Hass Finds Form; Querrey Cuts Down Canas

© Getty ImagesSam Querry at Indian Wells

American Sam Querrey (pictured) accounted for Guillermo Canas for the second time in the past month, defeating the past Top 10 player 7-6(2), 6-2 on Friday at the BNP Paribas Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tennis tournament in Indian Wells. The 21-year-old Californian saved all three break points faced on serve while converting two of his seven opportunities to improve to a 3-0 record against Canas.

"I feel like my forehand especially is a little heavier, a little bigger than his," said Querrey, who had posted a straight-sets win over the Argentine two weeks ago in their Delray Beach opener. "If I could run around that, I felt like I was going to win most of the points, which I think I did. I felt like the more dominant player out there."

Querrey has reached the second round in each of his four appearances at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, and will look to advance beyond that stage for the first time when he next comes up against Radek Stepanek. The 18th-seeded Czech has reached three hard court finals this season, winning at Brisbane and San Jose and finishing runner-up at Memphis.

Watch live streaming from the BNP Paribas Open beginning Saturday

Querrey said about his next opponent: "He's crafty, and that's going to be a tough one. He has a good serve. He sneaks in. He has everything. I've got my hands full there."

Seven other American players – Bobby Reynolds, qualifiers Robert Kendrick, Michael Russell and Todd Widom along with wild cards Taylor Dent, John Isner and Ryan Sweeting – were also first round winners Friday. Sweeting fought into the second round on his ATP World Tour Masters 1000 debut, edging past fellow American wild card Wayne Odesnik 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) for his first match win at the tour-level this season. The 21 year old will next confront World No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro, a winner of four ATP titles in 2008.

German Tommy Haas snapped a three-match losing streak as he opened with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Spaniard Oscar Hernandez. The 30 year old has reached the Indian Wells quarter-finals the past two years. In 2008, he posted wins over Andy Roddick and Andy Murray before withdrawing prior to his match against Roger Federer with a sinus infection. 

Qualifiers made a strong start to the day's proceedings with German Michael Berrer and Austrian Daniel Koellerer each earning their first match wins at the BNP Paribas Open. Berrer defeated South African wild card Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3 and Koellerer posted a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 comeback win against German Mischa Zverev, setting up respective second-round clashes with World No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 7 Andy Roddick.

In other matches, Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello defeated South African qualifier Rik de Voest in straight sets and next meets defending champion Novak Djokovic; Serbian Viktor Troicki led Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 2-1 when the Russian retired with a right foot injury; and recent Johannesburg finalist Jeremy Chardy of France dismissed Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.