Sports Then and Now

BNP Paribas at Indian Wells provided upset after upset. Photo by Rajat Jain

How many of you picked Ivan Ljubicic to win at Indian Wells? Jelena Jankovic? Northern Iowa to upset Kansas in the NCAA Basketball Tournament?

Just as I thought. That is why I am a little reluctant to put my neck on the line when discussing the ATP top seeds’ chances at the Sony Ericsson Tennis Open this week in Miami.

That does not mean that the wins this past weekend were not significant or joyful each in their own way with the wily veteran Ljubicic finding a way to win against the stiffest competition the tour could throw at him.

It had to be a resounding vote of confidence, moreover, for the seasoned counter-puncher Jankovic to overcome the newly inaugurated No. 2 ranked player in the world, Caroline Wozniacki, also a counter-puncher.

The Northern Iowa victory, however, will be discussed in another venue.

Heading into Miami are all the top ranked women minus No. 1 ranked Serena Williams and No. 3 Dinara Safina, both suffering from lingering injuries. For the men No. 5 ranked Juan Martin del Potro is still out as is No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko, again both with lingering injuries.

In looking at the men’s draw, some interesting match-ups highlight a splendid field.

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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal resume competition in Indian Wells.

Finally play gets underway this week for the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells with a lineup that includes almost all the usual suspects.  Who will survive the test of time and layoffs to take the title this year?  That is the question lingering on everyone’s lips.

Roger Federer’s Quarter

There are some very intriguing match-ups possible in Federer’s quarter of the draw including a potential 3rd round clash with the No. 27 seed Marcos Baghdatis.  The Cypriot who found his way out of the deep freeze and into the semifinals at Dubai is well on his way to a legitimate comeback after spending much of 2009 on the injured reserve list.

Seeded players hoping to advance to week two of the tournament include Tommy Robredo, seeded No. 18 and the always dangerous Radek Stepanek who has been known to throw wrenches into the plans of many a higher seeded player.  Stepanek lives to wreak havoc with the draw and could meet Federer in the 4th round.

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Mikhail Youzhny during recent Davis Cup play vs. India

Currently ranked No. 13 in the world, Mikhail Youzhny, nicknamed Misha, heads the list of exciting players entered in the BMW Tennis Championship being held in Sunrise, Florida starting March 14th.  The field this year includes a record 13 of the top 50 players in the world.

The Russian Youzhny is a crowd-pleaser who loves to entertain and make fans fully relish the action unfolding before them.  He has been playing tennis professionally for over 10 years and at age 27 he shows no signs of letting up.

When he is healthy, Youzhny is a challenge for any player on tour because of his aggressive nature and his ability to hit the ball deep, hard and flat, often taking it on the rise and pushing his way forward into the court. His liberal use of drop shots keeps opponents on edge because the Russian is able to change direction and disguise his shots extremely well. Read the rest of this entry →

Novak Djokovic wins in Dubai and receives trophy from Sheik Monsoor bin Mohammed.

Novak Djokovic headed into Dubai this past week as the defending champion, carrying with him a bad case of nerves. He had good reason to be on edge because he was defending 500 points, having won the Dubai Tennis Championships in 2009.

Dubai remains a high water-mark on the tennis landscape and one of the favorites of players who use it as a warm-up for the U.S. Hard Court swing through Indian Wells and Miami, two ATP Masters Series events, each worth 1,000 points for the champion.

As the No. 2 player in the world, Djokovic feels the hot breath of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray on his neck as the two tennis giants begin their earnest campaigns to overtake the Serb’s No. 2 spot as soon as possible.

Nadal sits only 940 points back while Murray remains 1,010 points behind Djokovic in the current rankings race. Pressures like those leave even the strongest and most determined a little rattled.

The Serb found himself facing a potentially lethal field that early on was only missing Rafael Nadal.  Seeded players included Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Nikolay Davydenko, and Andy Roddick as well as many other top 20 players.  In other words, the field was packed.

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Juan Martin del Potro competing in 2007.

Touting former champions like Robin Soderling and Gael Monfils, plus previous top-ranked competitors like Juan Martin del Potro and Fernando Gonzalez, the 2010 BMW Tennis Championship Tournament gets underway the week of March 14th in Sunrise, Florida.

Just what is it that makes this increasingly popular ATP Challenger event so attractive to players and fans?

The BMW Tennis Championship falls sandwiched between two highly popular American Hard Court ATP Masters Series Tournaments –– the BNP Paribas Open at Indians Wells held March 8–21 and the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, scheduled March 22-April 4.

The BMW tennis tournament with its stellar location is poised offering premier scheduling starting the week of March 14th, making it an attractive destination for top-tier players upset early at Indian Wells.

Those players losing in early rounds in California wishing further match play before moving onto Miami, as well as other up and coming players on the ATP Tour seeking first-rate competition, find the BMW Tennis Championship in Sunrise a perfect solution.

Those factors along with its first-rate facilities and its player-friendly reputation make this challenger event a certifiable success story.

The tournament in Sunrise fills a definite need for players while providing fans with a great opportunity to watch some of the world’s best compete.

The BMW Tennis Championship has evolved into a win-win in everyone’s book –– which is the exact reason for Challenger Tour events. Read the rest of this entry →

Nalbandian defeats Federer in Madrid

David Nalbandian and Roger Federer have fought each other long and hard on tennis courts around the world since their days on the junior circuit with Nalbandian usually winning those early contests.

The Argentine’s game when he plays it at his best makes him almost unbeatable.  Early on in his career Nalbandian was a superior player to Federer who often could not control his emotions, losing his way in a match.  The wily Argentine recognized this fact and took full advantage.

Once they turned pro, Nalbandian won their first five matches.  It wasn’t until they met at the year-end 2003 Tennis Master’s Cup in Houston in round robin play that Federer was finally able to defeat Nalbandian 6-3, 6-0.   Even so Nalbandian finished 2003 in the top 10 for the first time in his career.

Even as Federer began his remarkable winning span from 2004-2007, Nalbandian continued to rise up periodically and remind the Swiss of his roots, back in the days when Federer could be flummoxed by the consistent play and tenacious returns that the Argentine was capable of  delivering.

Nalbandian loved to remind Federer that he could exert his will and still beat the World No. 1. Read the rest of this entry →