INDIAN WELLS, United States, (MILLAT/APP/AFP): Fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori eased past Daniel Evans 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to reach the third round of the ATP Indian Wells Masters.
Japan’s Nishikori, a quarter-finalist in the California desert last year, has reached two finals in 2017, but he knows he’ll have his work cut out to reach a third playing talent-laden lower half of the draw here.
“This is a Masters, a tough tournament, everybody’s playing. I have to be focused,” said Nishikori, who next faces either 28th-seeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg or Czech Jiri Vesely.
In a remarkable twist to the draw, second-seeded Novak Djokovic, fifth seed Rafael Nadal and number nine Roger Federer are all drawn in the same bottom quarter.
The trio, who own 44 Grand Slam singles titles among them, all open their accounts on Sunday with second-round matches.
Djokovic, rocked by a second-round exit at the Australian Open where
Federer beat Nadal in the final for an 18th Grand Slam crown, is the three-time defending champion at Indian Wells, where he has won five titles overall.
Federer has won four times here and Nadal three, but only one of the star trio can make it to the semi-finals, where Nishikori or sixth-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic could be waiting.
The jam-packed section is a contrast to the top of the draw, which opened up even more on Saturday night when world number one Andy Murray was stunned by 129th-ranked qualifier Vasek Pospisil in straight sets.