Nadal rallies for 3-set win at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, California (AP) — Rafael Nadal ended the run of Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday.

Nadal advanced to a quarterfinals matchup against defending champion Roger Federer, who survived a three-set marathon of his own to beat 18th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5.

Maria Sharapova and top-ranked Novak Djokovic had yet to play their night matches after all four of the preceding matches on the main stadium court went three sets.

Gulbis was on a 13-match winning streak, having made his way through the qualifying rounds at Delray Beach, Florida, where he won the title, and at Indian Wells, where he won three main-draw matches, including two over seeded players.

He was playing his 14th match in 19 days, and has yet to beat Nadal in five attempts.

Nadal earned the only break of the third set to go up 6-5, then closed out the win on his third match point. He leapt in the air, tore off his headband and pumped his left arm, yelling, "Yeah!"

The fifth-seeded Spaniard returned to the ATP Tour a month ago, winning two of three tournaments on clay after missing seven months with a left knee injury. Nadal, shaken by an earthquake that rattled Indian Wells on Monday, had a walkover in his third-round match when Leonardo Mayer withdrew with a bad back.

Wawrinka's consecutive forehand errors in the gathering dusk of an unusually hot day in the California desert closed out his 10th consecutive loss to Federer on hard courts.

Federer, a four-time champion at Indian Wells, is looking for his first ATP Tour title since last August. The world's second-ranked player improved to 13-1 against the 18th-seeded Wawrinka, who was broken twice in the final set played in front of tennis great Rod Laver.

"I don't know what gets me through. Maybe it's the experience or maybe a bit more calm in those moments," Federer said. "Today I think I was a little lucky to come through it."

Federer was broken once in the third set after telling the chair umpire he didn't have enough time to challenge the call on his first serve. He lost that argument and the game, but broke Wawrinka back to tie it 3-3. From there, both players held until Federer broke Wawrinka at love in the last game.

Federer tweaked his back in his fourth-round match and was glad to have Tuesday off to recover.

"I played three sets over two hours, so I'm happy at what level I can compete," he said. "I'm hopeful that it's going to feel a bit better again tomorrow, another step forward."

Wawrinka's lone win against Federer came four years ago on clay in Monte Carlo.

"I'm not the only guy who beat him only once. A lot of people never beat him. He's Roger. He's amazing player. He always find a way to win the match," Wawrinka said. "I was close, but not enough, and that's why I need to still go to practice and practice again."

Maria Kirilenko got by No. 5 seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the women's semifinals for the first time.

Kirilenko improved to 6-0 in three-set matches this year. Seeded 13th, the Russian is playing her first tournament since mid-February when she retired with a right shoulder injury in the first round at Doha.

On the men's side, No. 3 Andy Murray beat Carlos Berlocq 7-6 (4), 6-4 to advance to a quarterfinal against No. 7 Juan Martin del Potro, who cruised past No. 19 Tommy Haas 6-1, 6-2.

Berlocq complained to the chair umpire that Murray was taking too long between points, prompting Murray to protest the volume of Berlocq's grunting.

"It was extremely, extremely loud, more than what I have experienced from any other player on the tour," Murray said. "If it's going to be suggested that I am using gamesmanship by taking too long, then you can't be making noises like that on the court. It's annoying."

Berlocq said he didn't realize the sound would bother Murray.

"Well, yeah, but that's what all of the real grunters say," the Scotsman retorted.

No. 6 Tomas Berdych beat No. 10 Richard Gasquet 6-1, 7-5; No. 8 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outlasted No. 17 Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; and Kevin Anderson defeated No. 13 Giles Simon 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.