World number two Rafael Nadal, with his forehand in sparkling order, fired down 10 aces en route to a 6-3, 7-6 win against Frenchman Arnaud Clement in the Pacific Life Open second round on Saturday.
The muscular Spanish left-hander, hunting his first title since last year's French Open, saved five of six break points before sealing victory in an hour and 45 minutes.
Nadal set up a possible semi-final clash with third-seeded American Andy Roddick, who survived a tough start against Spaniard Feliciano Lopez before winning 7-6, 6-4.
Second seed Nadal broke his opponent twice in the opening set at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden but was frustrated not to wrap up victory sooner after leading 5-3 in the second.
"I made some mistakes in that second set, three double-faults in one game and two in another one," the 20-year-old told reporters.
"But I was playing well with my forehand and that's important. My forehand now is better than in 2005. But I win the match. I'm happy."
Nadal celebrated a golden year in 2005, piling up 11 ATP titles including his first Grand Slam crown at the French Open and four Masters Series shields.
"I am a more complete tennis player right now than in 2005," he added. "I just need to gain a little bit more confidence with my backhand at the moment."
FIFTEEN ACES
World number three Roddick, a losing semi-finalist at Indian Wells in 2005, powered down 15 aces against Lopez before wrapping up victory in one hour and 20 minutes.
The first set went with serve until the American clinched the tiebreak 7-5. Roddick then broke the Spaniard once in the second set before serving out for the match in front of a crowd of 20,294, a tournament record for a single session.
"Feliciano is a tough player with a lot of spin on his serve and I was having trouble with that early on," said Roddick, who next meets Belgium's Olivier Rochus. "There are definitely some things I can improve on."
In other second-round matches, 16th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny was upset by Argentina's Jose Acasuso, going out 7-6 6-4, while 15th seed Richard Gasquet of France beat Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 7-6, 6-2.
All the seeded players get byes into the second round of the hardcourt tournament at Indian Wells where triple champion and world number one Roger Federer is seeking his eighth consecutive ATP title.
In first-round action on Saturday, Czech Jan Hernych scraped past a rusty Tim Henman 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and 1998 French Open champion Carlos Moya of Spain beat Chile's Paul Capdeville 6-4, 6-4.
Briton Henman, whose start to the year was delayed by injury and illness, served for the match at 5-4 before being broken for the seventh time as temperatures climbed to 93 degrees.
"My serving was that erratic that, when I missed first serves, he was able to get more and more into games, more and more into baseline rallies," said Henman, who was out of action for four months.
Hernych takes on Argentina's Agustin Calleri, the 28th seed, in the second round.
