Indian Wells Mid-way Report

Hey Y'all.

So here is the ATP Backspin Indian Wells mid-way point post. There is a much larger and shinier post on WTA BACKSPIN. This post is just to keep the ATP ticking over. It'll be done in sections because it's less awkward and it makes everyone's life easier.

First off, it's a drug scandal for Tomic. The official stance of Backspin is not guilty yet, but also that Tomic seems to attract bad luck whether or not he deserves it. Some of Tomic's off court highlights include wearing a hat, and that pink clothing item thing.

And yet, Tomic is still in the draw (and def. Ferrer on Monday night).

A section-by-section recap of week one in the desert:

SECTION 1: DJOKOVIC
...Djokovic has avoided any upset in his first match here, and it was against Baghdatis. Djokovic swept past Bagman 6-1,6-3, furthering the status of Bagman as a journeyman with a successful history. Ramos-Vinolas eased past Benneteau but Djokovic would have eased past whoever made it to him. The Spaniard would be able to push Djokovic on a slow clay court on a damp day. Not here. Isner defeated Anderson Monday night, after both got past their respective opponents, Melzer and Delbonis, in two straight sets. Both have been serving and returning well, and either one of them could have had hope to cause an upset against the Serb in the next round. It'll be unlikely, however, as they lack the multidimensional games needed to beat the world number one. Djokovic, who plays late Monday night, can look ahead to a possible quarterfinal with a dangerously talented Aussie.
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SECTION 2: FERRER
...Cilic is gone. He lost to Monaco 6-4,6-4 but it was, in a way, quite expected. Monaco played Kokkinakis Monday evening and was being outclassed early on, but it took winning a third set tie-breaker (after not having a challenge to overturn what would have been a converted match point earlier in the set) to do it after over two and a half hours. This section was always up for grabs in a way. Thanasi has shown he is a top 100 player and the rankings will soon reflect that. Direct entry into a slam this year will happen for him. He beat Struff and Garcia-Lopez just to make the third round. This kid has got something. Meanwhile, Ferrer has struggled. He scraped past Dodig 4-6,6-1,7-6[6]. He looked poor during the two and three quarter hour battle. The Spaniard looked ripe for the upset and Tomic was the last person he wanted to face. Ferrer has shown excellent form all through this year, but he has lost here early before and did again as the Aussie won 7-5/6-4.
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SECTION 3: MURRAY
...Murray has been given a fairly easy draw and that strangely generates it own pressure. There is a pressure on when you're the best player in a tournament, a section, a city, a Backspin HQ or a planet. One feels like one has to win and that makes it tough. It's easier to be the underdog. Murray dismissed Pospisil and then beat Kohl 6-1,3-6,6-1. Mannarino has made a big run here. The ever improving Frenchman beat talented youngster Zverev 6-4,6-4. He then got past Fognini in an upset on paper, 7-6[8],6-3. The lefty has a very awkward game that seems to work very well on grass. He beat Gulbis 6-4,6-4 to set up a fourth round clash with Murray. He could push the Scot but he won't win. Mind you, Murray did lose to Bogomolov jr. In straight sets. Murray now has a dilemma -- there is a huge step up in quality from the likes of Kohl and Mannarino to the likes of Nishikori. Is he fully prepared for a fight?
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SECTION 4: NISHIKORI
...Lots is happening here but nobody is watching. Lopez beat Vasselin 6-7[3],6-4,6-4. In an equally engaging match, Cuevas beat Nieminen 4-6,7-5,6-0. It looked like there may have been a possibility of an all-Spanish clash, but Kei avoided the upset. Verdasco beat Duckworth, whilst Nishikori dealt with Harrison. It's funny how Nishikori is already having to deal with the next generation. Two years ago he was the new generation. Ten years ago, to the year, Nadal was the new generation.



Nishikori beat the big hitting lefty 6-7[6],6-1,6-4. He just keeps going from strength to strength. Nishikori needs to prove one again he belongs in the top ten. Has he beaten two top five players back to back? At the U.S. Open, yes. Can he do it again? He is playing for a spot in the top four.
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SECTION 5: RAONIC
...Welcome to the bottom half of the tournament. This is Raonic's particular bit of it and, thus far, he has kept it tidy. He beat Bolelli 6-3,6-4. He won't be happy with Dolgopolov beating Giraldo. Dolgopolov is ultra-multidimensional. Unfortunately, he is so ultra-multidimensional not even Dolgopolov himself can harness it. Robredo ,the invisible man, struggled past Golubev 6-4,6-7[5],6-4. Kyrgios served for the match against Dimitrov but lost 7-6,6-3,7-6. It wasn't his fault. He went for a ball and fell, twisting his ankle, on the final rally of Dimitrov's game. Dimitrov couldn't put the ball into the court and so lost his serve. Kyrgios couldn’t put any weight on the ankle and so failed to close (he'll now miss two to four weeks). Dimitrov now plays another one-
hander. The winner gets a big server. How far can the serve carry the Canadian? If the serve fails, so does he. So long as it keeps booming, his game stays intact. He could serve his way to the final. Or he could throw in a performance like the one against Djokovic in Australia where he struggled to compete for portions of the match.
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SECTION 6: NADAL
...These days one never knows how Rafa is playing. He barely broke a sweat in beating Sjisling 6-4,6-2 but he could just lose inexplicably on any given day. His partner, Busta, was beaten by Donald Young. Young won in straight sets and then beat Chardy by the same score line Rafa beat the Dutchman. Rafa has Young and then Simon, probably, up next. They can both trouble Rafa or even cause the upset. Simon beat Jaziri in three long sets. Becker got through because Gasquet withdrew. Something is not right in the Gasquet camp. In any case, Simon has a good chance to make the semi-finals now. Any genuine chance to make the semi-finals of an event such as this is a good chance. Rafa struggles against big servers. This has been documented many times. Backspin HQ has a special folder, in the Weaknesses filing cabinet, on Rafa and big servers. John Isner at the French is a good example. Beforehand, Bollettieri said Isner, for one, needs to "put a firecracker up his a--,". Isner did and it was quite a match.
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SECTION 7: WAWRINKA
...The first big seed is gone. You wouldn't have called it beforehand. You would've called Ferrer or, perhaps if you were feeling brave, Nishikori. Wawrinka is one of the form players. He could probably carry me to a doubles title on the form he had been in. But his loss to Haase was really bad. The Dutchman won 6-3,3-6,6-3 and now plays Rosol. The Czech beat Klizan in three, including a bagel. Berdych has a great opportunity now. He was too strong for Stakhovsky and now has a gilt-edged chance to make the quarterfinals. Johnson beat Karlovic in two and now Berdych doesn't have to face that serve. Johnson is on form and Berdych will be wary of the upset. Tomas has to take his chance. Querrey disappointed here. He needed to do well here to up his ranking. The American men need all they can get right now.
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SECTION 8: FEDERER
...The comforting presence of the man with many nicknames. One commentator said this week, "When you've won 17 grand slams, umpires call you by your first name." Against Schwartzman, Fedex messed around, hitting drop shots and chip-charging before he finally got bored and took it 6-4,6-2. How many sections and halves of draws has Federer commanded over the years? Sock beat Lu 6-7[4],6-2,7-5. Then he beat Muller 3-6,6-3,7-6 [7] but he still has work to do. He must beat Agut, who easily dismissed Istomin. Then he has to beat Roger Federer. Sock would love a chance to play Roger but, despite having already earned it, he must win one more match to make it happen. With Stan out, Berdych looms after Seppi and Agut. None of those matches is a given but Federer will want revenge against Seppi. The bigger question is will Federer ever get a better chance at beating Rafa again if they meet in the semi?
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Thanks all. See you soon!

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