Rain Halts Federer Opener In Indian Wells

Roger Federer’s bid for a sixth BNP Paribas Open title got off to a soggy start on Saturday. Play was suspended due to persistent rain showers at 10:30pm local time, with the Swiss leading Federico Delbonis 6-3, 2-2. 

Federer burst out of the gates on Stadium 1 in Indian Wells, blasting a backhand winner to take the lone break of the first set and he would deny a pair of break chances when serving for the opener at 5-3. But the skies closed as the second set got underway, with a two-hour delay halting proceedings before play was eventually suspended.

Competing in his first tournament since returning to the top spot of the ATP Rankings, Federer will look to pick up where he left off when the match resumes on Sunday afternoon. It will be third on Stadium 1.

Federer is making his 17th appearance in the California desert and is assured of remaining at the pinnacle of the ATP Rankings should he reach the semi-finals in Indian Wells. The Basel native carries an 11-match win streak into the fortnight and has only dropped three sets from 33 played this year.

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Federer or Delbonis will face 25th-seed Filip Krajinovic in the third round, after the Serbian routed American qualifier Mitchell Krueger 6-2, 6-2 earlier on Saturday. He needed just 74 minutes to secure the victory, firing three aces and saving all three break points faced. 

Krajinovic is on a roll at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level, having battled to his first final in Paris to conclude 2017 (l. to Sock). Outside the Top 200 just one year ago, he is seeking to rise to a career-high inside the Top 30 in Indian Wells.

In other action, Adrian Mannarino and Jeremy Chardy set an all-French match-up in the third round. Mannarino earned a straightforward 6-1, 6-4 victory over qualifier Peter Polansky, while Chardy mounted a stunning comeback to defeat 16th-seed Fabio Fognini.

In what could go down as one of the biggest comebacks on the ATP World Tour in 2018, Chardy rallied from a set and two breaks down to edge Fognini 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 in a marathon two hours and 41 minutes. He converted four of 13 break points to reach the third round for the first time since 2009.

Fognini sprinted to a 6-4, 4-1 lead, breaking twice early in the second set, but a determined Chardy would discover his rhythm with his back pressed firmly against the wall. He claimed six of the next eight games to force a decider and captured the decisive break midway through the third set.

Chardy owns a 3-0 advantage in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against countryman Mannarino. He has not dropped a set.