Blake won’t benefit from Federer’s exit

No, James Blake wasn’t looking ahead to the sizable gap in the draw created when three-time defending champion Roger Federer exited unceremoniously from the Pacific Life Open.

Big gap? More like the Grand Canyon.

That wasn’t the reason the sixth-seeded Blake on Monday lost to the 46th-ranked player in the world, Julien Benneteau, who has never won a title or reached a final on the main ATP Tour. Or the way Blake’s normally reliable forehand never seemed to find the range. Benneteau defeated him, 6-2, 7-6 (1), in the third round at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Maybe he should have drifted ahead.

“I don’t know what happened. But I didn’t play great,” said Blake, who lost to Federer in the 2006 final.

This is the one time he didn’t want to follow in Federer’s footsteps, losing on the same court a day later at almost the same time of the afternoon.

What had started as a promising year with a title in Sydney, Australia, and a final in Delray Beach, Fla., has slipped since then for Blake. As much as he struggled against Benneteau, Blake stayed in it by reaching the second-set tiebreaker. His momentum evaporated on the first point when he double-faulted, and he dropped the next three points to trail, 0-4. He never recovered.

Not all the top men were afflicted with the same sort of malaise. Third-seeded Andy Roddick beat Olivier Rochus, 6-2, 7-6 (5), and will play Richard Gasquet tonight in the fourth round. Roddick, who has never reached the final here, spoke about the impact of Federer’s loss.

“Obviously, I think it helps out everybody,” he said. “It takes the toughest player out of the draw. It enhances our chances, but at the same time, I’m going to have to figure it out one of these times anyway. You can’t sit back and hope that he loses because that’s not going to happen a lot.... It definitely gives you guys story lines, and who can step up when he’s out and if we can all take advantage of an opportunity.”

Which brings us to No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who has not won a title since the French Open in June. In the featured night match, Nadal defeated Fernando Verdasco, 6-4, 6-4.

It was almost like a Spanish Davis Cup practice session between the two left-handers. Nadal, going with the pirate look, broke Verdasco in the ninth game of the first set. Make that a speedy pirate.

Superb court coverage earned Nadal the service break as he seemed to cover nearly every inch of the court. The second set was like a repeat of the first set, with Nadal getting the service break at the same juncture.

“In the movement, I am better than him,” Nadal said. “And playing, touching the ball, he’s better than me. So I know if I get the rhythm of the game, I have more chances than him, no?”

The all-Spanish sessions will continue for Nadal today when he plays a former French Open winner, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Ferrero, also a former No. 1, defeated Jose Acasuso, 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4.

The Federer-less quarter of the draw now features Carlos Moya, David Ferrer, Novak Djokovic and Benneteau. And so much for the momentum Guillermo Canas built from his victory over Federer on Sunday. Moya defeated Canas, 6-4, 6-4, in the third round.

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Women’s play remained relatively predictable with the exception of No. 9 Dinara Safina’s loss to Marion Bartoli, 6-4, 6-3. In men’s doubles, No. 2-seeded Mike and Bob Bryan of Camarillo lost in the first round to Jarkko Nieminen and Robert Lindstedt, 6-4, 6-4.

lisa.dillman@latimes.com