Alcaraz, Keys breeze into Indian Wells third round

Indian Wells, United States: Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz raced into the third round at Indian Wells on Saturday, launching his bid for a rare three-peat with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over France´s Quentin Halys.

The four-time Grand Slam winner from Spain is vying to join Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the only players to win three straight Indian Wells ATP Masters titles.

He admitted he was feeling some nerves to start the match, but they evaporated amid a strong all-around performance. One early break staked Alcaraz to the first set, and he roared to a 4-0 lead in the second behind a formidable service display.

He finished with seven aces and saved the only break point he faced, securing the win in 67 minutes.

“I was nervous at the beginning of the match,” he told a supportive crowd. “The first match is never easy so I was trying to be focused on my game.

“I just tried to be relaxed, as relaxed as I can. Can always be better, but I´m ready for the (next) round and excited.”

Since his quarter-final exit at the Australian Open Alcaraz has captured the title in Rotterdam, where he shook off a cold to claim the first indoor trophy of his career.

That was his first title since he won Wimbledon last year, but at No. 3 in the world the Spaniard is the highest-ranked player left in the draw.

World number one Jannik Sinner is serving a drugs ban and No. 2 Alexander Zverev crashed out on Friday.

Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion chasing a record sixth Indian Wells ATP crown, faced Dutch lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp -- the world number 85 who toppled Alcaraz at the US Open last year.

With a win Djokovic would tie Rafael Nadal for the most ATP Masters 1000 match victories at 410.

Since winning his last Indian Wells title in 2016, Djokovic is a modest 4-4 in matches in the California desert. That includes a third-rund loss to lucky loser Luca Nardi last year -- Djokovic´s first appearance here since 2019. But with the hamstring injury that forced him out of the Australian Open semi-finals behind him, the Serb star said he is hoping the coaching of former rival Andy Murray can help him make a deep run

Australian Open champion Madison Keys opened the day´s action in the combined ATP Masters and WTA 1000 event, subduing hard-hitting Russian Anastasia Potapova 6-3, 6-0 in her first match since her maiden Grand Slam triumph.

Keys, whose victory over two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in Melbourne was the culmination of a 15-year-journey from teenage prodigy to major champion, reached a career-high ranking of fifth in the world on Monday.

She showed no sign of rust as she dispatched Potapova in 63 minutes.

“She´s always a tough opponent, just because she can hit so hard and she is such a great ball-striker,” Keys said. “I really just kind of had to try to keep the ball away from her, and I feel like I did a pretty good job with that.”

Later world number one Aryna Sabalenka launched her bid for an elusive Indian Wells title against hard-hitting American McCartney Kessler, a two-time WTA champion who beat world number three Coco Gauff in Dubai last month and reached the final in Austin last week.

Gauff was also in action amid a raft of US contenders that included 2022 men´s champion Taylor Fritz, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Matteo Gigante.