Federer cruises past Istomin

Indian Wells - Defending champion Roger Federer cruised into the third round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters and WTA tournament on Saturday.

Federer, whose triumph over American John Isner in last year's final gave him a fourth career Indian Wells crown, needed just 67 minutes to subdue Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-3.

"It felt good from the start and I was able to maintain that level of play," said Federer, who didn't face a break point. "I never thought he got into the match at all. That gives you even more confidence."

Federer, seeded second here behind world No 1 Novak Djokovic, is seeking a first tournament triumph of 2013 after being denied title repeats at Rotterdam and Dubai.

In women's action, top seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka survived a shaky start to make it safely into the third round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over two-time former champion Daniela Hantuchova.

Azarenka, unbeaten in 2013 and winner of the Australian Open and the WTA event in Doha, fell behind 4-1 in the first, but surrendered just one game from there to win in an hour and a half.

German fourth seed Angelique Kerber advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu.

Seventh-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur used a break of serve in each set to dispatch US teenager Madison Keys 6-3, 6-4.

Men

Second round

Benoit Paire (FRA) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x21) 6-4, 6-2

Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP x29) 6-1, 6-0

Kevin Anderson (RSA) bt David Ferrer (ESP x4) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x30) 6-2, 6-3

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x18) bt Wayne Odesnik (USA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-2, 6-3

Jerzy Janowicz (POL x24) bt David Nalbandian (ARG) 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3

Gilles Simon (FRA x13) bt Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5

Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt John Isner (USA x15) 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-4

Ivan Dodig (CRO) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA x28) 6-4, 6-2

Andreas Seppi (ITA x20) bt Daniel Brands (GER) 7-5, 6-4

Florian Mayer (GER x27) bt David Goffin (BEL) 6-4, 6-2

Richard Gasquet (FRA x10) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 7-6 (7/1), 6-2

Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt Janko Tipsarevic (SRB x9) 6-2, 6-0

Rafael Nadal (ESP x5) bt Ryan Harrison (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2

Tomas Berdych (CZE x6) bt Mischa Zverev (GER) 6-2, 6-4

Women

Second round

Jamie Hampton (USA) bt Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE x20) 6-3, 6-3

Julia Goerges (GER x21) bt Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 6-3, 6-3

Angelique Kerber (GER x4) bt Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM) 6-3, 6-2

Yanina Wickmayer (BEL x30) bt Mirjana Lucic (CRO) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Peng Shuai (CHN x32) bt Alexandra Dulgheru (ROM) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3

Samantha Stosur (AUS x7) bt Madison Keys (USA) 6-3, 6-4

Nadia Petrova (RUS x10) bt Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 6-2, 6-3

Garbine Muguruza (ESP) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x17) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4

Ana Ivanovic (SRB x11) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-1, 6-2

Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE x16) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2

Kirsten Flipkens (BEL x28) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 46 64 63

Victoria Azarenka (BLR x1) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 6-4, 6-1

Mona Barthel (GER x24) bt Kiki Bertens (NED) 6-1, 6-4

Elena Vesnina (RUS x29) bt Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 3-6, 7-5, 6-1

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x8) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Urszula Radwanska (POL) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x15) 6-3, 6-4