We are winding down in the first Masters Series event of the season at Indian Wells. Andy Murray lost as did Stan Wawrinka, those have been the two big surprises among the top players in the men’s field, but neither has been a consistent threat in the desert in the past.

Yesterday, we saw David Goffin come out of nowhere (the Wawrinka section which was wide open) to beat the …

Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka collected her second double bagel of the young season hammering the overmatched and ailing Magdelena Rybarikova 6-0, 6-0 in the Indian Wells quarterfinals Thursday.

“I think the key today was the start,” Azarenka said. “I really started aggressive, taking opportunities and I felt like I was in full control.

“I think in the second set she wasn’t feeling really well, but it was important for me to …

Roger Federer tweeted today that he will make a surprise return at the Miami Open which begins late next week.

🔜🚙🛫🌎🛬🇺🇸🍊🌞🌴🐬🏝😎🎾👍 @MiamiOpen

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) March 17, 2016

Federer underwent surgery on his left knee last month which forced him out of Rotterdam, Dubai and Indian Wells. He announced his next event as Monte Carlo, but clearly after weeks of rehab …

World No. 1 Serena Williams and No. 3 seed Aggie Radwanska lined up a semifinal meeting after the only two quarterfinal matches contested concluded on Wednesday at Indian Wells.

Radwanska held back No. 8 seed Petra Kvitova 6-2, 7-6(3) in the first match, and in the nightcap Williams defeated former world No. 2, defending champion and current No. 5 seed Simona Halep 6-4, 6-3.

Kvitova led 4-2 in the second set, but …

Rafael Nadal escaped a match point against a young up-and-comer, Stan Wawrinka couldn’t escape a familiar yet far lower-ranked opponent, and two other upsets went into the books on Wednesday at Indian Wells.

The No. 4-seeded Nadal needed to come from a set down and save a match point against Alexander Zverev, beating the German 6-7(8), 6-0, 7-5.

“I missed probably the easiest shot I had the whole match,” said the 18-year-old …

The top half of the quarterfinals are set for Wednesday. In a rematch of what was to be the semifinals a year ago, Serena Williams will clash with Simona Halep.

Serena dusted qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-2 while Halep earned a retirement Barbora Strycova who retired down 6-3, 1-0 due to an upper respiratory illness.

“I feel sorry for her, being sick,” she said during her on-court interview. “I know how …

Rafael Nadal picked up arguably his best win of 2016, avenging an Australian Open loss by beating countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 7-6(9).

Nadal was actually down a break in the second and down 6-3 in the tiebreaker before rallying over the 65th-ranked Verdasco.

“I lost matches similar to this one in Australia, in Buenos Aires, in Rio de Janeiro, so it’s important winning matches like this for me. Like the other …

The first big shock hit the Indian Wells men’s draw yesterday when Andy Murray lost a 4-1 third lead losing to Federico Delbonis 64, 46, 76(3). The loss further makes the case Murray just can’t play well at Indian Wells.

Murray has reached the final just one back in 2009 and the semifinals only two other times, in 2007 and last year. And through the years he’s suffered curious losses to …

No. 2-seeded Andy Murray failed to take advantage of a break up in the third set of a tough-fought match, falling to Argentine Federico Delbonis 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3) on Monday at Indian Wells.

“I have a couple of big wins, but in [this] situation [it] was special,” said Delbonis, who also beat Roger Federer three years ago. “For that tournament, for that surface, for me [it] is the best win.”

It was …

The third quarter of the Indian Wells draw opened up when No. 4 Garbine Muguruza lost her opener, then on Monday became a free-for-all when the second-highest player in the quarter, No. 7 Belinda Bencic, was upset 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 by Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.

Rybarikova will in the fourth round face No. 9 Roberta Vinci, who on Monday handled No. 17 Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-3.

No. 18 seed Karolina Pliskova also turned …

Stan Wawrinka plays later tonight in Indian Wells against Andrey Kuznetsova, but like most players he needs to get some nourishment before his match. So…

…

With drugs the unfortunate topic in tennis these days, John Isner was asked in press about the amount of testing in the sport, and he said he got tested at home (out of compeition) more than anyone.

“We all get tested a lot,” Isner said Sunday. “I know I do. I think I led the league last year in like home tests or something. They ring my doorbell at 6:00 a.m. …

Rafael Nadal won’t stand for anyone saying he does drugs, and anyone who does he won’t just respond with words, he will take legal action.

Last week, the French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot declared Nadal has missed time a few years ago due to a silent doping ban in 2012.

“We know that Nadal’s famous seven-month injury was without a doubt due to a positive [drug test],” Bachelot said on French TV …

Novak Djokovic overcame blustery conditions and an opening set loss to rally and beat American qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

The 22-year-old Fratangelo who just won his first tour-level match on Friday, came out free-swinging breaking the error-prone 2-time defending champion twice in the opening set. But Djokovic found his form winning 12 of the last 15 games to claim his 12th straight match win at Indian Wells.

“He came out …

Young Yulia Putinseva served for the first set at 5-4 against Serena Williams. But that’s when Serena took charge, easily breaking the Kazakh and never looking back in a 7-6, 6-0 win for the World No. 1.

“I was just trying to find my rhythm out there,” said Serena. “[I was] trying my best to not get off to a slow start. Then I got broken really early and I couldn’t …