Nadal Exacts Sweet Revenge

Rafael Nadal has avenged his shock defeat from this year’s Australian Open, turning the tables on compatriot Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 7-6(9) to reach the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday.

The fourth seed raced through the opening set without conceding a game before his fellow left-handed Spaniard conjured his first break of serve to get on the board. It marked the first of four consecutive breaks at the start of the second set before play continued on serve to the tie-break.

Verdasco looked to be taking the match into a deciding set when he held three set points at 6/3 in the tie-break. Nadal, though, reeled off four straight points to bring up a match point. Verdasco rallied to bring up a further two set points before Nadal closed it out on his second match point to secure a fourth-round meeting with German teenager Alexander Zverev. It will be their first clash.

The Spaniard had fallen in his most recent clash with Verdasco – a five-set boilover in the opening round at Melbourne Park in January. His win in Indian Wells takes his FedEx Head2Head record against his countryman to 14-3.