!VaBy TW Contributing Editor, Ed McGrogan
Last Week's Tournaments
Sony Ericsson Open (ATP & WTA - Hard - Key Biscayne, United States)
Men's Singles Bracket
- Andy Murray def. Novak Djokovic
Men's Doubles Bracket
- Max Mirnyi/Andy Ram def. Ashley Fisher/Stephen Huss
Women's Singles & Doubles Brackets
- Victoria Azarenka def. Serena Williams
- Svetlana Kuznetsova/Amelie Mauresmo def. Kveta Peschke/Lisa Raymond
McGrogan's Heroes
ATP - Andy Murray
With an important win at the Sony Ericsson Open, the buzz about Andy Murray is nearing pre-Australian Open levels. Unfortunately for the form Scot, he'll have to wait until September in Flushing Meadows to play a bigger tournament on his preferred surface, hard courts.
That doesn't mean that Murray has nothing to look forward to in the coming months. He has a great opportunity to gain rankings points in the clay court stretch -- Murray didn't advance past the round of 16 in Monte Carlo, Rome or Hamburg last season, and he was ousted in the third round of Roland Garros. He will almost certainly pass Novak Djokovic for the No. 3 position in the world rankings, barring a successful title defense in Rome for the Serb, among other solid performances on clay.
Speaking of clay, here's a question for you: Would you consider Murray to be Nadal's chief competition at Roland Garros? (Forget the notion that Nadal has no competition there whatsoever.) It's hard for me to argue for Federer at this point, considering what he's done against Nadal at the French the past four years, and of course, for what's happened since then. And Djokovic doesn't seem to fit the bill either -- not just for stamina-related reasons, but because of what we witnessed in Davis Cup play earlier this year (6-4, 6-4, 6-1 to Nadal).
Is Murray more of a threat to Nadal than, say, Juan Martin del Potro or Fernando Verdasco, two players who I think will flourish on clay this year? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this too. One thing's for sure: even if Murray lays an egg on clay, come Wimbledon, Murray mania will begin its annual rise towards peak levels once again.
WTA - Victoria Azarenka
For those of you lamenting the extended absence of Maria Sharapova, take a closer look at Victoria Azarenka, this year's Sony Ericsson Open champion. But do it quickly -- the bandwagon is filling up fast.
The similarities between Azarenka and Sharapova are striking, and were unavoidable when I watched the 19-year-old play this past week in Key Biscayne. Azarenka's follow-through on her forehand and take-back on her backhand reminded me of Sharapova's strokes, and they delivered results that the Russian Grand Slam champion would have been proud of. As for the service motion, Sharapova's is undeniably unique, but I saw some influence from it, ever slightly, in Azarenka's as well.
But the two likenesses between Azarenka and Sharapova that will stick out to most observers are the scream and the looks. Azarenka's yelp is a dead-on impression of Sharapova's, so much so that I wonder if she tried to copy it directly. Then there's the looks, which is a major reason why that bandwagon is becoming so crowded.
There will be plenty written about "the new Sharapova" in the coming months (current headline on the WTA website: "A Star Is Born"), and it will only intensify when the tour swings back into the United States. But for once, I don't mind the hype that I'm expecting to hear about Azarenka come summertime, because she delivered in a big way this March, reaching the semifinals of Indian Wells and winning Key Biscayne. She's earned everything that's going to come her way.
Next Week's Tournaments
(TV Schedule)
Grand Prix Hassan II (ATP - Clay - Casablanca, Morocco)
Men's Singles Bracket
Men's Doubles Bracket
U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships (ATP - Clay - Houston, United States)
Men's Singles Bracket
Men's Doubles Bracket
Andalucia Tennis Experience (WTA - Clay - Marbella, Spain)
Women's Singles & Doubles Brackets
MPS Group Championships (WTA - Clay - Ponte Vedra Beach, United States)
Women's Singles & Doubles Brackets