The world No 1 Rafael Nadal and the defending champion Novak Djokovic cruised into the third round at the BNP Paribas Open after recording straight sets win in Indian Wells.
The Spaniard Nadal, 22, breezed past Germany's Michael Berrer 6-2 6-1 in just 67 minutes and will face Dmitry Tursunov for a place in the quarter-finals after the Russian edged past the American qualifier Michael Russell 7-6 (7/5) 4-6 6-3.
Despite connecting on just 48 per cent of his first serve, the Australian Open champion did not face a break of serve and was able to convert five of 14 chances of his own to advance.
Nadal has reached the Indian Wells semi-finals at least in the last three years after winning the crown in 2007 by beating Djokovic before losing to the Serb 12 months ago in the last four.
The third seeded Serbian Djokovic, meanwhile, secured a 7-5 6-4 victory over unseeded Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina to set up a third round meeting with Tommy Haas, who beat Rainer Schuettler 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-4.
The Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships winner Djokovic, 21, did have his serve broken on two occasions, but grabbed four of his own in the one hour and 44 minute contest.
Last year's beaten finalist Mardy Fish lost 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1) to the Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, but the sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro recovered from dropping the first set to American wild card Ryan Sweeting to prevail 6-7 (6/8) 6-3 6-1.
He will next face Austrian Jurgen Melzer, who beat American wild card Taylor Dent 7-5 6-2.
Seventh seeded American Andy Roddick also advanced after recording a 6-1 7-6 (7-3) triumph over qualifier Daniel Koellerer.
While seeds David Ferrer, David Nalbandian, Stanislas Wawrinka, and Nicolas Kiefer progressed, the world number nine Gael Monfils lost 6-7 (5/7) 6-1 6-4 to American wild card John Isner, the world number 147.
Isner did not face a break point and broke Monfils three times to wrap up the win in just under two hours.
The American Sam Querrey advanced in straight sets at the expense of 18th seed Radek Stepanek, while Tomas Berdych also lost in two to Viktor Troicki, who will next face Nalbandian.
*PA Sport
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
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