Thursday 5 April 2012

Miami in Review, Red Stuff Next..

Had a hectic week outside of tennis and so I found it difficult to do my usual previews during the week of the tournament! The awkward timing of the release of the order of play in the UK didn't help either.

I managed to find enough time to watch most of the tennis, however. The first real upset being Andy Roddick's defeat of last year's semifinalist Roger Federer. Roddick managed to take the first set in a tiebreak - a set where Federer looked disinterested on Roddick's service games and returned very badly. In the past, Roddick's serve hasn't really troubled him - credit to Roddick though, he was very solid in that set. Federer brought the big guns for the second set and one it very easily, but the final set was not very similar. Federer's level did not drop at all but Roddick regained his serving form and played a blistering return game to break Federer with four forehand winners. A remarkable victory for Roddick - shame he could not repeat it in his next match - Juan Monaco slaughtered in a match where the American's legs simply gave in.

Monaco quietly made his way through the draw and came up against Novak Djokovic in the semifinal who had a reasonably simple run up until this match. The Serb was unstoppable in the first set - but a very spirited performance in the second set by Monaco almost paid off, but he succumbed in the tiebreak.

In the other half of the draw Nadal met Tsonga in the quarterfinals - a match where Nadal was far from his best and his serve looked especially feeble in the final set. This was maybe due to a knee injury he was suffering from which made him pull out of his semifinal against Andy Murray - a match I thought he would have lost anyway. I reckon this withdrawal was largely precautionary - so fair play to Nadal, he wants to be at his best for his beloved clay and I'm sure he will be. This withdrawal meant that Andy Murray got through to the final only having to play three matches!

In the final Novak Djokovic took the first set 6-1. Sounds one-sided but it was actually a close contest. The next set was of high quality, Djokovic having plenty of chances to break the Brit but never finally managing to get it - most of them were saved very well. Andy Murray came close to taking the set but it was destined to be a tiebreak in which unsurprisingly Djokovic played fearlessly and took it (7-4).

The Serb ultimately claimed his third trophy in Miami.
A thoroughly entertaining tournament, despite the fall of Federer and Nadal's withdrawal, which was concluded by a decent final contest - not anywhere near as close to the final we were treated to last year, which was in my opinion the best match of 2011.

Next up is Monte Carlo where all the top four are expected to be playing, sounds good!

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