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  • Big Names, Fan Favorites Advance to Second Round

    3/15/08 3:51 PM | Ricky Dimon
    - A blockbuster second-round lineup is set for the second quarter of the Indian Wells draw after a host of Americans and other fan favorites came through opening-round matches. Fast-rising youngsters Ernests Gulbis and John Isner led the charge, along with Sam Querrey.

    Ernests Gulbis d. Oscar Hernandez
    It seems like Gulbis never plays a close match. When the 19-year-old Latvian is on, he is flat-out dominant, but when he’s off, he looks like he belongs on the Challenger circuit. The result is that Gulbis usually either destroys his opponent, or gets blown out. In the first round of the Pacific Life Open, the good Gulbis was on hand. He routed Oscar Hernandez, a Spaniard who prefers clay courts, 6-2, 6-1 in just 54 minutes. Gulbis did not use his big serve too effectively, double-faulting four times compared to just four aces while putting in 58 percent of his first deliveries, but he was overpowering from the baseline. Hernandez won just seven of 21 second-serve points and barely more than half of his first-serve points. He saved five of 10 break points and never had a single break chance against Gulbis’ serve.

    John Isner d. Simone Bolelli
    Third-set tiebreakers are becoming a trend for Isner. He won five consecutive matches in that fashion en route to the 2007 Legg Mason Classic final and the 6'9'' American had already played two matches that went the maximum distance this season prior to Indian Wells. It happened again on Friday in his opening-round match against Bolelli. Isner defeated the Italian 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) in two hours and 25 minutes, blasting 16 aces in the process. Each player broke once in the match, both in a second-set that Bolelli eventually took 7-5 in the tiebreaker. Bolelli squandered four break points at 5-5 in the decisive set and Isner blew three match points at 6-5. After Bolelli got up 2-0 in the final tiebreaker, Isner ran off seven consecutive points to emphatically win the match.

    Isner was not the only big server who overcame swirling wind to advance in Indian Wells. Las Vegas winner Sam Querrey fired 12 aces and won 90 percent of his first-serve points to survive Luis Horna 7-6(5), 6-3. He has a marquee matchup with Lleyton Hewitt in the second round. Mardy Fish overcame a slow start to blow past Florian Mayer 7-5, 6-4. Struggling Max Mirnyi, who has been much more successful in doubles recently and had to qualify for the singles event, stunned Jose Acasuso 7-5, 7-5. An old-school showdown that should feature heavy doses of serve-and-volley tennis will take place when The Beast meets Radek Stepanek in round two on Sunday.

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