Sharapova, Bouchard both upset, but Serena survives
Serena Williams headlined an All-American match in Stadium 1, but it was two top-seeded foreigners eliminated in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open women’s draw. 2-seed and two-time BNP Paribas Open champ Maria Sharapova was upset by 15-seed Flavia Pennetta (3-6, 6-3, 6-2), last year’s defending champion.
Also late at night on Stadium 2, 6-seed Eugenie Bouchard from Canada was beaten by unseeded Lesia Tsurenko (6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4), who battled an injury to pull out the victory.
Top-seeded Serena Williams faced Sloane Stephens for the fourth time in her career. Despite dropping the first set to Stephens, Williams rallied for a come-from-behind three set victory (6-7(3), 6-2, 6-2). The win put Serena 3-1 overall in her career against Stephens, with the lone loss coming at the 2013 Australian Open quarterfinals.
Roger Federer got a rematch with the man who eliminated him from the 2015 Australian Open nearly two months ago. Federer faced Andreas Seppi in third round action of the men’s draw and beat the Italian in straight sets (6-3, 6-4).
Rafael Nadal faced Donald Young for only the second time in his career, with the last and lone meeting coming at Indian Wells at the BNP Paribas Open in 2008. Nadal dispatched the American in the second-fastest match of the day in the men’s draw, beating Young 6-4, 6-2 in just over one hour and twenty minutes.
THIRD ROUND MEN’S SINGLES SCORES:
(2) R. Federer (SUI) def. (30) A. Seppi (ITA) – 6-3, 6-4
(3) R. Nadal (ESP) def. D. Young (USA) – 6-4, 6-2
(6) M. Raonic (CAN) def. A. Dolgopolov (UKR) – 7-6(2), 6-4
(9) T. Berdych (CZE) def. S. Johnson (USA) – 6-4, 6-2
(17) T. Robredo (ESP) def. (11) G. Dimitrov (BUL) – 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
(13) G. Simon (FRA) def. M. Berrer (GER) – 6-2, 7-5
J. Sock (USA) def. (15) R. Bautista Agut (ESP) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
(27) L. Rosol (CZE) def. R. Haase (NED) – 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(3)
FOURTH ROUND WOMEN’S SINGLES SCORES:
(1) S. Williams (USA) def. S. Stephens (USA) – 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-2
(15) F. Pennetta (ITA) def. (2) M. Sharapova (RUS) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
(3) S. Halep (ROU) def. (14) K. Pliskova (CZE) – 6-4, 6-4
L. Tsurenko (UKR) def. (6) E. Bouchard (CAN) – 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4
(12) C. Suarez Navarro (ESP) def. H. Watson (GBR) – 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-1
(18) J. Jankovic (SRB) def. (31) B. Bencic (SUI) – 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
(27) T. Bacsinszky (SUI) def. (23) E. Svitolina (UKR) – 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
(24) S. Lisicki (GER) def. (25) C. Garcia (FRA) – 6-4, 6-4
