Blake Survives Querrey Challenge at ATP Indian Wells

Querrey played almost flawless tennis in the opening set where Blake started sluggishly and failed to dictate play with his vaunted forehand. But up a set, Querrey became caught in the moment and his level dropped considerably in the second while Blake remembered his forehand stroke to keep the lanky American on the run, jumping out to a 5-0 lead before closing it out 6-1. The third set was more of the same as Querrey failed to serve with the authority or maintain the consistency in rallies he did in the first set.

"He was serving big," Blake told reporters. "I don't think he missed many forehands and his backhand was more solid than I'd expected after practicing with him a lot in December. He played a great (first) set."

Other Americans advancing in first-round play were Vince Spadea (d. Berlocq who retired with illness), qualifier Justin Gimelstob (d. F.Lopez), qualifier Kevin Kim (d. Youzhny), and Jeff Morrison (d. Pavel from a set down).

Other unseeded winners beating the rain were Swiss Stan Wawrinka (d. Rusedski), Serb qualifier Janko Tipsarevic (d. (WC) Warburg), Italians Daniele Bracciali (d. Horna) and Davide Sanguinetti (d. (Q) Capdeville from a set down), Thai Paradorn Srichaphan (d. Moodie), Swede Jonas Bjorkman (d. C.Rochus in three), Frenchman Julien Benneteau (d. Djokovic), and Olympic gold medalist Nicolas Massu (d. Calleri 7-6 in the third).

Scheduled for the rain-backed-up Sunday is (2) Nadal vs. Hernych, (8) Agassi vs. Goldstein, (1) Federer vs. Massu, Acasuso vs. (3) Roddick, Murray vs. (5) Davydenko, (28) Moya vs. Safin in a battle of former No. 1s, (18) Ginepri vs. Srichaphan, (31) Volandri vs. (WC) Fish, (4) Nalbandian vs. (Q) Gimelstob, Bjorkman vs. (25) Baghdatis, Spadea vs. (14) Ferrero, Clement vs. (26) Haas, (Q) K.Kim vs. (16) Gasquet, Monfils vs. (Q) Morrison, (10) Ferrer vs. Kohlschreiber, Malisse vs. Santoro, (7) Gaudio vs. Saulnier, Wawrinka vs. (30) O.Rochus, (32) Verdasco vs. Karlovic, Vliegen vs. (Q) Burgsmuller, (13) Gonzalez vs. Soderling, (19) Hrbaty vs. Bracciali, (Q) Tipsarevic vs. (6) Ljubicic, Mayer vs. (22) Nieminen, Seppi vs. Mathieu, Tursunov vs. Andreev in an all-Russian, (17) Robredo vs. Carlsen, Pashanski vs. Schuettler, and (Q) Benneteau vs. (29) Chela.