INDIAN WELLS — Heavy winds, rain and hail pelted Idyllwild, 2,000 customers lost power in Palm Springs and a dust storm swept down the I-10 and across the top of the tennis stadium almost as fast as a Rafael Nadal serve.

But it was nothing but blue skies and sunshine in the end for Nadal and Russian Vera Zvonareva who each won titles on a stormy spring Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Zvonareva, the No. 4 seed, knocked off the defending champion and No. 5 seed Ana Ivanovic in gusty and gritty conditions that saw wind gusts up to 50 mph.

While the 24-year-old Zvonareva noted that it was the worst conditions she's played in since Doha two years ago. Ivanovic said she's never seen anything like it.

“Honestly it was the toughest conditions I've ever played in,” said the 21-year-old Serb. “It was very, very windy and it wasn't much about the game and game plan today. It was just who can handle the conditions better and who can stay mentally tougher through it.”

Zvonareva proved she could do both.

It may have been the worst playing conditions here since 2003 when competition on the outside courts was temporarily shut down.

Ivanovic said conditions kept her guessing throughout the match. She wasn't sure what type of approach to take and whether to go for a shot or not.

“It was constantly changing,” she said. “I made lots of the same mistakes. It was just very hard to judge where the ball wold bounce and where the ball will end up.”

Men's runner-up Andy Murray noted that although he finished on the short end of a 6-1, 6-2 final to Nadal, he “enjoyed the winds here,” but remarked that he hasn't played “in conditions as windy as this in a very long time.”

One thing that kept up Murray's spirits as the world No. 4 heads to Miami for the next tour stop?

“I know we're not going to play in those conditions each week,” he said.