INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — It was a tough day for seeded players at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, with Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka, the world’s top-ranked players, ushered out in the desert.
Djokovic and Philipp Kohlschreiber resumed their third-round match that was suspended because of rain a night earlier. The unseeded German knocked off the five-time tournament champion 6-4, 6-4.
Osaka lost to Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-1 in just over an hour.
Since Osaka won the title at Indian Wells a year ago, she earned titles at the U.S and Australian opens. Her triumph in Australia made her No. 1 for the first time, but her time at the top has been rocky. Osaka fired her coach and lost in the first round in Dubai before taking on a new coach, Jermaine Jenkins.
On Tuesday, the 23rd-ranked Bencic served and returned better.
Djokovic owned an 8-1 record against Kohlschreiber, who beat a No. 1 player for the first time.
The 35-year-old German started thinking he had a chance early in the first set when Kohlschreiber survived a handful of break points on his serve.
“I would say after 3-all in the first set I felt like getting closer to the set, holding my service games, which is not easy against Novak, because he’s such a great returner,” Kohlschreiber said. “I know from that point on it’s gonna be a very interesting match.”
Djokovic was just 1-for-5 on break-point opportunities. Kohlschreiber converted three of his four chances.
Next up for Kohlschreiber is Gael Monfils, who owns a 13-2 record against the German.
Also ousted were No. 6 Kei Nishikori, No. 10 Marin Cilic and No. 14 Daniil Medvedev.
No. 2 Rafael Nadal eased by 25th-seeded Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-1.
In women’s fourth-round matches, No. 2 Simona Halep lost to Marketa Vondrousova 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 and No. 7 Kiki Bertens was beaten by 20th-seeded Garbine Muguruza 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
Venus Williams reached the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Mona Barthel.
Bianca Andreescu, an 18-year-old Canadian, beat 18th-seeded Wang Qiang 7-5, 6-2.
