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Nadal books date with Tsonga

Defending champion Rafael Nadal swept aside US youngster Donald Young and booked a rematch with Australian Open foe Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Indian Wells ATP Masters Series on Monday.

Nadal, ranked No. 2 in the world and seeded second behind world No. 1 Roger Federer, defeated 86th-ranked Young 6-1, 6-3, taking full advantage of the 18-year-old wild card's early nerves to pocket the first set quickly.

Young steadied in the second set, but was broken in the sixth game to trail 2-4. With Nadal serving for the match at 5-3, Young was unable to capitalize on one break point and the Spaniard duly served out what he called a "comfortable" win.

Next up for Nadal is Tsonga, who was unseeded when he stunned the second-seeded Spaniard in straight sets in the Australian Open semi-finals in January.

Tsonga, now ranked 17th in the world, defeated fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

Third-seeded Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic advanced on cue in the US$5.7 million tournament, which features a WTA tier one event as well as the men's Masters Series.

Serbia's Djokovic capped the night session on stadium court with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Unseeded South Korean Lee Hyung-taik, ranked 52nd in the world, pulled off the upset of the day, downing world No. 5 and fifth seed David Ferrer of Spain 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3).

France's Richard Gasquet, the eighth seed, advanced with an impressive 6-2, 6-1 victory over Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela.

Gasquet booked a meeting with ninth-seeded American James Blake, who beat former world No. 1 Carlos Moya of Spain 6-3, 6-4.

Blake, who evened his career head-to-head against Moya at six wins apiece, said he was reminded of his first win against the Spaniard, which came at Indian Wells in 2003.

Women's top seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia advanced with ease, downing Italy's Tathiana Garbin 6-3, 6-0.

Ivanovic, whose runner-up finish to Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open propelled her to No. 2 in the world, was pleased to turn in a solid performance after her erratic 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 victory over Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru in the previous round.

Ivanovic's third-seeded compatriot Jelena Jankovic also cruised into the fourth round, posting a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama.

Jankovic, ranked No. 4 in the world, encountered little resistance from Sugiyama and said her biggest concern was to maintain her focus in the breezy conditions.

France's Marion Bartoli, the sixth seed, labored to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Germany's Angelique Kerber.

Bartoli was up 6-3, 5-1, but couldn't put the victory away until her eighth match point.

"Sometimes it happens," Bartoli added. "Even if you try to close out in the match it's not happening. She has some luck on a few shots -- she made a dropshot that she will never make on another match point. It happens."

Bartoli next faces Lindsay Davenport, who held on for a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan.

The 31-year-old American has won two titles already this year.
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