UPDATED ON:
Monday, March 17, 2008
10:31 Mecca time, 07:31 GMT
 
Sport
Roddick ousted at Indian Wells

Andy Roddick was knocked out in straight sets by Germany's Tommy Haas [GALLO/GETTY]

Andy Roddick, tournament sixth seed, was eliminated from the Indian Wells tournament after a 6-4, 6-4 straight-sets loss to Germany's Tommy Haas in their second-round match in California.
Roger Federer, Swiss world number one, made much smoother progress after his full recovery from a bout of mononucleosis (glandular fever), as he crushed Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 6-2.
Haas swept aside 2003 US Open champion Roddick, a winner of two ATP titles this year, in one hour and 25 minutes on the Stadium Court.

"Today was one of the matches where I won the majority of the important points," said Haas.

"Today was one of the matches where I won the majority of the important points."

Tommy Haas

"When I broke him a couple times today, I really played some great points, backhand and forehand passing shots and forehand lobs.

"And that was really the only difference today."

The 29-year-old will next meet 30th-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 4-6 6-4 6-3.

In other men's matches, fourth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko defeated American wildcard American John Isner 6-2 7-6 and 12th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile was upset 7-5 3-6 6-3 by Croatian wildcard Mario Ancic.

Kuznetsova struggles through

In the women's draw, second-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced after a tough 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win over Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova, with Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova and women's defending champion Daniela Hantuchova progressing easily.

Sharapova maintained her perfect start to the year by sweeping past Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 7-5, 6-3, while Slovakian Hantuchova, a double champion at Indian Wells, breezed through against China's Zheng Jie 6-4, 6-2 in a late match.

Svetlana Kuznetsova took three sets to defeat
Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova [GALLO/GETTY]

Kuznetsova, world number three who lost to Hantuchova in last year's final, was relieved to book her place in the fourth round at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

"I just stopped a little bit and lost my concentration," the Russian told reporters.

"I have to figure out how to start playing better earlier after being 5-0 down in the second set.

"I didn't want to go to the third set 6-0 down so I changed that to give me the key to play better in the third."

Kuznetsova, runner-up this year in Sydney and Dubai, raised her game in the third set to set up a meeting with Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki in the next round.

The 17-year-old Dane, who won the 2006 Wimbledon junior title, brushed aside Aiko Nakamura of Japan 6-0, 6-2 in just 53 minutes.

There were two upsets in the women's draw, with American Ashley Harkleroad beating eighth-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia 7-5, 6-2 and India's Sania Mirza scraping past ninth seed Shahar Peer of Israel 6-7, 7-5, 6-3.

 Source: Agencies
 
 
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