A Quick Shout Out

I know most of the attention over the weekend was being paid to the women's championships in Doha, but I just wanted to take a minute to congratulate the men who put up just as good a fight in their respective tournaments over the last several days. And as I've pointed out, some of the men were a bit surprising.

Though the ultimate result at the Bank Austria tournament wasn't such a surprise -- defending champion and world #12 Jurgen Melzer successfully reclaimed the title -- his opponent in the final got there under some interesting circumstances. Twenty-three year old Andreas Haider-Maurer had only one a single Tour-level match all year, but made a bit of a name for himself when he took two-time French Open finalist Robin Soderling to five sets in New York. Still, ranked only 157th in the world, he had to fight through the qualifying rounds and then wait for Ernests Gulbis to pull out of the main draw before earning entrée -- he'd actually retired from his last match in the qualies against Marsel Ilhan.

But something came over the Austrian when he hit the big boys' bracket. Pitted against veteran Thomas Muster in the first round, he was surprisingly unphased, beating the decorated champion in straight sets. He followed that up with a two-set, hundred-minute drubbing of second seeded Marin Cilic in the quarters and split the first two sets in tiebreaks to Melzer before ultimately losing the nearly three hour final. In addition to the $75,000 prize money he earned for the feat -- the purse more than doubled his year-to-date earnings -- he jumped forty two spots in the rankings and certainly put his name on the map as a real spoiler. Not bad for a week's work.

Over in St. Petersburg the top seed didn't fair quite as well in the finals. Mikhail Youzhny, the champion in 2004, was trying to caputre his third title of the year, but he was tested at almost every step along the way. He was down sets to both qualifier Evgeny Donskoy and eighth seed Victor Hanescu and saved several match points against a resurgent Dmitry Tursunov for the right to play Sunday.

Meanwhile his opponent, world #88 Mikhail Kukushkin, had a relatively easier time. After a tight first set against Jeremy Chardy in the first round he only dropped one game in the next two. He survived tests from Teymuraz Gabashvili and Janko Tipsarevic and eventually made his way to his first career final. And though he had been demolished in their only previous meeting, winning only three games in the 2009 Moscow semis, he virtually turned the tables this time around. Though he lagged top-ten Youzhny in first serve points and lost his own games twice, Kukushkin was able to break back four times and claimed his first trophy in his very first try.

With a far less impressive record is Gael Monfils who, despite his long run among the sport's top stars, had only won two titles in eleven final appearances. Admittedly after two tough rounds in a row -- he went three sets against both John Isner and countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Montpellier last week -- I didn't give him much of a chance against a relatively better-rested Ivan Ljubicic, a man with ten career crowns and one amazing run in Indian Wells this past March.

But Monfils surprised me in the championship match. Known more as a showman than an athlete who can actually perform under pressure, he finally showed the mental toughness he needs to win the big events -- up a set and a break, he allowed the thirty-one year old Ljubicic to even the score, but kept his service game strong and never allowed the Croat to get back in the match. In less than two hours he'd claimed the title, his second in his native country, and certainly showed that, if he keeps the antics to a minimum, he might be a real force.

A couple surprises and a couple surprise finalists this weekend, but some solid performances across the board. It's always nice to see that push so late in the season and it sure will be fun to watch them keep it up next year.

The World Cup of Tennis

Over the next few days a lot of things will be decided. Spain has a chance to win its very first World Cup when it takes on the Netherlands on Sunday -- it also will be playing for its third consecutive Davis Cup when it takes on rival France in the quarterfinals. But that's only one for four ties that will be contested this weekend, and no outcome is certain.

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Spain vs. France

The battle between perennial fútbol greats can translate well on the tennis court. Though the two-time defending champions will be missing star Rafael Nadal, they still look good to advance. Gael Monfils and David Ferrer kick off the action in what could be a tight match between two top-twenty players, and Fernando Verdasco follows it up against Michael Llodra, who's now at his highest ranking in years.

Spain has won the match-up five times in their six meetings, but they've never played France on a hardcourt, so things could get tricky. Players like Monfils and Gilles Simon are more comfortable on this surface than clay or grass and could exploit the quicker game. Still none of the Spanish players are ranked outside the top twenty-five, so catching them off hard will take a bit of work.

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Russia vs. Argentina

The opening rubber between these two nations could be the most exciting. Current world #6 Nikolay Davydenko, who had been so red-hot at the beginning of the year has been a bit out of contention over the last six months. And former top-five player David Nalbandian has fallen well into triple digits thanks to a hip injury. They've met eleven time and the Argentine has the slightest edge -- the match will certainly give a clear indication of how healthy these guys are and could set the tone for the entire tie.

When you add to that the fact that players like Russia's Mikhail Youzhny and Teimuraz Gabashvili along with Argentine Leonardo Mayer and Horacio Zeballos have been having such strong years, the play between these two countries could be top-notch. But Russia just has a more solid team this time around, and with Juan Martin Del Potro, Jose Acasuso and Juan Monaco all unable to support the country, I find it hard to call for the South Americans to win.

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Croatia vs. Serbia

In a match-up that shouldn't spark any political tension, Serbia takes on its former countrymen in Croatia in their first ever Davis Cup meeting. Missing big-serving Ivo Karlovic, the man who survived yet another long five-setter in the play-offs, the latter country is led by world #13 Marin Cilic. And Indian Wells champ Ivan Ljubicic beat his first rubber opponent, Novak Djokovic, on the way to that title in March.

Still, with Nole and top doubles player Nenad Zimonjic leading the Serbs, it will be hard to make a major dent. Djokovic has winning records against both his opponents and Zimonjic, in sixteen years playing for his country, has only lost six times in his discipline. Though the early matches might provide some close calls, most of the drama might take place among the fans as Serbia should make the semis.

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Chile vs. Czech Republic

This tie could be the closest of the quarterfinals contested this week, mostly because both teams are without their biggest stars. Though another doubles specialist Lukas Dlouhy is the top-ranked player on the Czech team, paired tennis only accounts for one rubber. Their best singles chance lies with Jan Hajek, now ranked ninety-fourth in the world, but he's only beaten one top fifty player this year. For Chile, down one Fernando Gonzalez, Nicolas Massu leads the pack. Once ranked #9 in the world, he's now dropped out of double-digits and has only won a handful of matches in 2010. Jorge Aguilar and Paul Capdeville aren't much better.

But this is a great opportunity for these players -- with a semifinal spot on the line, a stellar performance here and there could really make any one of these contenders stand out. And while this could be anyone's game, the Czechs who last year played Spain for the Cup are having a pretty good couple months and should be able to follow through.

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So Spain might be just a game away from capturing glory on the soccer field, but there are just a few matches more before they can also claim Davis Cup triumph. And what a coup it would be if one country were to dominate this year on both courts!

Miami's Vice

It's turned chilly again in New York, and I can think of nothing better than the sights, sounds and sands of South Beach to distract me from the sudden return of winter. And maybe it's the draw of all that nigthlife and entertainment that's keeping players out of the Sony Ericsson Open this year. For weeks, it seems, we've been hearing of withdrawals from the Premier event.

Two-time finalist Maria Sharapova and former world #1 Dinara Safina were both early drop-outs on the women's side while 2008 champ Nikolay Davydenko and U.S. Open titlist Juan Martin Del Potro pulled out of the men's bracket. And on Friday, five-time winner Serena Williams said her plaguing knee injury would keep her out of the tournament.

And while that might make some people feel the draw is wide open, let's not forget the slew of powerhouses that remain in the draws. Both Andy Murray and Victoria Azarenka will be back defending their trophies, and of course you can't discount the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. With all these guys and gals in -- and out of -- the mix, the stakes are even higher, and the fields -- especially on the women's side -- are rife for surprises.

Three tournaments into her comeback Justine Henin enters Miami with her first global ranking in almost two years. But at thirty-three in the world she falls just out of seeding territory and so will play veteran Jill Craybas in the first round. The fact that she's never won this tournament and that she lost so early in Indian Wells suggests she's going to bring it extra hard this week. But she has a rough draw, potentially facing a second-round rematch against Elena Dementieva -- and the runner-up in Kuala Lumpur will be looking for revenge.

In the same half of the draw, last week's champ Jelena Jankovic looms as a revived threat. She should have a much easier time advancing, though she might have to battle Azarenka for a spot in the quarters. Then again Vika has drawn another early match with Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, the woman who surprised her in the California desert, and could face 2005 champ Kim Clijsters one round later. Clearly nothing is certain here.

Then there's the lovely Ana Ivanovic, who held on to the twenty-fifth seed despite now being ranked fifty-eighth in the world. She wasn't rewarded for her luck either as Aggie Radwanska and Flavia Pennetta both live in her section. They're all in the same half of the bracket as two more former champs, Venus Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova -- and if either of them play up to standard, it will be hard for anyone else to get through.

There may be less drama on the men's side, but that doesn't make it any less exciting. Defending Murray will have to avenge his loss last week to Robin Soderling if he's going to make the semis in Florida. And Federer, who admittedly has a much easier quarter, still could face perennial threat Marin Cilic or Indian Wells break-out Marcos Baghdatis before the final four.



In the other half of the draw, last week's finalists in Indian Wells could potentially meet much earlier than the chmapionship game as Andy Roddick and Ivan Ljubicic are both in the same eighth. Rafael Nadal, interestingly, probably has the easiest section for himself as he's already faced -- and beaten -- the "biggest" challenges of Ivo Karlovic and John Isner this year.

With so much on the line, the remaining players need to keep their heads in the game -- there's a huge opportunity for anyone who can advance well into their draws, an even bigger one if they can win!

The Underdog -- On Top

The BNP Paribas Open has the ability to attract some of the top players in the sport -- being the first Premier event of the year, it's not surprising that eight of the top ten men and seven of the top ten women graced the draws. Players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, sidelined for the last few months with injuries and illness, pegged this as their comeback tournament, planning their schedules around making their return in the desert.

But this year the upsets started from the get-go and seeds began falling in the early rounds. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Marin Cilic and David Ferrer were only some of the players who lost their opening rounds. And before you knew it, you saw some surprising names still on court late in the week.

Not long ago you wouldn't consider Jelena Jankovic an underdog. Once ranked #1 in the world, she won eight titles in 2007-08 and made the finals at the U.S. Open two years ago. But she struggled for much of last year and, though she retains a top-ten ranking, had only put together a mediocre 5-4 record in 2010 before this week.

In the third round of Indian Wells, she found herself in a spot of trouble against Italian Sara Errani who took the first set from her decisively and held steady for much of the second. Jelena somehow found a way to win the tiebreak before getting the lead in the third and taking the set after almost three hours of play. I figured she was wiped out and, having to face her next opponent the following day, assumed she'd crumble. But she took only fifty-seven minutes to dispatch Shahar Peer. She actually hasn't dropped another set since that Monday and will play her first ever championship match here this afternoon.

She's have a tough time against second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish teenager who herself surprised me with her run in Indian Wells -- not because of her game, necessarily, but due to injuries and retirements of her own. Wozniacki will rise to #2 in the world come Monday, win or lose today, and she'll put up a fight against Jelena. But the Serb should take comfort in the fact that she's won all three of their previous meetings, including a 6-2, 6-2 romping at the Tour Championships last year. This should be a good final.

The men's title could be just as much a battle. Thirty-one year old Ivan Ljubicic was ranked third way back in 2006 -- a stat that shocked me -- but he dropped out of the top fifty with back problems and has been clawing himself back into the elite over the past two years. This week the birthday boy made his way through the draw even more dramatically than Jankovic did. Seeded twentieth at this tournament, he got past world #2 Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the fourth round and stunned defending champion Nadal in the semis.

For the title Ljubicic will face Andy Roddick, a man who's beaten him seven out of ten times in the past. The seventh-seed has had a much easier road to the finals, only facing one player ranked higher than him -- Robin Soderling in the semis. Struggling with injuries of his own, Roddick might not be at the top of his game, but he's certainly a threat to anyone he faces. If the Croat is going to beat him today, he'll need to harness all the momentum he's had in Indian Wells and find a way to battle the rocketing serve of the American. It won't be impossible, but it won't be a walk in the park either.

Like in any great tournament full of upsets, we might not see the top-most seeds fighting for the championship this afternoon, but after the tests these four have endured over the last ten days, we can be sure we'll see some of the most deserving talent of the week. And whatever the outcome, we can be sure that whoever holds the trophies at the end of the day certainly earned it!

Another One Bites the Dust

There seems to be a cloud hanging over the Barclays Dubai Tennis Tournament this week.

First there was Roger Federer who pulled out with a lung infection. Then U.S. Open champ Juan Martin Del Potro and Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick withdrew due to nagging injuries that have plagued them the last few months.

For those top players remaining, the road was still not so easy. Gilles Simon has failed to live up to a stellar 2008 season and pulled out of the Australian Open with knee problems -- he was first out the door with a straight set loss to Marcos Baghdatis. Nikolay Davydenko, who began this year with a red-hot string of victories bowed out earlier this morning, retiring after losing his first set to world #56 Michael Berrer. And Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who'd been questionable coming into the tournament, was out-played start to finish by Croat Ivan Ljubicic.

But by far the biggest upset of the tournament came when third seed Andy Murray met Janko Tipsarevic in the second round earlier today. The Scot had won three of their five previous meetings and, ranked fourth in the world, was by far the favorite. Even though the Serb got the first break of the match, the more experienced, but younger, Murray evened the score quickly to force a first-set tiebreak. He lost that one, but regrouped to take the second set and, I tweeted he'd likely harness that momentum to bagel his opponent in the decider.

To my -- and everyone else's, it seems -- surprise, Tipsarevic took the first lead of the third, and foiled Andy on six early attempts to break back. But the two-time Major finalist proved he had mettle and saved match points when Janko was serving in the ninth game of the set. Undeterred, the underdog rallied on Murray's service game and made good on his next match opportunity.



So that leaves Novak Djokovic as the clear leader in the field -- though if the results from the past few days are any indication, he shouldn't breathe too easily. In the next round he'll face Ljubicic and uber-underrated Marin Cilic looms large as a potential finalist.

Certainly the draw has proved to be wide open, and with such a big title on the line, there's no telling who'll be next to get swept up in the sands in Dubai!