Indian Wells Doubles, First Round
Federer / Wawrinka d. Mirnyi / Nestor, 6/1 6/2
Nadal / M.Lopez d. Frystenberg / Matkowski, 7/6 7/6
Who among us doesn’t love to be right, even about something as inconsequential as sport, and even about something as uncontroversial as the declaration that Roger Federer is a good chance to win his first round match? Yesterday I suggested that the Indian Wells doubles event, unusually bloated with top shelf singles talent, would provide clear support for the theory that top doubles players thrive only because top singles players generally have better things to do. 
(It’s all vaguely reminiscent of that delectable moment in 2006 when Gael Monfils entered a paddle tennis tournament for a lark, and proceeded to beat the ‘world No.1′ Scott Freedman, otherwise known as the ‘Roger Federer of paddle tennis’. Good times.)
Proof has arrived in short order, with the news that the second seeds Nestor and Mirnyi were summarily thrashed by the Roger Federer of tennis and Stan Wawrinka, 6/1 6/2. The fourth seeds Frystenberg and Matkowski also fell to Nadal and Marc Lopez. A Fedal semifinal is not out of the question, or even unlikely. As expected, Melzer and Petzshner scraped through against Ferrer and Almagro. As unexpected Isner and Querry beat Llodra and Zimonjic. Djokovic and Murray carried compatriots and/or siblings through. The Bryans will likely do the same against the replacements for Soderling and Nieminen: Raonic and Feliciano Lopez. Now there’s a remake of The Odd Couple begging to be made. Lopez was seeded for the Australian Open, and Raonic had to qualify. Now the Canadian is ranked higher. I wonder if they share a laugh about that during practice, or whether they just stand around admiring the Spaniard’s thighs.
Steve Tignor has a decent write-up of the matches here.