Indian Wells, March 13:

The Pacific Life Open moved on Monday one day after the stunning first-round exit of world number one and three-time defending champ Roger Federer.

Federer’s defeat against Guillermo Canas shifted the focus of the $5.3 million Pacific Life Open tennis tournament to a wide-open men’s field that includes two-time defending French Open champ Rafael Nadal and former US Open winner Andy Roddick.

Both Nadal and Roddick stormed into the next round with straight set victories. Roddick hammered 18 aces as he defeated Olivier Rochus 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) in a third round match.

The 20-year-old Nadal did likewise, breaking Fernando Verdasco’s served once in each set to beat the Spanish countryman 6-4, 6-4 and reach the round of 16.

Nadal will take on another Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in the next roud for a berth in the quarter-finals. Nadal converted two of six break point chances and made just 14 unforced

errors in the one hour, 27 minute match.

Nadal raised his record this year to 11-4 and is seeking his first tournament win since capturing the French Open title last year.

Argentina’s 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian defeated Paul-Henri Mathieu of France 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-0. Nalbandian said the loss of Federer adds a new dimension to the tournament.

Canas, who is also from Argentina, was eliminated, losing 6-4, 6-4 to 1998 French Open champ Carlos Moya. In other matches, British No 1 Andy Murray easily defeated Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 6-3; Richard Gasquet of France beat Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

The biggest upset on Monday involved last year’s runner-up James Blake, who lost to unseeded player Julien Benneteau of France, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1).

In women’s side, second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Russian countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) and fourth seeded Russian Nadia Petrova defeated American Laura Granville 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the night match.