Ok so new I've reached the final post of my entries on the BNP Paribas Open from Indian Wells, which will cover the men's and ladies singles finals.
So to begin with the ladies, the final was between Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki, the 2nd and 8th seeds respectively. And Sharapova in their previous recent meetings came out on top quite easily, but more was at steak in such a big final in Indian Wells. As for the match though, Sharapova was on fire from the word go, as she ruthlessly broke Wozniacki right at the start of the match, blasting winners left, right and centre, and she went onto break her again to close out the set. In the 2nd set, it was more of the same, with Caroline trying her best to stay in the points, but ultimately just had too much firepower and was too strong for the Dane to handle. So after two service breaks, Sharapova served out for the title with great ease, as she sealed her 2nd title at Indian Wells with an emphatic 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Sharapova probably in this final hasn't played a better match in her career than she did today, and while it has to be said I was rooting for Caroline, you have to admire Sharapova's sheer determination, and aggressive form, and her ability to just power through in such a convincing manner. So this now sees Sharapova take over the No.2 spot in the world, having won the title in Indian Wells will give her 1000 points to her ranking, and Azarenka will go down to the No.3 spot. And if Sharapova maintains this incredible form then there is every chance that she will reclaim the top spot again this year.
As for Caroline Wozniacki, well it would be hard not to feel for her in this match, as she tried everything she could, but she was just outplayed in every sense of the word. However the really encouraging thing for Caroline out of this tournament was that it saw her back in the big time in a big final on the WTA tour, and it also saw her beat another player inside the top 10, Angelique Kerber. So from here things can only get better for her (hopefully) and her difference in play is noticeable over the last 6 months or so, as Caroline has become a more aggressive player, which has definitely helped her form this year so far. So I wish her all the best for Miami, and we'll see how she get's on there.
Now onto the men's final, which saw Rafael Nadal, who so far has made an impressive comeback on the tour, having already picked up two titles on clay, take on Juan Martin Del Potro for the title. The match on paper was without a doubt an exciting one, and thankfully the match itself more than lived up to it. Rafa at the start came out firing and racing to a 3-0 lead over a rather nervy looking Del Potro, however it was not long before Delpo settled down and broke back to take 3 games in a row to level the score. And even more remarkably he broke Rafa in the opening set using his powerful forehand and his near iron clad serve to take it. In the 2nd set, it was Rafa's turn to look edgy as Delpo broke the Spaniard again, but it wasn't long before Rafa started to settle down and find his rythym and he finally broke Delpo to eventually go on and take the 2nd set and push the match into a decider. In the 3rd set, Delpo started to look rather jaded from his previous two lenghty matches, and he dropped his serve early on, which let Rafa make the crucial move to take the lead. However Del Potro wasn't quite finished as at 5-3 and 0-40 down, he battled back with a remarkable service hold to force Rafa to serve out for the title. But Rafa went on and did just that with relative ease as Del Petro's final forehand went wide, Rafa went flat on his back with delight, in the same fashion he does when winning a major, securing his 3rd Indian Wells title, with a terrific 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 triumphant win.
Well if this doesn't signal that Rafa is well and truly back, then I don't know what will, as the Spaniard looked back to what was close to his very best. And despite a nervy start, with Delpo dishing out some bludgeoning forehands, Rafa soon gathered himself and fought back the only way he knew how to level the match. And once Rafa levelled it you just knew there was no way back in for the big Argentine fella, which was a great shame, as a Masters series title still eludes Del Potro to this day, and in this match he couldn't have played or tried any better, giving it his all. It also sees Rafa break the record for the most won Master series titles, as he now stands at 22 Masters titles, with Roger Federer just below with 21. It was also Rafa's first hard court title in nearly three years, with the last one being the Japan Open back in 2010.
So this really does send out a strong message to his other rivals, and at this rate its hard to imagine anyone else taking Rafa at the French Open, as I don't think even Djokovic will do that. I also think Rafa could possibly even go on to win Wimbledon and the US Open again this year, and if he does well he will almost certainly reclaim the World No.1 spot. And it also makes you wonder what will happen to Andy Murray's ranking, and how will he play Rafa on their first match, as it could very well see him relegated back to the No.4 spot, but we will wait and see. At this rate I can see Andy overtake Federer on a steady basis, so if Rafa moves up to the top spot, then he could still remain at No.3. However it all remains to be seen how Rafa will play Andy or Nole, as they are yet to meet this year, but on the basis of Rafa's performance at Indian Wells this week, I think they should watch their asses, as Rafa will be out to get them.
In the meantime Rafa deserves nothing but credit for his incredible comeback to the tour, and his triumph at Indian Wells signals that he is getting ever closer to his very best form. And clearly his knee is no longer a big issue, as Rafa has also dispelled the fears over how it would hold up on hard court surfaces. As we have seen this week Rafa run from pillar to post, change direction, chase down balls with effortless ease and move with his usual great speed and agility that we have come to know so well. And he has come back to the tour feeling re-energised and ready to go to take on any challenge that is infront of him. So its going to be quite exciting to see how the rest of 2013 unfolds.
And that's it for now on the posts, until next week once the next ATP/WTA 1000 Masters series/Premier Mandatory title get's under at the Sony Open in Miami. And Rafa unfortunately will not be playing at this event, as the doctors have advised him to rest the knee and restart at the beginning of the clay court season in Monte Carlo, and Roger Federer won't be playing either, as he elected to take an extended break with his family. However Andy and Novak will be playing in Miami, and as they will be the top seeds, if they both reach the final it should make for one hell of a match, but there will be a lot of work to do before they can get there. And Andy will look to avenge his three straight losses to Nole, which here's hoping he can do just that, but it will be far from easy. But on the good side of things, even if Andy fails to win the title but does reach the final in Miami, he will be guaranteed to overtake Federer in the rankings, and grab the No.2 spot. However we will just have to wait and see how it pans out.
So until then bye for nowwww.
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