Azarenka overcomes slow start

Indian Wells - Defending champion Victoria Azarenka shook off a slow start to beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-1 Saturday and reach the third round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters and WTA tournament.

It was a tough tournament opener for Azarenka against a player who won the title here in 2002 and 2007.

But after falling behind 4-1 in the first set, she roared back to preserve her unbeaten record in 2013 and move a step closer to adding a third title to the Australian Open and Doha crowns she has claimed this year.

The top seed from Belarus next faces Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Romania's Monica Niculescu.

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