Nadal ready to step up Federer challenge in Miami

MIAMI, Mar 20 (Reuters) Roger Federer will face a revived challenge from Rafael Nadal when the Swiss world number one defends his title at the Sony Ericsson Open which starts tomorrow.

While Federer was practising in Miami after losing in the second round of last week's Pacific Life Open to Argentine Guillermo Canas, Nadal was breaking a nine-month title drought.

Spain's twice French Open champion claimed his first trophy since last year at Roland Garros with a 6-2 7-5 victory over Serb Novak Djokovic in the Indian Wells final on Sunday.

Federer, Nadal and the other seeds received byes into the Miami second round. Federer, whose 41-match winning streak was ended by Canas, begins his campaign on Saturday against the winner of the clash between Russian Igor Andreev and American teenager Sam Querrey.

Nadal's first opponent in the Masters Series event will be either Czech Jan Hernych, the number 72 who defeated Briton Tim Henman Indian Wellls, or a qualifier.

Nadal is bursting with confidence, though he still lags way behind Federer, winner of a dozen titles last season and the Australian Open and Dubai in 2007, in the rankings.

''Right now I am number two and Roger is number one and far away from the others,'' Nadal told reporters at Indian Wells. ''Roger is the best in history.

''For sure, my goal is to continue winning tournaments. If I play like this, I can win another major.'' Nadal beat Federer in the 2004 Miami third round before losing to the Swiss in a dramatic five-set final the following year.

Briton Andy Murray is seeded 12th after losing to Djokovic in the Indian Wells semi-finals to continue his fine start to the season.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who suffered a hamstring injury at the Pacific Life Open, faces a first-round clash with three-times French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten, who continues his comeback from a hip surgery.

The women's event will be missing twice semi-finalist Amelie Mauresmo, who underwent emergency appendix surgery over the weekend in France and is expected to be out of action for a month.

Newly crowned world number one Justine Henin returns to action after winning the tournament in Doha last month. Top seed Maria Sharapova faces Yung-Jan Chan of Taipei and Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives in the second round.

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