Federer, Nalbandian reach fourth round

INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 18 (UPI) -- Three-time champion Roger Federer and Argentine David Nalbandian were third-round winners Tuesday at the $3.6 million Pacific Life Open.

The top-seeded/world No. 1 Federer of Switzerland defeated Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 6-1 in 53 minutes. Federer had nine aces and did not face even one break point en route to victory. He broke Mahut five times in seven tries.

Federer, reigning five-time Wimbledon and four-time U.S. Open champion, won this event three years in a row from 2004-06. He will play either 15th- seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo or 23rd-seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic in the fourth round.

Federer is playing in only his third tournament this year and is still looking for his first 2008 title.

The seventh-seeded Nalbandian got past 29th-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek 7-6 (7-1), 0-6, 7-6 (8-6) in 2 hours, 13 minutes on Day 6 of this 11-day event. Nalbandian is a former Masters Cup champion and Wimbledon runner-up.