Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro advance at Indian Wells

Two of the top contenders for the men’s singles title at the BNP Paribas Open advanced with ease in early play Sunday, on another day when this Indian Wells Tournament sold all the tickets it is allowed to by local parking authorities. That would be 32,000.

The winners were Juan Martin del Potro, seeded ninth, and Rafael Nadal, seeded second.

Del Potro, the Argentine who stunned Roger Federerin the 2009 U.S. Open final and then faded from the scene for a bit with injuries and slipped all the way to No. 90, beat Marinko Matosevic of Australia, 7-5, 6-2.

Nadal, 10-time Grand Slam champion and two-time winner here, ousted Leonardo Mayer of Argentina, 6-1, 6-3.

Were the seedings to hold to form, Del Potro would meet No. 3 Federer in the quarterfinals and that winner would face Nadal in a semifinal.