Sport

Hantuchova edges past Sania

INDIAN WELLS: Maria Sharapova’s unbeaten start to the year came close to ending when she took nearly three hours to subdue Alona Bondarenko in the Pacific Life Open fourth round here on Tuesday.

Sharapova outlasted Bondarenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 for her 17th consecutive win, while three-time champion Roger Federer took only 54 minutes to dispatch Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 6-1.

Sharapova will next play the fifth-seeded defending champion Daniela Hantuchova, who beat Sania Mirza 6-1, 7-6(4).

Sania, who played in pain before losing to Hantuchova, said she would try to avoid wrist surgery but was also not keen on changing her grip at a crucial stage of her career.

“Right now, it’s very, very painful... I cannot move my wrist,” she said after the defeat. “Usually, it doesn’t get this sore, so I’m a little worried right now. It gets sore and then it gets ok when I ice it,” she said.

“It’s a big step to even change my grip half an inch because my game is my forehand. You know, it’s not easy to change my grip at the stage where you’re, like, 30 in the world. I would, obviously, like to look at other options before that.”

Federer hit nine aces and lost only four points on serve against Mahut. “It was a perfect match for me,” Federer said. “Just overall excited being back, happy to be playing well.”

The seventh-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina was two points away from defeat before beating Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 7-6(1), 0-6, 7-6(6).

Nalbandian was serving at 3-5, 0-30 in the third when he began his comeback. He held serve, prevented Stepanek from serving out the match and took the Czech into a second tie-breaker. There, Nalbandian missed three match points at 6-3, but converted his fourth after two hours and 14 minutes.

The Argentine will now meet former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, who saved two match points while beating Mario Ancic 7-6(1), 4-6, 7-6(7).

Lleyton Hewitt downed Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-1 and will play Mardy Fish of the United States, who upset the fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-2.

In the doubles quarterfinals, Leander Paes and Paul Hanley lost 6-2, 6-1 to Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.

The results: Men: Singles: Third round: David Nalbandian bt Radek Stepanek 7-6(1), 0-6, 7-6(6); Roger Federer bt Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 6-1; Ivan Ljubicic bt Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4; Juan Carlos Ferrero bt Mario Ancic 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7).

Lleyton Hewitt bt Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-1; Mardy Fish bt Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-2; Andy Murray bt Ivo Karlovic 7-6(7), 6-7(3), 6-3; Tommy Haas bt Fernando Verdasco 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-1. Doubles: Quarterfinals: Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic bt Leander Paes & Paul Hanley 6-2, 6-1.

Women: Fourth round: Daniela Hantuchova bt Sania Mirza 6-1, 7-6(4); Agnieszka Radwanska bt Ashley Harkleroad 4-6, 6-2, 6-4;

Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-3; Jelena Jankovic bt Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-3. Maria Sharapova bt Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-4; Vera Zvonareva bt Casey Dellacqua 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-4; Ana Ivanovic bt Francesca Schiavone 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. — AP

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