British number one Heather Watson pulled off the biggest win of her career in Indian Wells, beating Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets. Watson, 22, who had never previously taken a set off the Polish world number eight, won 6-4 6-4 in the third round at the BNP Paribas Open. It is the first time in 12 attempts that Watson, ranked 43, has beaten a player in the world’s top 10.
“She is a great player,” said Watson. “I knew I would need my A-game.”
Watson, who will face Carla Suarez Navarro or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in round four, lost to Radwanska in last year’s second round in California. After being broken early on, Watson went on to dominate the opening set, breaking her opponent twice and regularly getting the better of some lengthy backhand exchanges. The Briton produced a blistering ace to wrap up the set and then broke her opponent at the start of the second set as she moved 2-0 up.
Radwanska, last year’s beaten finalist, belatedly found some form and hit back, breaking twice to move 4-2 ahead. But Watson – who had never previously been further than the second round in Indian Wells – recovered her composure to win four straight games herself. Leading 5-4, she served out to love to wrap up a superb victory and reach the last 16.
Britain’s Andy Murray beat Vasek Pospisil 6-1 6-3 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The Scot, 27, broke Canada’s Pospisil five times in a dominant display. Murray dropped his own serve at the start of the second set but immediately levelled on the way to victory. He will face Philipp Kohlschreiber next.
World number one and reigning champion Novak Djokovic won by the same scoreline as he saw off Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in just under an hour.
“It went very well for me, a very solid performance from the beginning,” said the Australian Open champion, who will play Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain in the third round.
“I served well and from the baseline I didn’t give Marcos many chances to come back in the match.”
Murray, who beat Pospisil in the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam last month, sealed his win in one hour 19 minutes. The Scot hit 14 winners against the Canadian and is set for a tougher test against German Kohlschreiber on Monday. The pair last met in the third round of the 2014 French Open, Murray prevailing 12-10 in a five-set thriller that was played over two days.
At Indian Wells, Murray said he found it difficult to adjust to the contrast in atmosphere from Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against the United States in Glasgow last weekend.
“I’ve struggled a bit in the last few years here so I decided to try and play a very solid match and adjust to the conditions,” he said. “It was very hot and that made the ball pretty lively.
“Controlling the ball isn’t that easy. I thought I played quite a smart match.”
Murray could face a quarter-final meeting with Japan’s world number five Kei Nishikori, who recorded a 6-4 6-4 win over American Ryan Harrison. Nishikori will play Spain’s Fernando Verdasco next.
Juan Monaco upset number 10 seed and US Open champion Marin Cilic, sealing a 6-4 6-4 win.
Heather Watson vs Agnieszka Radwanska, 15/03/2015, 18:10 GMT, Match Center
Andy Murray vs Vasek Pospisil, 14/03/2015, 21:35 GMT, Match Center
Indian Wells: Win for Heather Watson and Andy Murray
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