Federer, Sharapova set Indian Wells pace

INDIAN WELLS – Top-ranked Roger Federer will try to stretch his 41-match win streak to the longest run in the Open era by capturing his fourth consecutive ATP Masters Series Indian Wells crown.

The Swiss star is five triumphs shy of matching Guillermo Vilas’ 1977 win-streak record and a fourth consecutive title at the 3.285 million-dollar ATP event that begins on Friday would take Federer’s run to an unequalled 47. “Hopefully I can win again and beat Vilas’ record,” Federer said.”Records are meant to be broken but if I don’t it’s all right.I will start all over again.”Federer, coming off his fourth title in five years at Dubai, last lost in August of last year to Britain’s Andy Murray in the second round of the ATP Masters Series Cincinnati event.Since then he has captured the US and Australian Open crowns and will attempt to complete a career Grand Slam in June’s French Open final.Russia’s Maria Sharapova, also a top-ranked defending champion, will lead the field in the WTA’s 2.1 million-dollar event that opens here on Wednesday.Sharapova will face either Swede Sofia Arvidsson or Dutch girl Michaella Krajicek after a first-round bye.Federer went 92-5 last year, winning Wimbledon as well as the Australian and US Opens and four Masters Series events.His January triumph in Melbourne was his 10th Grand Slam title.Federer’s rivals will include second-ranked Rafael Nadal, the reigning French Open champion who beat Federer four times last year, plus 2006 Indian Wells runner-up James Blake and his US compatriot Andy Roddick.Reigning US Open champion Sharapova will be tested by Swiss five-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis, 2006 runner-up Elena Dementieva and seventh-rated Nadia Petrova.Third seed Hingis will open against Danish wild card Caroline Wozniacki or Slovakian Jamila Gajdosova while second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova will open against US wild card Lilia Osterloh or Italy’s Romina Oprandi.Australian Open winner Serena Williams and her sister Venus Williams have skipped the event since being booed at a 2001 semi-final when Venus backed out against her sister due to a knee injury.Nampa-AFP”Hopefully I can win again and beat Vilas’ record,” Federer said.”Records are meant to be broken but if I don’t it’s all right.I will start all over again.”Federer, coming off his fourth title in five years at Dubai, last lost in August of last year to Britain’s Andy Murray in the second round of the ATP Masters Series Cincinnati event.Since then he has captured the US and Australian Open crowns and will attempt to complete a career Grand Slam in June’s French Open final.Russia’s Maria Sharapova, also a top-ranked defending champion, will lead the field in the WTA’s 2.1 million-dollar event that opens here on Wednesday.Sharapova will face either Swede Sofia Arvidsson or Dutch girl Michaella Krajicek after a first-round bye.Federer went 92-5 last year, winning Wimbledon as well as the Australian and US Opens and four Masters Series events.His January triumph in Melbourne was his 10th Grand Slam title.Federer’s rivals will include second-ranked Rafael Nadal, the reigning French Open champion who beat Federer four times last year, plus 2006 Indian Wells runner-up James Blake and his US compatriot Andy Roddick.Reigning US Open champion Sharapova will be tested by Swiss five-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis, 2006 runner-up Elena Dementieva and seventh-rated Nadia Petrova.Third seed Hingis will open against Danish wild card Caroline Wozniacki or Slovakian Jamila Gajdosova while second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova will open against US wild card Lilia Osterloh or Italy’s Romina Oprandi.Australian Open winner Serena Williams and her sister Venus Williams have skipped the event since being booed at a 2001 semi-final when Venus backed out against her sister due to a knee injury.Nampa-AFP