In Indian Wells, top-seed Rafael Nadal survived a scare from Radek Stepanek before winning his BNP Paribas Open second round match in three tight sets. The Spaniard, in his first match as defending champion, was stretched to the limit before prevailing in a match that lasted two hours and 24 minutes. The pivotal moment came in the sixth game of the third set, when Nadal fended off three break points to hold serve. Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka clinched a two-set win over Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic. Wwarinka prevailed in a competitive opener, and as the neck-and-neck race continued, the Swiss’s serve remained intact. With the win, Wawrinka set up a third-round encounter against Andreas Seppi of Italy. -- Mornings @ ANC, March 10, 2014.
