The stars conspired against the defending champions at Indian Wells in an afternoon of shocks on the glorious Centre Court in California’s desert oasis.
Both the men’s No1 seed Rafael Nadal and women’s No4 seed Maria Sharapova, who played back-to-back headlines matches in the heat of the day, fell in very similar scores and in very extended matches—each lasting around two-and-a-half hours.
It was all the more surprising given that, between them, Sharapova and Nadal have claimed five Indian Wells titles in careers that have always shone in the Palm Springs sunshine. Sharapova’s first win came a remarkable eight years ago, repeating last year, and reaching the final in 2012. She also made runs to the semis in 2011 and 2008.
Nadal’s success at Indian Wells has been even more startling. He won the first of three titles in 2007, was runner up in 2011, and reached the semis in 2008, 2010 and 2012—each time losing to the eventual champion.
Nadal had already struggled to beat his opening opponent, Radek Stepanek, coming back from a 2-6 first set to win 7-5 in the third. But his next opponent, the No28 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov, has been ranked as high as 13, and although inconsistent results along with assorted illness and injury had seen the Ukrainian down at 57 at the start of the year, he had reclaimed his form this season to reach the final in Rio with wins over three top-20 players including David Ferrer. He went on to the semis in Acapulco.
It was Nadal who beat Dolgopolov in the Rio final—his fifth victory in as many meetings—but this time, the Ukrainian exacted revenge.
The man from Kiev recovered from a break in the opening game of the match to take the first set 6-3. Nadal then broke in the sixth game of the second set, and levelled the match 3-6, but Dolgopolov raced to 5-2 lead in the third.
Congratulate him. He played I think better than me. That’s it. Life continues
Rafael Nadal
Nadal, though, looked set to repeat his Stepanek comeback when he broke to love and went on to win 10 straight points and force a tie-break. Ninety-nine percent of spectators by this time expected the Spaniard to steal the win, especially when Dolgopolov went down a mini-break. But the Ukrainian first appeared to seal victory with an ace on his first match point—until Hawkeye showed it out—and then completed the job with a forehand winner to take set and match, 7-6(5).
Nadal was disappointed but pragmatic: “Since I started the competition here I didn’t find the right feelings. It’s true that I played against two opponents that probably didn’t help me to get the rhythm in the tournament. But that’s it. I was there. I saved tough situation the first day. Today I was close to save another one. But at the end, when you are on the limit, these things happen. You can lose. I lost today. Congratulate him. He played I think better than me. That’s it. Life continues. Gonna keep working hard to try to be ready for Miami.”
Dolgopolov will next face No13 seed Fabio Fognini, who saved two match points in a seesawing 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 win over 23rd-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils. Dolgopolov beat the Italian just three weeks ago in the Rio quarter-finals, 6-1, 6-1.
Sharapova will arguably be more disappointed with her loss. She had sailed through a potentially tough first match against Julia Goerges for the loss of just five games, and had seen the next highest seed in her quarter, Angelique Kerber, fall at the first hurdle. With qualifier Camila Giorgi as her next opponent, Sharapova had a decent run to the semis.
But the 22-year-old Giorgi, playing her first Indian Wells main draw, has caused upsets on big stages before, such as beating Caroline Wozniacki in last year’s US Open.
If I’m speaking about my level, it was nowhere near where it should have been
Maria Sharapova
Sharapova, though, was complicit in her own downfall: She dropped serve eight time and made 58 unforced errors, and despite rallying to level the match in the second set, she eventually lost the long, gruelling contest, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
Sharapova summed it up: “I did not play a good match at all, and I started very poorly. Never played against her, but she’s someone that doesn’t give you much rhythm. She’s quite aggressive, but some shots she hits incredible for a long period of time… But, if I’m speaking about my level, it was nowhere near where it should have been.”
Giorgi will next face fellow Italian, No20 seed Flavia Pennetta, for a place in the quarter-finals. She will have some cause for optimism, too, in playing the woman 10 years her senior. In their only previous match, at Wimbledon 2012, Giorgi won in straight sets.
The No17 seed, Sloane Stephens, knocked out another former champion, 2008 winner Ana Ivanovic, in the night session. She will now play the unseeded Russian Alisa Kleybanova, who cruised past Spaniard Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-1, 6-3 in 64 minutes.
Other winners included No8 seed Petra Kvitova, who beat No27 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, and No12 seed Dominika Cibulkova, who beat No23 seed Ekaterina Makarova, 6-4, 7-5.