Far-Flung February
There wasn’t a tournament as prestigious as the Australian Open staged in February, but there was plenty of tennis played, as some of the best on the ATP and WTA collected titles around the world.
On the women’s side, Aussie Open champ Maria Sharapova continued her dominance, staying undefeated in 2008 after winning the Qatar Total Open. The tournament featured most of the world’s best ladies in the 56-player draw, but once again it was Sharapova who came out on top.
One of Maria’s chief rivals, Justine Henin, also claimed victory in February, winning on her home soil in Antwerp. Sharapova handily beat Henin in Melbourne (6-4, 6-0), so their next encounter will be greatly anticipated. It could come as soon as a few weeks away in Miami, or further down the road at Roland Garros, where the drama would be even further heightened. Another highly-anticipated encounter in Miami could pit either Sharapova or Henin against Serena Williams, who just won her first title in almost a year in Bangalore. One of her victims along the way was none other than sister Venus, who she hasn't played since the 2005 US Open. Appropriately enough, it came down to a third-set tiebreak before the younger Williams finally went through.
Finally, Aussie Open quarterfinalist Agnieszka Radwanska built off of her best performance at a Grand Slam by winning in Pattaya City. Her play in the next few months will be worth watching, as the 18-year old has made leaps and bounds in the past few months to enter the top 20.
As for the men, February’s tournaments showcased a number of the ATP’s underachieving players. Andy Murray and Michael Llodra each won their second tournament of 2008, a notable achievement this early in the season. Explosive veteran David Nalbandian and rising young American Sam Querrey, who both went out in the third round at Melbourne, each bagged a trophy in February. In addition, we may have seen the birth of a promising career as Kei Nishikori rose from obscure qualifier to Delray Beach champion in just one magical week.
But the biggest splash was made by Andy Roddick, as he bested two of the world's top three to win his debut in Dubai -- and revealed that legend Jimmy Connors was no longer serving as his coach.
Sightings of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were few and far between, bu they were all in action at Dubai this week -- with limited success. Federer made a shock first-round exit at the hands of Murray before revealing he had been suffering from mononucleosis earlier this year, while Nadal and Djokovic went out to Roddick in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Will they bounce back at Indian Wells and Miami, where their performances could help decide the No. 1 ranking later in the year? See where each stands in the hunt for No. 1 at TENNIS.com here.
 March Madness
In March, the focus of both tours will shift to two major hardcourt tournaments in the United States. The Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, begins the week of March 10 on the West Coast, followed by the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami the week of March 24 on the East Coast.
Each of these tournaments tends to produce a champion of the highest caliber, and recent years have been no exception. Roger Federer had a stranglehold on both tournaments from 2004-2006, winning five out of the six tournaments held. Last year, it was Rafael Nadal who raised the trophy whale at Indian Wells while Novak Djokovic started off his breakthrough year with a win in Miami. Federer – surely wanting to atone for his loss to Djokovic in Melbourne – will be aiming for nothing less than a title at each event.
These three will be favorites to win again this year, having formed an exclusive fraternity at the top of the men's game that has prevented anyone else from reaching a Grand Slam final in the past 12 months. But some players who had a solid February, like Roddick, Murray and Nalbandian, could emerge as potential challengers. It will also be interesting to see how Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the surprise Australian Open finalist, performs with raised expectations as he gets his next taste of the big time.
For the ladies, Indian Wells and Miami have become a tale of two tournaments, largely because of the Williams sisters. They have traditionally opted to skip Indian Wells due to a prior controversy, and they've benefited from the extra rest against the rest of the field in Miami -- a Williams has won Miami in seven of the past ten years. It’s tough to bet against that trend, but neither sister has looked her best so far this season. Plus, there’s the girl named Maria, who has looked -- and been -- invincible so far in 2008. World No. 1 Henin has not made the same strong start she did last year, but the Belgian will definitley be in the mix on US hardcourts this spring.
A lesser name to keep in mind when looking ahead to Indian Wells is defending champ Daniela Hantuchova. She also won the event in 2002. Hantuchova had a great Australian Open, reaching the semifinals and going up 6-0 2-0 before losing in three sets to Ana Ivanovic. Both of these ladies will be expected to go far at Indian Wells and in Miami.
For extensive on-site coverage of both Indian Wells and Miami, as well as match clips and exclusive video interviews, stay tuned to TENNIS.com.
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