No. 16 Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-2.

On the women’s side, No. 4 Angelique Kerber beat qualifier Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 7-5; fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova beat No. 19 seed Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-3; No. 7 Sam Stosur got by No. 24 Mona Barthel 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; and sixth-seeded Sara Errani defeated No. 9 Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-2. Errani next faces Sharapova.