INDIAN WELLS, United States, (MILLAT/APP/AFP) – Rafael
Nadal and Roger Federer booked a mouthwatering fourth-round clash at
the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Tuesday, where five-time champion
Novak Djokovic also advanced from the “group of death”.
With the three superstars drawn in the same quarter, only one
– at most – can make it to the semi-finals.
The weeding out will start in earnest on Wednesday, when
Federer meets Nadal in the round of 16 in a reprise of the Australian
Open final in January that saw the Swiss star claim an 18th Grand
Slam crown.
“I think it’s a great thing for tennis, and it’s exciting
for Rafa and me,” said Federer, a four-time Indian Wells winner.
“It’s a tough draw, but rankings are not the priority for both of
us.
“Anything else but a finals, it almost doesn’t matter which
round it would be,” he added of what will be the 36th meeting between
the two — their first before the quarter-finals since they
launched their rivalry in 2004.
Three-time Indian Wells champion Nadal was the first through, defeating fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 7-5.