Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas came within two points of defeat in a bruising battle with Jack Sock to claw his way into the third round of the BNP Paribas Open Saturday night.

Sock, who had crushed 28 forehand winners to be on the cusp of his first Top 10 win since 2017, had the match on his racquet serving at 5/4 in the third-set tie-break. But as happened in the first-set-tie-break, his lack of recent big-match experience told when the chips were down, and he made two unforced errors to let Tsitsipas back in, the Greek closing out the match 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(5).

”It was a crazy battle; we both left everything out there,” Tsitsipas said. “Jack played incredibly well at times but I was able to bring out the best in my game at the end. I proved I could play aggressive tennis and stay calm at the same time.”

Tsitsipas will next meet another American, the fast-rising Jenson Brooksby, who claimed an emphatic 6-0, 6-3 win over Olympic silver medallist Karen Khachanov. Former World No. 1 and Tennis Channel commentator Jim Courier says that such is Brooksby’s form, that the 21-year-old will start favourite against the World No. 5 Greek.

The fifth seed walked onto Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden more than 140 places higher that the American in the ATP Rankings. But Sock’s forehand, at its best, ranks second to none. The Greek had just one mission: keep the ball away from the American’s forehand at all costs. Easier said than done.

Sock crushed his forehand throughout the match and had his chances to take the first set tie-break before unforced errors brought him undone. He powered through the second set and then dug himself out of a 0/40 hole at 5-6 in the third set to fight off three match points and force a tie-break. But from a 5/4 lead in the ‘breaker, two unforced errors again cost the 29-year-old dearly.

In other results Saturday, Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner broke serve four times in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Serb Laslo Djere, but the former Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion will be looking to improve on serve ahead of his third-round meeting with Benjamin Bonzi. The 20-year-old put just 45 per cent of first serves into play as he improved to 12-2 on the season. Bonzi defeated Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-4.

Despite serving up nine double faults, World No. 13 Denis Shapovalov rallied from a set down to defeat Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to improve to 12-6 on the season. The Canadian saved 11 of 14 break points faced and next meets top-ranked American Reilly Opelka, who did not face a break point in his 6-1, 6-4 win over Italian Lorenzo Musetti.

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Defending champion Cameron Norrie recovered from an early break in the opening set to claim a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over Pedro Martinez. The Brit next plays Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, who received a walkover from Italian Fabio Fognini (illness).

Gael Monfils set up a third-round meeting with World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev after firing 13 aces in a 6-3, 6-4 win over Serb Filip Krajinovic. The Frenchman dropped just three points on his first serve as he claimed his first win since the Australian Open.

Eighth seed Casper Ruud did not face a break point in his 7-6(5), 6-2 win over American qualifier Christopher Eubanks. The 23-year-old is playing Indian Wells for just the second time in his career, having fallen to Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round last October.

Rafael Nadal struggled on Saturday at the BNP Paribas Open against Sebastian Korda, admitting that he “thought I was lost”. But regardless of how he feels, there is one constant in Nadal’s game — his fighting spirit.

That does not mean he expected to come back from two breaks down in the final set against Korda, though.

“If the people believe that I am a believer all the time that I [am] going to come back, [it is] not true. I am not this,” Nadal said. “I don’t have this amazing self-confidence that even if I am 5-2, ‘Okay, I [am] going to come back. No’,” Nadal said. “In my mind is, ‘Okay, it’s almost impossible. I don’t want to give up. I’m going to keep trying. But I know it’s going to be almost impossible. Let’s try to let him win, not help him to win. Just try to keep going and to put the things a little bit more difficult to the opponent.”

According to the three-time Indian Wells champion, he was still “super lucky” to find a way through against the home favourite inside a raucous Stadium 1 in the California desert.

“[The] normal thing with this kind of match, in that position from 100 matches, probably you [are] going to lose 90,” Nadal said. “But if you give up, you’re going to lose 100. If you are there, you can win 10 per cent.”

Nadal’s fighting spirit is one of the most impressive attributes in all of sports. But why, even in the most dire of circumstances, does the lefty battle so hard?

“The reason why I have been fighting during all my tennis career or I have the right self-control or I have the right attitude or fighting spirit during my whole tennis career is simple,” Nadal said. “Because I grew with this kind of education.

“My uncle, my family, never allowed me to break a racquet, never allowed me to say bad words or throw or give up a match. Probably when I was a kid, they didn’t care much about winning or losing.”

The Spaniard added that his family always wanted him to win. However, they cared even more about how he carried himself through the good times and the bad on court.

“The most important thing was the education and the fact that I grow with the values, with the right values,” Nadal said. “I didn’t have many chances. I had to do it that way. If not, I will not play tennis. Honestly. If I went on court and I created a circus or broke a racquet or lost my control, my self-control, I would not be playing the next tournament, without a doubt. That’s probably why I have this mentality.”

While the fourth seed is happy he was able to claw into the third round, he knows he will have to raise his level if he hopes to improve to 17-0 on the season. Nadal next faces tricky Briton Daniel Evans, the 27th seed.

“I need to play better because I didn’t play well,” Nadal said. “I will work tomorrow to try to be ready.”

Rafael Nadal entered his 15th BNP Paribas Open with a 15-0 record in 2022, his career-best start to a season. He needed a great escape to keep that streak intact against Sebastian Korda on Saturday with a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(3) victory.

The American held a double break advantage at 5-2 in the third set in Indian Wells and twice served for the match. But just as in the Australian Open final, Nadal managed to turn the match around after looking down and out against an inspired opponent.

“I feel very, very lucky today to be through, honestly,” said the fourth seed, who credited Korda for his aggressive play. “Sebastian was playing some fantastic tennis and I’m sorry for him. He had chances, but that’s tennis. He’s very young, he has an amazing future. I wish him all the best.”

Nadal’s streak of 13 straight sets won dating back to the Aussie Open final was snapped, but the three-time Indian Wells champ denied Korda a famous victory against his idol with another clutch performance down the stretch. 

Two perfectly placed passing shots helped Nadal get back on serve at 5-5 in the third, and the Spaniard was the steadier player in the tie-break as he won the final five points of the match.

“I didn’t have my best feeling today,” Nadal said. “Good thing tomorrow is a day off. I need to keep practising… Another fantastic feeling being able to win that match. It doesn’t matter what way.”

Playing at Indian Wells for the first time since 2019, Nadal raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, immediately taking to the desert conditions. But Korda was hitting the bigger ball in set two and for much of set three, doing heavy damage with his all-court game until Nadal regained control with his late charge.

Nadal next faces 27th seed Daniel Evans, a 6-2, 6-0 winner over Federico Coria earlier on Saturday.

Carlos Alcaraz earned his first win at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday. It is safe to say there will be plenty more for the #NextGenATP sensation in the years to come at Indian Wells.

The 19th seed defeated home favourite Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3 to reach the second round in the California desert, where he will next play countryman Roberto Bautista Agut. New World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev is looming in their section.

Alcaraz thrilled a packed Stadium 3 with his powerful baseline play against a motivated McDonald, who grew up in California and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The American battled hard, but Alcaraz, who was competing as a Top 20 player in tournament action for the first time, had just a bit more firepower in his one-hour, 35-minute victory.

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The 18-year-old converted five of his nine break points and rallied from a break down in the second set. McDonald had one slip of concentration when he contested a not-up call, which allowed Alcaraz to take advantage and sprint through the finish line.

The reigning Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion has won seven consecutive matches (9-1 on the year), including a run to the biggest title of his young career at the Rio Open presented by Claro, an ATP 500 played on clay. In Brazil, the Spaniard defeated three players who have reached the Top 10: Matteo Berrettini, Fabio Fognini and Diego Schwartzman.

Bautista Agut had a much tougher time on Saturday, when he saved two match points en route to a 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(5) triumph against American J.J Wolf.

Wolf served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. On his first match point, he hit a double fault. Later in the game, he let slip another opportunity by missing an aggressive forehand wide. Bautista Agut clawed through after three hours and 18 minutes.

Did You Know?
On his BNP Paribas Open debut last year, Alcaraz lost a tight three-setter against former World No. 1 Andy Murray.

Daniil Medvedev is 1-0 as World No. 1. After taking over the top spot in the ATP Rankings on 28 February, the 26-year-old lived up to the billing with a dominant start at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.

Facing qualifier Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Medvedev advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on Stadium 1 in Indian Wells. After saving a break point in the first game of the match, he settled in for a dominant victory over a 21-year-old opponent who was seeking his first Top 10 win.

“I think I was pretty consistent,” Medvedev said of his performance. “If you look at the first set, it was pretty even. He made a few unforced errors and maybe some bad decisions in the crucial moments. That’s how tennis is sometimes.

“The scoreline might be pretty effective, 6-3, 6-2, but if you look at the points and the games, it was not as easy as it seems. So I’m happy that I managed to pull through and be the most consistent player.”

Once he navigated that tricky opening game, Medvedev dropped just eight points on serve in the rest of the one-hour, 11-minute match.

Watch highlights from Saturday’s action at Indian Wells:

From 2-2 in the opening set, Medvedev locked in and began to turn the screws with his baseline game, controlling the rallies and giving Machac very few errors. After taking four of the last five games in the first set, he scored an instant break in the second to drive home the advantage.

He never looked back as he sealed a stress-free victory to kickstart his desert campaign. Medvedev’s best Indian Wells result came in October when he reached the Round of 16 before losing a three-setter to Grigor Dimitrov.

“It’s always strange here, the conditions,” Medvedev said. “You need a lot of time to get used to the conditions, and at the same time it’s a great place to be, so everybody comes one week, one week and a half before the tournament because of both reasons. That’s what I’ve done also and I feel great, so hopefully I can do better than the previous times.”

The top seed will face 26th seed Gael Monfils or Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic in in the third round on Monday.

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Miami Open presented by Itau, to take place at Hard Rock Stadium from 23 March through 3 April.

“Rafa will certainly be missed. He has so many fans here in South Florida, and we hope to see him back in Miami next year,” said Tournament Director James Blake. “We are fortunate to have an incredibly deep and talented player field and look forward to showcasing the new elements of the site and all the off-court activities our fans have come to love about this iconic event.”

Nadal owns a 40-12 record at the Miami tournament.

The legendary lefty is off to a personal-best 15-0 start to the 2022 season. Nadal begins his BNP Paribas Open run on Saturday against Sebastian Korda.