Petrova gets revenge at Indian Wells; Fish loses in controversy

Russian veteran Nadia Petrova returned an important favor Monday in a day-session tennis match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

She beat Australia’s Samanatha Stosur, the reigningU.S. Openchampion, 6-1, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), and avenged a gut-wrenching 3 hour 16 minute defeat in Flushing Meadows. That was the longest U.S. Open match since the introduction of the tiebreaker system.

“After that loss in New York, it has been hard,” Petrova said. “I was very pumped up today. I wanted to turn everything around.”

Petrova, who will turn 30 in June, had won just one match this season entering Indian Wells, a first-rounder at the Australian Open.

In other early matches at Indian Wells, No. 1 Novak Djokovic kept rolling along, beating South African Kevin Anderson, 6-2, 6-3. The only threat in that one, even though Anderson was seeded 29th, was that Anderson had made a name for himself four years ago at Djokovic’s expense. The Serbian had won the title at Indian Wells that spring and gone on to Miami, also a Masters Series tournament, with his eye on the double. But Anderson upset him in his opening match.

Also, Anderson recently won his second ATP Tour event, taking the title at Del Rey Beach, Fla.

U.S. player John Isner, seeded 11th, kept serving big and advancing, taking oiut Juan Monaco of Argentina, 7-5, 7-5, and Frenchman Gilles Simon, seeded 13th, stopped Roger Federer’s Swiss running mate, No. 23 Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-4.

Italy’s Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, became another casualty to the stomach flu that has hit this tournament. She was forced to default after the first set against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.

American Mardy Fish lost to Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden in a controversial 6-3, 6-4 third-rounder. Fish, serving at 4-4 and deuce in the second set, dropped a volley short and wide. Just before Ebden lunged to try and return it -- and netted the shot -- Fish let out one of those yells that players do to pump themselves up. The chair umpire ruled that the sound of Fish’s voice hindered Ebden’s shot and awarded the point to Ebden, who broke serve in the next point and served out the match at love.

Fish argued with the chair umpire, but his ruling seemed to be within the letter of tennis’ laws on that situation.

ALSO:

For Svetlana Kuznetsova, a bad day isn’t really that bad

Novak Djokovic broke up tennis’ Big Two, became the Big One

Victoria Azarenka survives second-round scare at BNP Paribas Open