What We Learned from the Indian Wells Masters
The Indian Wells Masters has been over for a number of days now, but its aftermath continues. Plenty has been digested and lots revealed as the run up to Roland Garros continues at pace.
With both the men's and women's draws producing some great tennis, there were a lot of highlights and intriguing developments over the course of its two weeks.
But what were the main lessons learned from the 2015 instalment and just who will benefit from them?
Read on to find out our top 10!
10. Third Stadium Could Be on Its Way
1 of 10
The appeal of Indian Wells shows absolutely no signs of abating, and news of a possible third stadium being constructed confirms precisely that.
With an already impressive infrastructure in place, another arena would certainly add to its prestige even more.
Indeed, a museum of tennis is apparently also on the cards.
As reported by the The Desert Sun's Andrew L. John, it could even be less than 12 months away from getting completed, a feat that would probably leave Indian Wells with just enough time to see it finished ahead of next year's instalment.
But, as it's still in the early phases, it's hard to tell:
"With the proposed stadium being smaller and not containing any fine dining restaurants, it is believed that the build would be much quicker than Stadium 2, which took just over 10 months. But adding a museum would potentially prevent the project from being completed before next year's tournament.
"
No doubt, tennis lovers everywhere will hope everything gets resolved quickly, because no one would want to see an eyesore amid all the glorious play, not least of all tournament owner Larry Ellison.
9. Tournament's Big Appeal Adds Weight to Performances
2 of 10
Often regarded as the "fifth Grand Slam," Indian Wells has a glowing reputation.
And it's also one that's growing.
With increasing popularity, fuelled by the vision of Ellison, it has long been at the forefront of technological advances such as Hawkeye as well as making the atmosphere a luxurious and attractive one for players and fans alike.
As pointed out by TennisViewMag.com's Yeshayahu Ginsburg, the competition should probably be considered as the best of all other non-Slams, but it will likely remain as it is until some of the game's top players push for its inclusion:
"A key part of this discussion, however, must be the players. The prestige of a tournament is largely determined by how much the players care about it. Almost nobody skips Indian Wells by choice, but players are more likely to withdraw with a more minor injury than from a major. Candid opinions from players, which are unlikely to be forthcoming, would matter greatly in helping us determine where Indian Wells sits on the spectrum.
"
That said, it's easy to view some of the performances on show throughout March as precursors to what's to come in some of the majors.
With such a strong field on show, there was great determination from all involved, something that really adds tremendous value to some players' showings.
8. Milos Raonic Building to a Big Performance
3 of 10
Up against Roger Federer in the semi-final, you sensed Milos Raonic had a great opportunity to win.
Although the "Federer Express" has experienced a resurgence in form and confidence since the beginning of the year, Raonic was always going to be a threat.
Looking back at the highlights of their duel, it's clear the Canadian wanted to play with a dashing sense of speed and power, but for many of the points, this tactic worked against him.
At 0:32 and again at 1:12 on the video, he loses focus and misses out on opportunities to pull away, conserve energy and punish his Swiss opponent. With numerous unforced errors, he impeded his own progress in many ways.
While he played some nice tennis, he really let himself down.
After all, he isn't the world No. 6 for nothing.
If he continues to play with a toned-down eagerness as well get aggressive at the right moments, we should see him produce a big performance down the line at one of the Slams.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
7. Murray Still Has Work to Do
4 of 10
Another battle with Djokovic, another defeat for Andy Murray.
The story of his clashes with the top-ranked player in the world remains a familiar one.
Of course, the same could well be said of his record against most of the top 10, as he's only managed to overcome four of them more times than he has lost.
All of this won't be news to many, but for the Scot it's vital he approaches the problem with a fresh mind and new approaches, because what he's doing right now just isn't working at all against the big guys.
Lacking aggression and invention against his semi-final opponent at Indian Wells, Muzzard cut a lethargic figure on court, practically handing the win away as he took just four games in all.
Reflecting back on the key moments of the match, via highlights, we can see that the Glaswegian got sucked into one too many long rallies, many of which he failed to win.
Against Djokovic, one of the finest players to ever play the sport, that's a real no-no.
As outlined in my recent piece for Bleacher Report, there are three key areas Murray needs to work on if he wants to win another Grand Slam.
After all, if he's done it before, he can do it again. He just needs to work on his weaknesses and tailor his game a little more with his coaching team, which includes the influential Jonas Bjorkman.
6. Bernard Tomic Remains One to Watch
5 of 10
Fans of Novak Djokovic will refuse to see it this way, but the Serb really avoided a potential banana skin as he was given a free pass into the semi-finals by an injured Bernard Tomic.
Suffering tooth and back pains, the young Australian was forced to retire from his quarter-final bout in mid-March.
Although he didn't get to test the world No. 1 properly, we do have his wins against Thanasi Kokkinakis and David Ferrer to offer doubters plenty of reasons to believe that this guy is the real deal.
Considering that the 22-year-old was probably already suffering from these niggling aches as he blasted both opponents away gives a nice gloss to his short-lived time on the courts of California.
Much like Raonic, then, his displays hint at even better things to come.
In fact, as relayed by Reuters' Simon Evans, the talented young starlet is continuing his impressive form at the Miami Open.
Is he a future Slam winner?
5. Rafael Nadal Has One Eye on Clay-Court Season
6 of 10
Losing his tiebreaker against Raonic in their vital quarter-final clash meant that the momentum had swung against the world No. 3's favour.
Far from the powerhouse his nickname "Muscles from Mallorca" suggests, he lacked the mental prowess too, as the blow of losing what turned out to be the turning point worked viciously against him for the remainder of the match.
Now, with the clay-court season heating up, it would be logical to suggest that the Spaniard maybe has one eye on what's set to be a testing few weeks of competitive action.
Looking to complete a hectic schedule that sees him take in Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome and Barcelona, he clearly has a full plate right now.
Although his fans might have viewed California as just as big an opportunity as they currently view Miami, the reality is that Nadal probably won't want to push himself too hard before he gets his feet firmly back on the sticky stuff.
4. Injury Is Serena's Biggest Opponent Right Now
7 of 10
Really earning her place in the semi-final of a tournament she had boycotted for so long, Serena Williams was on course to make her return one of fairytale proportions.
And although Timea Bacsinszky made life difficult for her when the two players met in the last eight, it wasn't defeat that forced the world No. 1 to exit early—and this time there was to be no controversy as it was due to a genuine knee injury.
Far from her best series of performances, her workout at Indian Wells was tough, but she still looked like she had more than enough to at least force her way into the final.
Everyone knows Williams is the best player on the women's tour right now and she has been for quite a while, but if she pushes herself too hard and enters the Miami Open, she could regret it, especially if a lack of rest aggravates her knee strain.
Rivals might just hope she stubbornly persists, because she'll be easier to defeat when there's a chink in her armour.
3. Halep Has Slam Potential
8 of 10
Coming from behind in a high-pressure match at the top level is not an easy achievement.
Yet that's precisely what Simona Halep managed to achieve against Jelena Jankovic in the final at Indian Wells.
Playing some industrious and effective tennis that saw her show calmness under pressure with a short forehand to clinch the title after a seesaw encounter, Halep got into her stride after the first set came to an end.
Since she didn't get the chance to test herself against the world No. 1 Williams, the jury is still out as to whether or not the Romanian can use this win as a springboard for success.
Nevertheless, she will be expected to cause trouble for just about anyone she faces.
And with a confidence-boosting title now under her belt, the 23-year-old won't fear any of her upcoming battles as she looks to make the breakthrough she's been threatening to accomplish since she reached the French Open final in 2014.
2. Federer Is Still a Threat
9 of 10
Bidding to build on his Brisbane International title as well as his Dubai Championship win, Roger Federer once more met his old rival Novak Djokovic.
With Federer already beating Djoker to land silverware in Dubai earlier this year, it looked like a win could be on the cards.
But the world No. 1 had other ideas, as the match ended with the Serb denying the Swiss legend the trophy for the second year running.
Need a reminder of the entertainment they put on show? Take a look at the highlights.
Attacking his opponent's serve with some proactive moves toward the net, Federer looked to aggressively steer the match back in his favour after losing the opening set, and he did so with some scintillating tennis.
Although he lost the match, his performance was yet another reminder that he remains close to usurping his longstanding rival. With a little more luck, it could have been him instead of Djokovic.
In truth, little separates them in the grand scheme of things.
Put these two together at any of the remaining Slams and you can expect fireworks.
1. Djokovic Is Top Dog
10 of 10
Less of a lesson, more of a reminder.
Nonetheless, Novak Djokovic continues to lecture us all on just how difficult it is to knock him off his perch.
Yes, he will likely have breathed a sigh of relief in dispatching Federer and avoiding Tomic, but the fact remains that he was the best player on show in the men's draw.
Add this to the fact he clinched his fourth Indian Wells title and there can be little denying that he remains the top dog in world tennis right now.
Whether or not he can continue that same form into the looming clay season remains a mystery, because although he is the world No. 1, he isn't infallible on the pace-reducing, powdery red shale.
But without a title win on Roland Garros to his name yet, time is starting to run out for the 27-year-old.
Can he use Indian Wells (and, indeed, Miami) as a launch pad for an unlikely assault on Nadal's crown?
If anyone can do it, it's Djokovic.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
