Kerber survives a bit of a scare

Peng Shuai of China hits a backhand during Monday's win over Agnieska Radwanska of Poland at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Harry How / Getty Images / AFP

INDIAN WELLS, California - Angelique Kerber might yet celebrate her return to No 1 with an Indian Wells title after battling past Pauline Parmentier 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 on Monday to reach the fourth round.

Parmentier, the world No 62 from France, had the two-time Grand Slam champion from Germany on the ropes with a break and a 4-1 lead in the third set.

But Kerber fought back with a break in the seventh game and another in a marathon 11th game that gave her a 6-5 lead and a chance to serve for the match.

"I think I was starting to believe in myself again and trying to take this challenge and trying to play point by point," Kerber said of her mindset after going down a break in the deciding set.

"I was not thinking about what has happened before, just trying to move well, bring a lot of balls back and going for it when I have the chance."

Kerber, who rose to No 1 in the world with her US Open triumph last year, is set to regain the summit no matter how far she goes this week, after Serena Williams pulled out with an injury.

Kerber needed two hours and 33 minutes in the baking sun on Stadium Court to get past Parmentier, who until this year had never won a match at Indian Wells in five appearances.

Kerber sealed it on her third match point - but not before Parmentier had one last chance to break in the final game.

Meanwhile, fourth-seeded Romanian Simona Halep, yet to regain peak form in the wake of a nagging knee injury, was dispatched by Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-3.

France's Mladenovic, who has already lifted one trophy and reached another WTA final in 2017, had no trouble notching another top-five win.

"I perfectly played the game plan I had," Mladenovic said. "Solid at times, making her play balls and take some risks. Sometimes I had the shorter (ball) stepping in, playing my heavy shots with the forehand. I think that worked pretty well today."

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams booked a fourth-round berth with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Lucie Safarova.

Williams, seeded 12th in her second tournament since a runner-up finish to her sister Serena in the Australian Open in January, had saved three match points en route to a second-round victory over Jelena Jankovic, but needed no heroics against the 40th-ranked Czech.

"It's never easy to play a lefty because you feel the ball coming from all different directions," said Williams who belted 15 winners with just nine unforced errors, breaking Safarova four times.

"You feel unbalanced, but my focus was so laser that it felt good to compete in these conditions."

Williams next faces China's Peng Shuai, who ousted sixth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 6-4.

On the men's side, third-seeded Stan Wawrinka continued his dominance of Philipp Kohlschreiber, rolling past the German 7-5, 6-3 to reach the fourth round.

Wawrinka recorded his fifth victory over Kohlschreiber in as many meetings in a performance that left him cautiously encouraged about his prospects of making it past the quarterfinals in the California desert for the first time.

"It was a really good match," said Wawrinka, who owns three Grand Slam titles but has won just one of the tour's coveted Masters titles.

"The first set was not easy, for sure, but in general I'm happy with my game.

"I was serving well. I think I'm moving better and better and it's all positive so far."

Agence France-Presse