McDonald tops del Potro; Cal women fall to No. 7 Vandy

Mackenzie McDonald, playing in the San Francisco Challenger
last February, beat ailing Juan Martin del Potro, ranked fourth,
tonight in the Delray Beach Open to reach his first ATP Tour
semifinal. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Mackenzie McDonald reached two milestones in his blossoming career tonight.
   The 23-year-old product of Piedmont in the San Francisco Bay Area recorded his first victory over a top-10 player to reach his first ATP Tour semifinal.
   However, there was a catch. McDonald's opponent, Juan Martin del Potro, was playing in his first tournament since breaking his right kneecap in Shanghai in October.
   The unseeded McDonald, ranked 84th, edged the top-seeded del Potro, ranked fourth, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) in the Delray Beach Open. Del Potro played with his knee heavily taped, and his mobility was limited during the 2-hour, 18-minute battle.
   McDonald, now based in Orlando, Fla., will surpass his career high of No. 76 in Monday's updated rankings.
   The Delray Beach Open is guaranteed to have a first-time ATP finalist, as the 5-foot-10 (1.78-meter) and 160-pound (73-kilogram) McDonald is scheduled to meet Radu Albot, 29, of Moldova at 5 p.m. California time (Tennis Channel).
   Albot, even smaller than McDonald at 5-foot-9 (1.75 meters) and 152 pounds (69 kilograms), surprised fourth-seeded Steve Johnson of Redondo Beach in the Los Angeles area 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
   In the other semifinal, second-seeded John Isner of Dallas is set to play qualifier Daniel Evans of Great Britain at noon (Tennis Channel).
   The 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) del Potro, who won the 2011 Delray Beach title, blasted 16 aces and won 81 percent of the points on his first serve (48 of 59) against McDonald. Del Potro, though, converted only one of six first serves in the tiebreaker.
   McDonald pounded nine aces and won 82 percent of the points on his first delivery (40 of 49).
   It was the first meeting between del Potro, who defeated Roger Federer to win the 2009 U.S. Open before undergoing four wrist operations, and McDonald, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last July.
   College women -- Cal's Julia Rosenqvist shocked the nation's third-ranked player, but the No. 24 Bears lost to No. 7 Vanderbilt 4-3 in Berkeley.
   In the deciding match, ninth-ranked Christina Rosca defeated 20th-ranked Olivia Hauger 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Court 2. Rosenqvist, ranked 45th, beat Fernanda Contereras 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 on Court 1.
   Stanford (5-1) will host Vanderbilt (5-2) on Saturday at noon in a rematch of the NCAA final last May. The Cardinal won 4-3 for its 19th NCAA team title.

Djokovic ties Sampras with 14th major singles title

Novak Djokovic, playing at Indian Wells last year, defeated Juan Martin del
Potro in straight sets today for his third U.S. Open title. Photo by Mal Taam

   Note to readers: If you enjoy my coverage of Northern California tennis, please donate on my homepage. Here's why I need your support. Thank you.
   For Juan Martin del Potro, reaching the U.S. Open final was a tremendous victory in itself.
   But for Novak Djokovic, all that matters is Grand Slam titles.
   The sixth-seeded Djokovic beat the third-seeded del Potro 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 today in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., for his second consecutive major crown and 14th overall, tying Pete Sampras for third place all-time. They trail Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (17).
   It was Djokovic's third U.S. Open title in his record-tying eighth final at Flushing Meadows.
   Djokovic, a 31-year-old Serb, improved to 15-4 against del Potro, an Argentine who will turn 30 on Sept. 23. Djokovic has won the last four meetings and seven of the last eight. At 6-foot-2 (1.88 meters), he moves better than the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) del Potro.
   Del Potro was playing in his second Grand Slam final. He shocked Nadal and Federer in the last two rounds of the 2009 U.S. Open.
   A right-hander with a two-handed backhand, del Potro considered retirement after undergoing four wrist operations (one right and three left) between 2010 and 2015.
   Djokovic has had his own injury issues. The right-hander missed last year's U.S. Open with a right elbow problem that subsequently required surgery.
   Williams fined -- Serena Williams was fined $17,000 for committing three code violations during her loss to Naomi Osaka, 20, in Saturday's women's final.
   Williams -- who has residences in Florida, Southern California and Silicon Valley -- was assessed $10,000 for verbal abuse of chair umpire Carlos Ramos, $4,000 for being coached and $3,000 for smashing her racket in anger.
   Williams won the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford in (2011, 2012 and 2014). The tournament moved to San Jose this year under a new sponsor, Mubadala.
   Women's doubles final -- No. 13 seeds Ashleigh Barty of Australia and CoCo Vandeweghe of Rancho Santa Fe in the San Diego area saved three match points in a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6) victory over No. 2 seeds Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France.
   Vandeweghe reached two Bank of the West singles finals (2012 and 2017) and won the doubles title at Stanford last year with countrywoman Abigail Spears.

Nadal quits match; del Potro, Djokovic reach final

Rafael Nadal, playing at Indian Wells last year, retired with right knee
tendinitis with Juan Martin del Potro leading 7-6 (3), 6-2 today in the
U.S. Open semifinals. Photo by Mal Taam

   Note to readers: If you enjoy my coverage of Northern California tennis, please donate on my homepage. Here's why I need your support. Thank you.
   If anyone deserves a break, it's Juan Martin del Potro.
   The No. 3 seed got one today when No. 1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal retired with right knee tendinitis with del Potro leading 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the U.S. Open semifinals in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
   Nadal, a three-time U.S. Open champion, was coming off three consecutive tough matches in oppressive heat and humidity. However, he had two days to rest after the last one.
   Nadal subdued No. 27 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia in 4 hours, 23 minutes in the third round, Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia in 3 hours, 19 minutes in the fourth round and No. 9 seed Dominic Thiem of Austria in 4 hours, 49 minutes in the quarterfinals. The latter match ended at 2:04 a.m. EDT Wednesday.
   Nadal also retired from his Australian Open quarterfinal against Marin Cilic in January with a right leg injury.
   Del Potro, a 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) right-hander with a two-handed backhand, stunned Nadal and Roger Federer to win the 2009 U.S. Open but had surgery on his right wrist in 2010 and three operations on his left wrist in 2014-15.
   "It's been horrible for me," del Potro, who considered retirement, lamented in 2015. "One doctor would say something to me; another would say something different. It was difficult to believe one or the other."
   Del Potro, who will turn 30 on Sept. 23, will face No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic on Sunday at 1 p.m. PDT (ESPN). Djokovic, a two-time U.S. Open champion and five-time runner-up, dominated Kei Nishikori, the 2014 runner-up at Flushing Meadows, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
   Djokovic is 14-4 against Del Potro with a three-match winning streak and six victories in their last seven matches.
   Women's singles -- No. 17 seed Serena Williams, who has a residence in Silicon Valley, will try to tie Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles when she meets No. 20 Naomi Osaka, 20, of Japan on Saturday at 1 p.m. (ESPN).
   Osaka, who will play in her first major final, defeated Williams 6-3, 6-2 in the first round at Miami in March in their only previous meeting. It was Williams' second tournament since giving birth to her first child on Sept. 1, 2017, and enduring life-threatening complications.
   Men's doubles -- Mike Bryan (Stanford, 1997-98) won his 18th Grand Slam men's doubles title, breaking the record he shared with John Newcombe.
   No. 3 seeds Bryan and Jack Sock of the United States outclassed No. 7 Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Marcelo Melo of Brazil 6-3, 6-1 in 74 minutes for the crown in a matchup of the last two Wimbledon championship teams.
   Bryan, 40, and Sock claimed their second consecutive Grand Slam title. Bryan's twin brother, Bob, underwent hip surgery on Aug. 2.
   Boys singles -- Unseeded Jenson Brooksby, 17, of Carmichael in the Sacramento area beat 14th-seeded Brandon Nakashima of San Diego 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
   Brooksby also defeated Nakashima 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 to win last month's USTA Boys 18 National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich, and 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Easter Bowl at Indian Wells in March en route to the title.
   Brooksby, who plans to enroll at Texas Christian in the fall of 2019 or in January 2020, is scheduled to play unseeded Lorenzo Musetti of Italy on Saturday. Musetti dismantled Daniel Michalski of Poland 6-4, 6-0.

Nadal, Thiem advance to French Open final

Rafael Nadal, shown at Indian Wells in 2017, will seek his 11th French Open
singles title on Sunday. Photo by Mal Taam 

   There might be tougher tasks in life than to beat Rafael Nadal at the French Open.
   Watch television for five minutes without seeing Flo in a Progressive Insurance commercial? 
   Listen to Barry Manilow?
   Get speedy service at the post office?
   But defeating Nadal at Roland Garros in Paris is right up there. Juan Martin Del Potro was the latest player to attempt the next-to-impossible, losing to Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in today's semifinals.
   Mind you, Del Potro grew up on clay in Argentina, won the 2009 U.S. Open and is ranked sixth in the world.
   No matter. Nadal, who turned 32 on Sunday, advanced to his 11th French Open final and improved to 85-2 at Roland Garros. The only players to beat him there are Robin Soderling of Sweden in the fourth round in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals in 2015.
   The only other man in the Open era to reach 11 finals in a single Grand Slam tournament is Roger Federer, who has won eight titles in 11 title matches at Wimbledon.
   The top-ranked Nadal will seek his 11th French Open singles title when he faces Dominic Thiem, seeded seventh and ranked eighth, on Sunday at 6 a.m. PDT on NBC.
   Thiem, a 24-year-old Austrian, eliminated unseeded Marco Cecchinato of Italy 7-5, 7-6 (10), 6-1 to reach his first Grand Slam final. Both players have sensational one-handed backhands.
   Nadal is 6-3 against Thiem, with all of the matches coming on outdoor clay. Thiem won the last encounter 7-5, 6-3 in the Madrid quarterfinals last month, but in the previous two matches, Nadal romped 6-0, 6-2 in the Monte Carlo quarters in April and 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in last year's French Open semifinals.
   Nadal has not lost a set to Thiem in two Grand Slam matches. In their first career meeting, Nadal won 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the second round of the 2014 French Open.
   Thiem will try to become only the second man outside of the "Big Five" (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka) to win a major title since 2009. Marin Cilic captured the 2014 U.S. Open.
   Del Potro, who almost quit tennis after undergoing four wrist operations in recent years, will rise two spots and equal his career high of No. 4 in the world rankings on Monday.
   In Saturday's women's final, top-ranked Simona Halep will face 10th-seeded Sloane Stephens at 6 a.m. PDT on NBC.
   Halep, 26, is 0-3 in Grand Slam singles finals, including losses in the 2014 and 2017 French Opens.
   Stephens, a 25-year-old Fresno product, is 1-0 in major finals. Unseeded, she won last year's U.S. Open in only her fifth tournament after undergoing foot surgery.
   Stephens will attempt to become the first U.S. woman other than Serena Williams to win the French Open since Jennifer Capriati in 2001.

BNP champ Osaka hinted at greatness at Stanford

Unseeded Naomi Osaka beat No. 20 Daria Kasatkina
6-3, 6-2 to win the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
2014 photo by Paul Bauman

   Naomi Osaka of Japan announced herself as a potential Grand Slam champion by routing Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-3, 6-2 today in an unlikely matchup of 20-year-olds to win the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
   But Osaka's first big win came four years ago at Stanford.
   As a 16-year-old qualifier playing her first main-draw match on the WTA tour, Osaka ousted 2011 U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 in the first round of the Bank of the West Classic.
   Osaka saved a match point in the tiebreaker and overcame a 3-5 deficit in the third set. She then fell to eighth-seeded Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 6-2.
   In today's men's final, sixth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina saved three match points in a 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (2) victory over top-ranked Roger Federer.
   Del Potro, who almost quit tennis after undergoing four wrist operations in recent years, handed Federer, who was seeking a record-breaking sixth Indian Wells title, his first loss of the year after 17 wins.
   Del Potro also beat Federer in the 2009 U.S. Open final but trails 18-7 in the head-to-head series.
   Osaka was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother. She moved to the United States at 3 and has trained at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., for the past two years.
   Unseeded at Indian Wells, Osaka defeated two-time champion Maria Sharapova, former world No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska,, former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova and current No. 1 Simona Halep en route to the title.
   In the final, Osaka dismissed the 20th-seeded Kasatkina in 70 minutes to win her first title at any professional level.
  "We've seen the power," ESPN commentator Chris Evert said of the 5-foot-11 (1.80-meter) Osaka's game. "What we hadn't seen is the consistency and the court coverage."
   Osaka recently began working with Sascha Bajin, formerly Serena Williams' hitting partner.
   "I give Sascha a lot of credit," Evert told the New York Times. "He knew what she lacked, what she needed. Her movement is noticeably different."     
   Osaka earned $1,340,860, almost double her career earnings of $1,483,053. She will jump from No. 44 in the world to a career-high No. 22 in Monday's updated rankings. Kasatkina will rise eight spots to a career-high No. 11. 
   BNP Paribas announced that it has extended its title sponsorship of the tournament for five years. The worldwide bank will become the longest-running title sponsor in the event's 42-year history.

Anderson, with NorCal ties, to face Nadal in final

Rafael Nadal, right, shakes hands after losing to Roger Federer in the fourth
round at Indian Wells in March. Photo by Mal Taam 

   Alexis Castorri, a Florida sports psychologist, has helped Kevin Anderson become more positive on the court.

   But what's she going to tell him about facing Rafael Nadal in the U.S. Open final?
   Good luck? Pray a lot? You're on your own, buddy?
   Nadal is heavily favored to beat Anderson, who has played extensively in Northern California, when they meet on Sunday. ESPN will televise the match beginning at 1 p.m. PDT.
   In Friday's semifinals, a revitalized Nadal dismantled 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, and Anderson defeated Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
   Nadal and Anderson are both 31 (Anderson is two weeks older), but that's where the similarity ends.
   Nadal is a 6-foot-1 (1.85-meter) left-hander from Spain. Anderson is a 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) right-hander from South Africa, making him the tallest Grand Slam finalist in history.
   Nadal is seeded first and Anderson 28th. That makes Anderson the lowest-seeded U.S. Open finalist since the ATP's computer rankings began in 1973.
   Nadal has won 15 Grand Slam singles titles, second in history behind Roger Federer's 19. Anderson will play in his first major final, thanks largely to the injury absences of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.
   "It's nice that some of them gave us a bit of a shot to make a run at this tournament," Anderson quipped to reporters.  
   Anderson is 0-4 against Nadal but does have one advantage. The pressure will be on Nadal. Anderson, with nothing to lose, can hit out on his shots.
   Anderson won the NCAA doubles title in the 2006 tournament at Stanford as an Illinois junior. The following year, he reached the final of a $15,000 Futures tournament in Loomis in the Sacramento area, losing to since-retired American Scoville Jenkins.

   In 2012, Anderson advanced to the quarterfinals of the SAP Open in his only appearance in San Jose and played part-time for the Sacramento Capitals in World TeamTennis. The SAP Open and Capitals folded after the 2013 season.

   Girls singles -- Cori Gauff, a 13-year-old phenom from Atlanta, defeated Katie Volynets, 15, of Walnut Creek in the San Francisco Bay Area, 6-3, 6-2 in a quarterfinal matchup of unseeded players.
   In the semifinals, Gauff will meet unseeded Maria Lourdes Carle of Argentina, and fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova of Hallandale Beach, Fla., will play unseeded Emiliana Arango of Colombia.
   Anisimova, 16, won the $60,000 Sacramento Challenger in July for her first professional title.
   Men's Collegiate Invitational  -- Tom Fawcett, a Stanford senior, routed Alfredo Perez, a Florida junior, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the final of the eight-player event.
   Fawcett will face Michael Redlicki, who completed his eligibility at Arkansas in the spring. Redlicki topped Brandon Holt, a USC sophomore and the son of International Tennis Hall of Famer Tracy Austin, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.

S.F. natives Querrey, Bellis advance to finals

Sixteen-year-old CiCi Bellis, playing in the Sacramento Challenger
last July, routed Chiara Scholl in 48 minutes to reach the final of
the $25,000 Surprise (Ariz.) Tennis Open. Photo by Paul Bauman

   San Francisco natives Sam Querrey and CiCi Bellis on Saturday reached singles finals in U.S. professional tournaments.
   The unseeded Querrey, a 28-year-old resident of Las Vegas, defeated wild card Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina 7-5, 7-5 in a matchup of 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) players in the Delray Beach (Fla.) Open on the ATP World Tour.
   The eighth-seeded Bellis, a 16-year-old amateur from Atherton in the San Francisco Bay Area, dismissed U.S. qualifier Chiara Scholl 6-3, 6-0 in 48 minutes in the $25,000 Surprise (Ariz.) Tennis Open.
   Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open and 2011 Delray Beach champion, was playing in his first tournament since last March. The 27-year-old right-hander, who has a two-handed backhand, underwent the third operation on his left wrist last June. Del Potro also had right wrist surgery in 2010.
   Del Potro, 18-year-old American Taylor Fritz and Australian Open quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai of China received wild cards into the BNP Paribas Open, March 7-20 at Indian Wells, the tournament announced this week.       
   Querrey will meet unseeded Rajeev Ram of Carmel, Ind., today at noon PST (Tennis Channel). The 6-foot-4 (1.93-meter) Ram, who will turn 32 next month, beat fourth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-3.
   Querrey is 5-2 against Ram with a three-match winning streak. In their last meeting, Querrey won 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the semifinals at Los Angeles in 2012 en route to the last of his seven singles titles.
   Former Stanford All-Americans Bob and Mike Bryan, seeded first, will play unseeded Oliver Marach of Austria and Fabrice Martin of France in the doubles final (10 a.m. PST, Tennis Channel). The Bryan twins, 37, seek their third straight Delray Beach title and fifth overall.
   Scholl, 23, committed seven double faults against Bellis and won only three of 22 points (14 percent) on her second serve.  
   Bellis, who has lost only 13 games in four matches and won a set 6-0 in her last three, will face unseeded American Jamie Loeb for the first time today.
   Loeb, who turned pro last summer after winning the NCAA singles title as a sophomore at North Carolina, topped 17-year-old Sofia Kenin of Pembroke Pines, Fla., 7-5, 6-2. 
   Colleges -- Mads Engsted defeated No. 119 Michael Genender 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-5  on Court 6 to give the visiting Cal men, ranked 18th, a 4-3 over No. 22 Stanford. The Bears are 5-1, and the Cardinal is 5-4.
  The top-ranked Cal women defeated No. 22 UCLA 5-2 in Los Angeles to improve to 8-0. The Bruins fell to 5-3.

S.F. natives Querrey, Bellis gain semifinals

Sam Querrey will face Juan Martin Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open
champion, in the Delray Beach semifinals. 2014 photo by Paul Bauman

   Two San Francisco natives on Friday reached semifinals in U.S. professional tournaments.
   Unseeded Sam Querrey, 6-foot-6 (1.98 meters), held off Tim Smyczek, a 5-foot-10 (1.75-meter) wild card from Tampa, Fla.,
6-7 (1), 7-6 (4), 6-4 in Delray Beach, Fla., on the ATP World Tour.
   And eighth-seeded CiCi Bellis, 16, pounded former USC All-American Danielle Lao, only
5-foot-3 (1.61 meters), 6-0, 1-0, retired in the $25,000 Surprise (Ariz.) Tennis Classic.
   Querrey, who now lives in Las Vegas, is scheduled to face wild card Juan Martin Del Potro, also 6-foot-6 (1.98 meters), of Argentina. Del Potro leads the head-to-head series
2-0, but the last meeting came in 2011.
   Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open and 2011 Delray Beach champion, is playing in his first tournament since last March. The 27-year-old right-hander, who has a two-handed backhand, underwent the third operation on his left wrist last June. Del Potro also had right wrist surgery in 2010.
   Bellis, an amateur from Atherton in the San Francisco Bay Area, will play qualifier Chiara Scholl, a 23-year-old American, for the first time.
   Cal women -- Freshman Olivia Hauger clinched a dual-match win for the second consecutive time as the No. 1 Bears overwhelmed No. 11 USC 6-1 in Los Angeles.  
   Hauger, ranked No. 102, defeated No. 90 Rianna Valdes 6-4, 6-3 on Court 5 after sealing Cal's 4-3 victory over North Carolina in the final of the ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championship on Feb. 8. Hauger was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
   The Trojans' victory came on Court 1 as No. 38 Giuliana Olmos, a junior from Fremont in the Bay Area, beat No. 13 Maegan Manasse 6-3, 6-3.
   Cal (7-0) will play at No. 22 UCLA today at 1 p.m.

Nadal, Sharapova earn Indian Wells titles

Rafael Nadal showed no signs of rust at Indian Wells.
2012 photo by Paul Bauman

   Seven-month layoff? What seven-month layoff?
   Rafael Nadal improved to 17-1 this year, the best start of his career, with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday in the final of the BNP Paribas Masters at Indian Wells.
   It was Nadal's third Indian Wells title, record-breaking 22nd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy, 14th straight match victory and 600th match win of his career.
   Nadal had been tied with Roger Federer for the most Masters crowns. Federer, with 891 match wins, is the only other active player to reach 600.
   In the women's final, third-ranked Maria Sharapova outslugged No. 10 Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2 for her second Indian Wells crown.
   Nadal, ranked fifth, returned to the tour last month after sitting out since Wimbledon because of a knee injury and a short bout with a virus. He beat second-ranked Roger Federer in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells and No. 6 Tomas Berdych in the semifinals.

Maria Sharapova ripped 33 winners to two for Caroline
Wozniacki. 2012 photo by Paul Bauman

   "A lot of things happened the last seven months, [so] to be back here and to have this very heavy trophy with me is amazing," Nadal, who also won the Indian Wells title in 2007 and 2009, told reporters. "Beating three top 10 players and winning a title like this is just something unbelievable for me. I'm very, very happy and very emotional."

   Nadal, 26, overcame a 4-6, 1-3 deficit in the final on an 89-degree Fahrenheit (31-degree Celsius) day.
   "I think Rafa deserved to win," said the seventh-ranked del Potro, who was coming off three-set victories over third-ranked Andy Murray in the quarterfinals and No. 1 Novak Djokovic in 95-degree Fahrenheit (35-degree Celsius) heat each day. "The last hour of the match, he played so solid and put me so far (from) the baseline and made winners. But I think I (had) a good tournament anyway."
   Sharapova cracked 33 winners to two for Wozniacki in their 81-minute match.
   "The scoreline looks a lot easier than I think the match actually was," said Sharapova, who also captured the Indian Wells title in 2006. "I think it was a tough match, a tough battle, and there were a lot of games that went to deuce and a lot of long games. They could have easily swung the other way, especially some opportunities she had in that second set. I always felt like I was always a foot ahead, especially with the breaks. I was able to serve well today, and that helped me."

COLLEGE SCORES

Men

   Sacramento State def. Weber State 5-2 in Ogden, Utah. No. 1 singles: Marek Marksoo (SS) def. Jakub Gewert 6-2, 6-3. Records: Sac State 7-9 overall, 4-0 Big Sky Conference; Weber State 4-7, 2-2.
   Idaho State def. Sacramento State 4-3 in Pocatello, Idaho. No. 1 singles: Marek Marksoo (SS) def. Christian Marian 6-4, 7-5. Records: Idaho State 5-2 overall, 4-0 Big Sky Conference; Sac State 7-10, 4-1.

Women

   No. 15 Cal def. No. 52 San Diego State 6-1 in San Diego. No. 1 singles: No. 8 Anett Schutting (C) def. Julia Wais 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Records: Cal 8-5, San Diego State 7-4.
   Nevada def. Sacramento State 4-3 in Sacramento. No. 1 singles: Rebeca Delgado (SS) def. Michelle Okhremchuk 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. Records: Nevada 5-4, Sac State 5-8.
   Cal State Northridge 4, UC Davis 3 in Northridge. No. 1 singles: Megan Heneghan  (UCD) def. Maria Pistalu 7-6 (1), 6-3. Records: Cal State Northridge 8-3 overall, 3-2 Big West Conference; UC Davis 6-9, 2-2.

Del Potro ends Djokovic's winning streak

   It has been a long road back for Juan Martin del Potro.
   After using his percussive serve and forehand to shock Roger Federer and win the 2009 U.S. Open, del Potro underwent surgery on his right (playing) wrist in 2010 and missed eight months.
   The 24-year-old Argentine took another big step in his return on Saturday with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
   "I was doing a very good match until the third set, but Novak had the chance to beat me when I was down 3-love," del Potro, ranked and seeded seventh, said on atpworldtour.com. "But I came back soon, and that gave me a little confidence to come back in that set. Then also the crowd wanted to watch more tennis, and [it] helped me to play my best tennis in the end. I think it was my best match in this tournament, for sure."

Novak Djokovic suffered his first loss since last
October. 2012 photo by Paul Bauman

    Djokovic had won 22 straight matches dating to last October, including his third straight Australian Open title in January.
   "All the credit to my opponent today," he said. "He deserved to win because he was more composed in the important moments, and he played the right shots. He stepped into the court, where, on the other side, I made a lot of unforced errors and was at the back of the court [and was] too passive."
   The 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Del Potro will meet fifth-seeded Rafael Nadal in today's final at 2 p.m. or later (ESPN2). Nadal, who won the title in 2007 and 2009, advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Nadal won the last four games of the match.
   Nadal is 7-3 lifetime against del Potro, but the series is tied 3-3 on hardcourts. Nadal, who returned to the circuit in February after missing seven months because of a knee injury and then a virus, has won both of their meetings at Indian Wells in straight sets.
   Also, Nadal will be fresher than del Potro. The 26-year-old Spaniard has won his last two matches in straight sets, while del Potro has been extended to three sets on back-to-back 95-degree Fahrenheit (35 Celsius) days. Del Potro defeated third-ranked Andy Murray 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1 on Friday.
   Meanwhile, top-ranked Bob and Mike Bryan from the nearby Los Angeles area finally won the men's doubles title at Indian Wells. Playing in the tournament for the 15th straight year, they edged Treat Huey, a Washington, D.C., native who plays for the Philippines, and Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 match tiebreaker.
   Second-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia will face eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark for the women's title today at noon (ESPN2) in a matchup of former Indian Wells champions. Sharapova triumphed in 2006 and Wozniacki in 2011.
    Sharapova has a career record of 4-2 against Wozniacki, although the series is tied 2-2 on hardcourts.

COLLEGE SCORES

Men

   No. 12 Pepperdine def. No. 16 Cal 4-3 in Berkeley. No. 1 singles: No. 57 Ben McLachlan (C) def. No. 11 Sebastian Fanselow 6-2, 6-3. Records: Pepperdine 11-4, Cal 7-6.
   Sacramento State def. Southern Utah 7-0 in Cedar City, Utah. No. 1 singles: Aliaksandr Malko (SS) def. Troy Benson 6-0, 6-2. Records: Sac State 6-9 overall, 3-0 Big Sky Conference. Southern Utah 0-3, 0-3.
   Purdue def. Santa Clara 4-3 in Santa Clara. No. 1 singles: No. 68 John Lamble (SC) def. Szymon Tatarczyk 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Records: Purdue 13-3, Santa Clara 11-6.

Women

   Nevada def. Pacific 5-2 in Stockton. No. 1 singles: Michelle Okhremchuk (N) def. Iveta Masarova 6-1, 6-4. Records: Nevada 5-4 overall, 0-1 Mountain West Conference. Pacific 6-7, 1-1 Big West Conference.
   UC Davis def. Cal State Fullerton 6-1 in Fullerton. No. 1 singles: Megan Heneghan (UCD) def. Tiffany Mai 6-1, 6-3. Records: UC Davis 6-8 overall, 2-1 Big West Conference. Cal State Fullerton 8-9, 2-4.

Del Potro tops Murray in battle of U.S. Open champs

Andy Murray played in his first tournament since losing to
Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final in late January.
2012 Photo by Paul Bauman

   In the past eight years, only two men besides Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won a Grand Slam singles title.
   Those two players, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro, met Friday in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Del Potro scored a mild upset with a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1 victory, only his second in seven matches against Murray.
   Del Potro, 24, of Argentina and Murray, 25, of Great Britain won the U.S. Open in 2009 and last year, respectively, for their only Grand Slam crowns. Del Potro, who underwent surgery on his right (playing) wrist in 2010 and was sidelined for eight months, has played in one Grand Slam final and Murray in six.
   Del Potro, seeded seventh, was more match tough for Friday's encounter. He improved to 15-3 this year, including the title at Rotterdam last month. Murray, seeded third, was playing in his first tournament since losing to Djokovic in the Australian Open final in late January.
    "He played like someone that's won a lot of matches recently," Murray told reporters. "Especially in the second and third set when the important moments came, he played well."
   Murray would have replaced Federer at No. 2 in the world by reaching the final. Instead, Del Potro will face the top-ranked Djokovic in today's second semifinal at approximately 2 p.m. PDT (ESPN News),. Djokovic, who owns a 22-match winning streak, leads the head-to-head series 8-2.
   In today's first semifinal at noon (ESPN News), fifth-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain will meet sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. It will be a rematch of the 2010 Wimbledon final, won by Nadal in straight sets. He seeks his third Indian Wells title after triumphing in 2007 and 2009.
   Second-seeded Maria Sharapova will take on eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday for the women's title in a matchup of former Indian Wells champions.
   Sharapova, the 2006 titlist, beat another Maria from Russia, the 13th-seeded Kirilenko, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final for the second straight year. Wozniacki, the 2011 winner from Denmark, outlasted fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. Sharapova is 4-2 lifetime against Wozniacki, although the series is tied 2-2 on hardcourts.
   Former Stanford stars Bob and Mike Bryan, the top-ranked men's doubles team in the world, will play unseeded Treat Huey, a Washington, D.C., native who plays for the Philippines, and Jerzy Janowicz of Poland for the title today at 4 p.m. or later (Tennis Channel).
   The Bryans, from the nearby Los Angeles area, seek their first Indian Wells title in their 15th straight appearance there and third final.
   The 5-foot-10 (1.78-meter) Huey and the 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) Janowicz, playing in their first tournament together, saved two match points in a 7-5, 1-6, 12-10 match tiebreak victory over unseeded Alexander Peya of Austria and Bruno Soares of Brazil in the semifinals.

COLLEGE SCORES

Women

   No. 23 UC Irvine def. UC Davis 4-0 in Irvine. No. 1 singles: No. 101 Kristina Smith (UCI) def. Megan Heneghan 6-2, 6-3. Records: UC Irvine 13-3 overall, 4-0 Big West Conference. UC Davis 5-8, 1-1.
   Sacramento State def. Weber State 7-0 in Ogden, Utah. No. 1 singles: Rebeca Delgado (SS) def. Kristi Elmer 6-3, 6-3. Records: Sac State 4-7 overall, 4-0 Big Sky Conference. Weber State 5-10, 1-3.
   Sacramento State def. Idaho State 7-0 in Pocatello, Idaho. No. 1 singles: Rebeca Delgado (SS) def. Kasey Bacon 6-2, 6-3. Records: Sac State 5-7 overall, 5-0 Big Sky Conference. Idaho State 1-8, 1-3.

Desert duel: Nadal, Federer to meet at Indian Wells

   Oddly, it has never happened at Indian Wells.
   Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer today will meet for the 28th time but first in the Coachella Valley (ABC, 1 p.m.).
   In the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday, the second-seeded Nadal eked out a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4  victory over unseeded David Nalbandian, and the third-seeded Federer dispatched No. 9 Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-2. Both Nalbandian and del Potro are Argentines who have undergone major operations in the last three years.
   Nadal and Federer will meet for the first time since the Spaniard's four-set victory in the semifinals of the Australian Open in January. Nadal has won the singles title at Indian Wells once (2009) and Federer three times (2004-06). The Palm Springs area is famous for its warm, sunny weather, but rain and wind are forecast for today.
   "Playing against Roger always means a little bit more than against the rest of the opponents because I am playing probably against the best of the history, and because I played probably the most important matches of my career against him and probably him against me," Nadal, who's 18-9 against Federer, told reporters. "That's why it makes the match a little bit more special than the rest.”
   Federer is 37-2 with five titles since the U.S. Open. His other loss came last month in first round of the Davis Cup in Switzerland against American John Isner, who will face top-ranked Novak Djokovic in today's other semifinal (ABC, 11 a.m. PDT).
  Sunday's women's final (ABC, 11 a.m. PDT) between top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and No. 2 Maria Sharapova also will be a 2012 Australian Open rematch. Azarenka, playing in her first Grand Slam singles final, crushed Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 in Melbourne. Additionally, they met in the 2010 Bank of the West final at Stanford, with Azarenka winning 6-4, 6-1.
   Azarenka improved to 22-0 this year, the best start since Martina Hingis went 37-0 in 1997, with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over 18th-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany. Sharapova, who underwent shoulder surgery in 2008, led 6-4, 0-1 when 15th-seeded Ana Ivanovic retired with a left hip injury in a matchup of former top-ranked players. 
  Nadal came within two points of losing against Nalbandian, the 2002 Wimbledon runner-up who had hip surgery in 2009, while serving at 4-6, 4-5, 15-30. He held serve, Nalbandian double-faulted on break point in the next game, and Nadal was on his way.
   A controversy erupted in the first game of the Federer-del Potro match when a line judge called a Federer first serve good. Del Potro wanted to challenge the call, but the Hawk Eye electronic line-calling system wasn't working at the time, and the chair umpire wouldn't overrule.
  “It was clear out, and the machine doesn’t work,” del Potro said. “ ... Could be a big chance to me to change the way of the match in that game. After that, I was not concentrating.”
   Federer improved to 10-2 against del Potro, including straight-set victories in the Swiss maestro's last four tournaments this year. However, one of the losses came in the 2009 U.S. Open final. The right-handed Del Potro, 23, underwent right wrist surgery in 2010.
   Unseeded Isner and Sam Querrey, a San Francisco native, knocked off second-seeded Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 6-4, 6-2 to reach today's men's doubles final. Isner and Querrey will meet unseeded Marc Lopez and Nadal, the 2010 Indian Wells champions.

Decisions, decisions

   MELBOURNE, Australia – I was torn for months.
   Do I attend the Australian Open for an extra day on our group tour, or do I go to a nature reserve and winery outside of Melbourne?
   Tennis fanatic that I am, I chose the Australian Open. I got my first look at Kim Clijsters and witnessed another virtuoso performance by Roger Federer on Tuesday (Monday in the United States) at Rod Laver Arena. So I have no regrets.
   Clijsters, the defending champion seeded 11th following an injury-plagued year, eliminated top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the quarterfinals. Wozniacki, who's constantly reminded that she has never won a Grand Slam title, will fall to at least No. 3 next week. She will be replaced at the top by either Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka or Maria Sharapova.
   The crowd was heavily pro-Clijsters, especially with all Australians having been knocked out of the tournament. The 28-year-old Belgian -- who has one child with her husband, former professional basketball player Brian Lynch of the United States -- long has been a local favorite because of her pleasant personality and former relationship with Aussie star Lleyton Hewitt. Additionally, Clijsters has said this will be her last Australian Open.
   Clijsters, who has won the Bank of the West Classic four times (2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006), showed no signs of a twisted ankle suffered in her fourth-round match against Li Na. Clijsters saved four match points in her 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory in a rematch of last year's Australian Open final.
   Clijsters, a great athlete with textbook groundstrokes, squandered a 5-2 lead in the second set before closing out the match. She will face Azarenka, the 2010 Bank of the West champion, in one semifinal. The other will be determined today. On tap are the second-seeded Kvitova of the Czech Republic against unseeded Italian Sara Errani, and the fourth-seeded Sharapova against fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova, who ousted Serena Williams in the fourth round.
   Federer, seeded third, dispatched Juan Martin Del Potro, seeded 11th, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals in one hour, 59 minutes. It was their first Grand Slam meeting since Del Potro's stunning five-set victory in the 2009 U.S. Open final. Federer had demolished Del Potro 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 in the Australian Open quarterfinals that year.
   Federer, a 30-year-old Swiss, has won a record 16 Grand Slam singles titles. What makes him great are his superhuman quickness, footwork and hand-eye coordination. Andre Agassi once paid him the ultimate compliment when he said, "This is a game with which I am not familiar."
   Del Potro, 23, of Argentina, underwent surgery on his right (playing) wrist in May 2010 and missed eight months. He was named the ATP World Tour's Comeback Player of the Year in 2011 after skyrocketing from No. 485 to No. 11.
   Players in the Australian Open must be in phenomenal shape. They run each other from side to side with pinpoint groundstrokes in brutal heat and humidity. It appears they will get a break today, though. It's overcast with a high of 78 degrees forecast.
   Melbourne Park, the site of the tournament, is picturesque with the city skyline in the background and very fan friendly. Security workers give bags and backpacks only a cursory look at the entrance. There are plenty of signs, scoreboards, TV screens, drinking fountains and grassy areas (some even with coveted shade), and the staff is cheerful and helpful. The Australian Open is not called the "Happy Slam" for nothing.
   In the evening, we played tennis and enjoyed a barbecue at Albert Reserve. Players in the Australian Open practice there because it has the same Plexicushion surface, similar to a fast hardcourt. Even at 10 p.m., it was hot and humid.
   Other matches -- Top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan stayed on course for their fourth consecutive Australian Open men's doubles title and sixth overall. The former NCAA doubles champions from Stanford outlasted sixth-seeded Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4 in a quarterfinal that ended after 2 a.m. Melbourne time.
   Thirteenth-seeded Scott Lipsky, a former Stanford All-American, and Rajeev Ram, a former Sacramento Challenger runner-up in singles and doubles, lost to seventh-seeded Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania 6-4, 6-4. Lipsky and Ram won last year's SAP Open in San Jose.
   In the women's doubles quarterfinals, third-seeded Vania King of the Sacramento Capitals in World TeamTennis and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan fell to seventh-seeded Andrea Hlvackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-2.
   In the juniors, Mackenzie McDonald of Piedmont in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Stanford-bound Krista Hardebeck coasted to second-round singles victories.
   But Hardebeck, from Santa Ana, and Catherine Harrison of Memphis, Tenn., lost to top-seeded Irina Kromacheva of Russia and Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 2-6, 6-0, 10-4 match tiebreak in the second round.
   Third-seeded Connor Farren of Hillsborough in the San Francisco area and Frederico Ferreira Silva of Portugal fell to Alexandre Favrot and Quentin Halys of France 6-4, 6-4.

Blake shocks del Potro in Stockholm

   Apparently, playing in the recent $100,000 Sacramento Challenger helped James Blake.
   After reaching the Sacramento final and taking last week off, Blake stunned second-seeded Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4 Wednesday in the second round of the $825,000 Stockholm Open on the ATP World Tour.
    "This is my best win in the last three years, I'd say," Blake asserted on the ATP's Web site. "I played some of my best tennis, and I'm really proud of it. He's going to be a great champion for many years, so I'll be proud of this one for a long time."
   Blake, the runner-up to 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic in Sacramento, evened his career record against del Potro at 2-2. Del Potro had won the last two meetings, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in July in the second round at Los Angeles and 6-4, 6-7 (3), 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 in 4 hours, 17 minutes in the second round of the 2010 Australian Open.
   "Juan Martin is an excellent player, and he made me work for everything," Blake said. "I felt coming into Stockholm, I had some confidence. The body feels good for a change. We had a tight match earlier in the summer. and the breaks just went my way today."
   The 31-year-old Blake, who splits his time between his childhood home of Fairfield, Conn., and his training base of Tampa, Fla., is ranked 69th in the world after reaching a career high of No. 4 in 2006. He suffers from chronic tendinitis in his right knee.
   The 6-5 del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, missed eight months last year because of a right (playing) wrist injury that required surgery. The 23-year-old Argentine, a semifinalist at San Jose in February, has rebounded to No. 15.
   Blake could face another Argentine, David Nalbandian, in Friday's quarterfinals. Nalbandian, the 2002 Wimbledon runner-up who underwent right hip surgery in 2009, is scheduled to play seventh-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia on Thursday in the second round.
   Blake is 2-0 against Nalbandian, including a 6-2, 6-4 victory in the second round at Washington in August, and has never played Dodig.
   Also reaching the Stockholm quarterfinals were fifth-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa and sixth-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada. The 6-8 Anderson, ranked 31st, won the 2007 Sacramento Futures. The 6-5 Raonic, ranked 29th, won his first career ATP title in February at San Jose.
   Ryan Sweeting, a 6-5 American who reached the semifinals of last week's $100,000 Tiburon Challenger, lost to Grigor Dimitrov, a 20-year-old Bulgarian, 6-3, 6-1 in the first round.
   In Tiburon, Sweeting complained of burnout following an outstanding first half of the year that propelled him to a career-high No. 64 last month. He's now No. 66.
   Scott Lipsky, an ex-Stanford All-American, and Rajeev Ram, the Sacramento Challenger runner-up in singles (2006) and doubles (2008, with John Isner), lost in the first round of doubles to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus and del Potro 4-6, 7-5, 10-6 tiebreak.
   Tursunov playing in hometown --Eighth-seeded Dmitry Tursunov, a Folsom resident playing in his hometown, is scheduled to meet Julien Benneteau of France on Thursday in the second round of the $725,000 Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
   Tursunov, who beat Albert Ramos of Spain 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the first round, is 0-1 lifetime against Benneteau after falling 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round at Cincinnati four years ago.
   Tursunov and countryman Igor Kunitsyn, the defending Moscow doubles champions, lost to Alex Bogomolov Jr., an American born in Moscow, and Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in the opening round 7-5, 3-6, 10-8 tiebreak. Tursunov also won the Moscow doubles title in 2007 with countryman Marat Safin, who retired at the end of 2009.
   WTA tour in Moscow -- Second-seeded Vania King, a member of the Sacramento Capitals living in Boynton Beach, Fla., and Yaroslava Shvedova, a Moscow native who plays for Kazakhstan, defeated Maria Kondratieva of Russia and Petra Martic of Croatia 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the Kremin Cup.
   Neither King nor Shvedova is playing singles in Moscow.