Weird. I think that’s the best way to describe the 2013 Indian Wells tournament. Here’s why:
Nadal Loves the Hard Courts
Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch. Nadal doesn’t love the hard courts. The hard courts are the bane of Nadal’s existence. But, last week, the hard courts loved Nadal.
Alert: Nadal just won Wimbledon. twitter.com/exposbabe/stat…
— Stephanie Myles (@exposbabe) March 18, 2013
No one expected Rafael Nadal to win Indian Wells. Not his fans, not Nadal, and certainly not his knees. But guess what? Rafael Nadal is the Indian Wells’ 2013 champion. How did that happen?
Nadal has managed to return to tour as the same, strong player that he was before he left. Sure, his knees are more of a concern than they were before, but Nadal’s adjusting his schedule so that his body survives the gruelling schedule (he’s skipping Miami this week).
After only four tournaments back, Rafael Nadal is already No. 2 in the Race to London rankings. #atp
— Beyond The Baseline (@SI_BTBaseline) March 18, 2013
Nadal’s Indian Wells win proved that he’s going to challenge for every title he plays for and his dominant days aren’t behind him.
The Return of Del Potro
While no one expected Nadal to win the Indian Wells title, no one expected Juan Martin Del Potro to reach the final.
Yes, Del Potro is a skilled player, and he doesn’t get as much credit or attention as he should, but he had to get past Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to reach the final. Pretty impressive.
Since 2005, Del Potro is the only man outside of the Big Four to have won a Grand Slam. If anyone outside of the Big Four wins a Slam this year, I think it’ll be Del Potro.
Sharapova’s Back
No, Maria Sharapova hasn’t gone anywhere, but before Sunday, she hadn’t won a title since the French Open. So Sharapova is back — back to her winning ways.
Sharapova looked comfortable and controlled throughout Indian Wells and she kicked Caroline Wozniacki’s butt in the final 6-2, 6-2.
I can’t help but feel bad for Wozniacki. She was No. 1 for what seemed like an eternity, never won a Grand Slam, and ever since she’s struggled. She’s consistently inconsistent.
With Sharapova’s win, I expect the trio of Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Sharapova to fight for titles this spring.
This Week
Sadly for tennis fans, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will not be competing in this week’s Miami Masters.
Nadal and Federer are shortening their schedules to keep their bodies healthy. Unfortunately, Nadal and Federer aren’t going to be playing as much as we’re used to seeing.
Nadal says that doctors advised him not to play Miami, still needs to rehab knee & strengthen his quad at home. Knee is sore
— Matt Cronin (@TennisReporters) March 18, 2013