Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

O&N HOME | NFL MLB NBA NHL NCAAF NCAABk Nascar Golf Soccer Tennis Boxing Horse Racing All Sports

Nadal joins Djokovic in final four at Indian Wells

Fri 21st, March 2008

Indian Wells, CA (Sports Network) - Spaniard Rafael Nadal downed American James Blake under the lights to join Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic as a quarterfinal winner Thursday at the $3.589 million Pacific Life Open -- the first ATP Masters Series event of the year.

The second-seeded Nadal needed just over two hours to slip past the ninth- seeded American Blake 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Blake's much-documented success against southpaws didn't come to fruition Thursday night, as Nadal did what he does best -- outlast the opponent with a grinding array of ground strokes.

Blake had won the previous three meetings, the last a straight-set victory at the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup in China. The defending champion Nadal overcame a shaky second set to advance.

The third-seeded Djokovic got past dangerous Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in a sloppy match on the hardcourts at the sprawling Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The reigning three-time French Open champion and two-time Wimbledon runner-up Nadal beat the Serbian Djokovic in last year's Indian Wells finale. Blake was the runner-up here in 2006.

Friday's remaining quarterfinals will pit top-ranked Swiss Roger Federer against unseeded German Tommy Haas and seventh-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian versus unseeded American Mardy Fish. Federer titled here back-to- back-to-back from 2004-06.

Where the players come to play and STAY.