World No 1 Roger Federer’s remarkable run continued as he booked his quarter-final berth in the ATP Indian Wells Masters with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Jeremy Chardy on Wednesday.

The 36-year-old Federer is off to one of his strongest career starts and is now 15-0 in 2018. It is his best beginning to the season since 2006 when he started 16-0 and won 33 of his first 34 matches.

“Today was a tough challenge in the wind,” Federer said. “I played really good tennis for most of the match.”

The defending Indian Wells champion Federer put on a serving clinic against Chardy as he hit two aces and won 100 percent of his first serve points. He dropped just three points overall with those coming on his second serve.

Federer advances to the quarter-finals where he will face South Korea’s Chung Hyeon who defeated 30th seeded Pablo Cuevas 6-1, 6-3 earlier on Wednesday.

Federer only needed to break Chardy once in each set to get the win in 82 minutes.

The first break of serve came in the 11th game of the opening set to take a 6-5 lead.

In the second set he broke Chardy in the ninth game to lead 5-4. Each time he got the break he then served for the set.

Federer clinched the victory on the first match point when Chardy pounded a forehand into the net.

Chardy hit four aces but made 46 unforced errors compared to just 29 for Federer.

Federer, who won the Australian Open in January, is gunning for a record sixth Indian Wells title. He also lifted the trophy here in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012 and last year.

Federer is now 4-1 overall against Chardy, having beaten the Frenchman the last two times they played. Chardy’s lone victory over Federer was a three setter, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), on clay in Rome in 2014.

Federer also won a title in Rotterdam this year. He picked up seven titles in 2017, comprising the Australian Open, Halle, Wimbledon, Miami, Shanghai, Basel and Indian Wells.

Federer will face the 21-year-old Chung for the second time this year.

Chung made a Grand Slam breakthrough when he reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January but had to retire in his match with Federer because of a foot blister.

“It is highly explosive, it’s highly impressive what he does and I think he is going to be a great player,” Federer said. “How good will still remain to be seen. I have a lot of respect for him.”

Nine match points

Chung survived a late rally from Uruguay’s Cuevas, who fended off a total of nine match points before eventually losing in the first-ever meeting between the pair.

Down a set and behind 5-0 in the second set, Cuevas miraculously saved seven match points to win the game.

Cuevas saved two more match points in the ninth game but his luck finally ran out.

Elsewhere, Croatia’s Borna Coric blasted nine aces as he outlasted American Taylor Fritz 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4.

Unseeded Coric moves to the quarter-finals, where he will play red-hot South African Kevin Anderson who defeated Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6).

In other fourth round matches, American Sam Querrey beat Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-4 and sixth seeded Juan Martin Del Potro rallied to beat fellow Argentinian Leonardo Mayer 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.

Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) and Canada’s Milos Raonic won in a walkover when Marcos Baghdatis withdrew from their night match with an illness.

Halep advances

World No 1 Simona Halep punched her ticket to the Indian Wells semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 win over Croatia’s Petra Martic on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old Halep improved to 18-1 on the season and is looking to win her second WTA Tour title of 2018.

Halep needed two hours and 23 minutes to put Martic away under taxing conditions as strong winds swirled around the main stadium court.

“It was difficult conditions to play in today because of the wind,” she said. “She had a tough game. I don’t know how I won, but I won.

“I just fought and that’s maybe why I won because I refuse to lose.”

Halep is guaranteed to hold onto her No 1 ranking at the end of this event after world number two Caroline Wozniacki was eliminated on Tuesday.

Halep moves on to the semi-finals where she will face either Japan’s Naomi Osaka or fifth seeded Karolina Pliskova.

Halep blasted two aces and broke Martic’s serve four times.

The turning point in the third set came for Halep after she won a challenge in the eighth game with Martic holding serve. On the very next point Martic hit a forehand wide as Halep took the game and a 5-3 set lead.

Halep then served for the match, winning five of the final six points after the challenge.

Halep moves on to the semi-finals where she will face Japan’s Naomi Osaka who beat fifth-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-3.

World No. 44 Osaka broke Pliskova’s serve six times in her 78-minute upset on the main stadium court.

“I returned the ball well,” said Osaka. “She is one of the best servers on tour and I was able to break her quite a few times so I am really happy about that.”

Pliskova, who reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January, smashed five aces but made six double faults.

Pliskova was trying to reach the semi-finals in this event for the third consecutive year.

“Everything was a little bit off from my side,” Pliskova said. “She was playing very well. Hitting her spots, forehands, even the backhands.

“I just battling all the way, even in serving and returning. I was definitely not feeling the best.”