Pennetta ousts Sharapova

Indian Wells - Defending champion Flavia Pennetta sent world number two Maria Sharapova crashing out of Indian Wells, rallying to beat the five-time Grand Slam champ in three sets on Tuesday.

Italy's Pennetta got off to a rough start in the opening set before settling in to take down the mighty Russian who had won twice here previously in 2006 and 2013.

Sharapova committed 11 double faults and was broken four times in the two hour, six minute match.

Pennetta advanced to the quarter-finals, where she will meet either Caroline Garcia of France or Sabine Lisicki of Germany.

Pennetta, who won her 10th and biggest title of her career with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Agnieszka Radwanska last year, extended her match winning streak to nine on Tuesday.

Sharapova was hoping to become the first women to win the Indian Wells title three times.

She started the season by winning her 34th career singles title in Brisbane, Australia then reached the Aussie Open final where she lost to Serena Williams.

This was the fifth career meeting between the two with Pennetta now having a 3-2 edge.

Women

4th rd

Carla Suarez (ESP x12) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-1

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-2

Simona Halep (ROM x3) bt Karolina Plskova (CZE x14) 6-4, 6-4

Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x27) bt Elina Svitolina (UKR x23) 4-6, 6-1, 6-1

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

Flavia Pennetta (ITA x15) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS x2) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) bt Eugenie Bouchard (CAN x6) 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4

Sabine Lisicki (GER x24) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA x25) 6-4, 6-4

Men

3rd rd

Tomas Berdych (CZE x9) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 6-4, 6-2

Lukas Rosol (CZE x27) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3)

Gilles Simon (FRA x13) bt Michael Berrer (GER) 6-2, 7-5

Rafael Nadal (ESP x3) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-4, 6-2

Jack Sock (USA) bt Roberto Bautista (ESP x15) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Roger Federer (SUI) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-3, 6-4

Tommy Robredo (ESP x17) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x11) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5

Milos Raonic (CAN x6) bt Oleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4