It’s Business As Usual For Federer And Nadal But Djokovic And Osaka Take A Spanking

Roger Federer of Switzerland in action against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, USA, 12 March 2019. The men’s and women’s final will be played, 17 March 2019. EPA-EFE/LARRY W. SMITH

 

 

By Alix Ramsay

 

We have waited the best part of a week for the BNP Paribas Open to spring into life (the whole debate about the merits of first round byes for the 32 seeds can wait for another day. All we will say is that it doesn’t half put a dampener on the first few rounds) but finally, as Tuesday gathered momentum, we had proper carnage on offer. This was more like it.

 

In the space of a few hours, both world No.1s had been escorted off the grounds with Novak Djokovic losing 6-4, 6-4 to Philipp Kohlschreiber and Naomi Osaka flapping at shadows as Belinda Bencic walloped her 6-3, 6-1. Both top bananas were on the duff side of awful and their inspired opponents made the most of it.

 

Djokovic, in particular, cut a forlorn figure as he could do nothing right and, for the most part, his opponent could do very little wrong. For a bloke chasing a record sixth title in the desert, it was the worst of all possible combos.

 

With the match held over from the previous evening due to rain (they managed just one game on Monday night before the heavens opened), Kohlschreiber had had plenty of time to perfect his game plan. And once he had come through a minor crisis at the very start of the resumption, he knew he was in with a decent chance against the increasingly frustrated world No.1.

 

“I think very crucial moment was beginning of first set,” he said. “I survived I think four break points. Didn’t play that clever at that moment, especially some easy shots I missed. So I let some opportunities let go.

 

“But after that, I felt like, OK, I’m getting there, I’m feeling the ball well. I’m also feeling that my opponent is not able to play his A-game. He’s struggling. He doesn’t like to play the balls that high.

 

“I would say after 3-3 in the first set I felt like, OK, it’s the way the match goes, you know, getting closer to the set, holding my service games, which is not easy against Novak, because he’s such a great returner. So I know from that point on it’s gonna be a very interesting match.”

 

Interesting indeed. When the first set ran away from him, Djokovic mangled his racket with three almighty blows on the sole of his shoe and from then on, he looked like he simply did not want to be there. He had no obvious plan of action against the German and with every point that escaped him, he looked more and more miserable.

 

“I liked my chances more at night against Kohlschreiber, but it wasn’t to be last night; it was raining,” Djokovic said, having regrouped and gone on to win his opening doubles match with Fabio Fognini an hour or so after his defeat.

 

“But completely different conditions today. Ball bounces much higher. Obviously he uses his spin very well. I wasn’t playing well. One of those days. I congratulate him for playing tactically really well and getting me out of my comfort zone. He deserved to win.”

 

As for the unassuming Kohlschreiber, he spent a large part of his press conference justifying his very existence. True, he was not a superstar of the sport and, yes, his career had more past than future (he is 35 years old). But, as he tried to explain, he is a pretty decent player who knows how to take even the very best and tie them up in knots.

 

“I think it’s not a big weakness I have,” he explained, “so if you don’t really find the way where you can really hit through me, I think it’s always a big fight against me.

 

“I move around the court quite well. Defending skills are not that bad. I have, on both sides, I think good striking power. So if you’re not able to really hit through me, I’m able to create a lot of angles, topspin, speed on both sides.

 

“If I’m feeling well or have good timing, it’s not easy to make points against me. And especially the slower conditions, which helps me to get a better timing, yeah, I’m able to create a lot of power on slow balls, which also helps me to create a lot of speeds on these conditions.”

 

The next man he will try to frustrate is Gael Monfils. It will not be easy – Monfils has won all but two of their past 15 meetings – but then again, beating Djokovic was not supposed to be a piece of cake, either.

 

It has all been plain sailing for Rafa Nadal so far. He eased his way past the diminutive yet determined Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-1 to take up his place in the fourth round. Then again, he always beats Schwartzman – Tuesday’s win was his seventh in seven meetings. Sometimes, Schwartzman makes Raf work for his victory. But not often. Tuesday was a “not often” sort of day which put the word No.2 through to play Filip Krajinovic, a qualifier from Serbia. Krajonovic beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2.

 

“He’s in the big confidence,” Raf said of the high-flying Serb. “I saw him playing very well this morning. So it’s going to be a tough one. I need to keep playing the way that I’m playing, if it’s possible even improving a little bit more couple of things.

 

“But in general terms, I should be happy, no? I can’t complain much, winning 6-1, 6-1 the first day, today 6-3, 6-1 against good players. So that’s very positive results.

 

“I need to keep being confident and believe in the things that I’m doing.”

 

It is not often that the Mighty Fed is relegated to the bottom of the news agenda but we don’t often get days like this past Tuesday in the desert. As expected, Federer, he of the 21-3 winning record going into his match with Stan Wawrinka, won 6-3, 6-4 and now faces Kyle Edmund, Britain’s top man. Edmund did for Radu Albot with the minimum of fuss, winning 6-3, 6-3.