This week the men to join the women—excuse me, the ladies—in the desert tennis kingdom. It’s about time, too. Almost a month has passed since that two-week season-within-a-season known as the Australian Open. I typically think of the other desert showdown, in Indian Wells, as the start of the year proper, and it will probably feel that way again come March. But if you put together all the players in Dubai (ATP) and Doha (WTA) this week, you could make a case that this is as close to opening day as the sport is going to get.
Both tournaments are well underway, but let’s take a look at where they might lead in the days ahead.
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Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai, UAE; DecoTurf II; $2,233,000; draw is here
On second thought, seeing that $2-million-plus cash commitment, and imagining the untold amounts of money that were doled out just to get the players to show up in the first place, makes me remember why I can never quite credit Dubai as a major event or a crucial baromoter of anything. It has always felt like half-an-exhibition. This was brought home to me a few years ago while watching Rafael Nadal lose to Andy Roddick in the quarters here. It was one of the very few times when I’ve seen Nadal give something less than his utmost once he fell behind. That's enough evidence for me.
Hey, it’s February tennis, make of the results what you will. There’s still plenty to watch, starting at the very top and bottom of the draw, where Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will make their first appearances since Melbourne. Each won their first-rounders routinely today, though Djokovic’s came against a high-quality opponent in Michael Llodra.
Who can stop the Top 2 seeds from another face-off? Ernests Gulbis, who has troubled Federer in the past, is near him in the draw, as is Gilles Simon, the man who almost ended his Australian Open very early. As for Djokovic, he may have to deal with Berdych or Davydenko, who face each other next, in the semis.
Federer and Djokovic are both rested, and neither minds the DecoTurf surface—Federer has won five U.S. Opens on it, while Djokovic has been to two finals in Flushing; each has also won in Dubai in the past. You have to like their chances to play again in a final. Make of that result what you will. Whatever it means, it will mean more for Federer, coming off his loss to the Serb in Oz. It's safe to sat that it won’t be the last time they see each other across the net in 2011.
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Qatar Ladies Open, Doha, Qatar; Plexipave; $721,000; draw is here
Isn’t it only the All England Club that has the right to use the word “ladies” at this late date? Or is this Doha’s bid to be the Wimbledon of the Arabian peninsula? Whatever the reason, it has an odd ring.
The ladies in question are very similar to the ones who just finished in Dubai: Wozniacki, Zvonareva, Kuznetsova (who’s already out), Radwanska (ditto), Jankovic (she won today), Pennetta (she also won). Perhaps of most interest thus far was Daniela Hantuchova’s win over Victoria Azarenka, the No. 6 seed who has yet to gain any traction in 2011, and wild card Sania Mirza’s straight-set win over Bojana Jovanovski. It seems the WTA's future remains unwritten.
Otherwise, Wozniack is apparently ill, and could take a quick loss to Nadia Petrova in the next round. That and the early loss by Kuznetsova might make the Italians, Pennetta and Schiavone, late-round contenders—or not, who knows. On the bottom half, this is an opportunity for Zvonareva and Li Na, who were disappointing last week in Dubai, to make amends. With Jankovic and Azarenka out, their road to the semis looks just a little clearer.
The upsets have started early, and there are sure to be more. I’m looking forward to another roller-coaster ride in the desert with the gals.