What to Watch for at the 2015 Madrid Open
As the French Open draws ever closer, the action shifts to Madrid this week where the top men and women in the world will battle for a prestigious title on the dirt.
And there will be no shortage of intriguing plot points for fans to pay attention to throughout the tournament.
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic’s absence leaves the draw wide open, but who will take advantage? Rafael Nadal looks like the most qualified candidate if he can survive a tough draw, which includes a potential semifinal clash with Roger Federer.
Upsets have already littered the women’s field, though Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have so far advanced unscathed. If these two players can keep their momentum going, they could be headed for yet another finals duel.
Those are just a few of the top storylines set to heat up the Spanish capital. The following slides will examine everything to watch for at the 2015 Madrid Open. Buckle up for some scintillating tennis.
Impact of Early-Round Upsets on Women's Field
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A horde of top-ranked women have already been shown the door early in Madrid.
First-round victims include Simona Halep, Eugenie Bouchard and Angelique Kerber. While another disappointing loss Bouchard isn't surprising given her recent slump, watching the other players exit has been.
Halep, last year's finalist, was bounced by Alize Cornet in a dismal, straight-sets loss in her opening match. Kerber, recent champion in Charleston and Stuttgart, relinquished her 11-0 record on clay this season with a defeat to Australian veteran Samantha Stosur.
Also helping to open up the draw is 11th-seeded Andrea Petkovic's withdrawal because of illness. Lesser-known players now have a chance to for a deep run.
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are the overwhelming favorites to advance to the finals, but women like Lucie Safarova or even Irina Camelia-Begu could find themselves in the semifinals thanks to openings in the draw.
If the early-round upsets have proven anything, it's that no one should be considered safe.
Top Men Look to Step Up in Novak Djokovic's Absence
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Novak Djokovic won’t participate at this year’s Madrid Open, and that’s welcome news to the rest of the players.
The Serbian had held a monopoly of all the biggest tournaments dating back to October, capturing the last four Masters Series events along with his wins at the World Tour Finals and Australian Open.
Now it’s time for the rest of the ATP Tour to get in on the fun.
With Djokovic resting to be at full strength before the French Open, someone has a golden opportunity to break through. So who will step up?
There are plenty of prime contenders, most notably defending champion Rafael Nadal, who's in position to win a much-needed title and boost his Roland Garros chances. While his rival sits out, Nadal will be the favorite to lift a fifth crown in Madrid.
Other members of the Big Four—Andy Murray and Roger Federer—also won’t be losing sleep over Djokovic’s withdrawal. Both men could use a deep run here as they hone their form on the red clay.
But the world No. 1’s absence opens the door for other Top 10 players—like Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych—to emerge and win their first Masters title. We’ll soon find out if they can take advantage and earn some precious rankings points.
Maria Sharapova's Battle for Momentum
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Maria Sharapova may be climbing out of her spring swoon at just the right time.
With only a few weeks left until she sets out to defend her title at Roland Garros, the Russian desperately needs to shake off her malaise since the Australian Open. Dating back to her loss in the Melbourne final, she was just 6-4 in her last 10 matches entering Madrid.
A leg injury led to an opening-match loss to Daria Gavrilova in Miami and forced Sharapova to withdraw from Russia's Fed Cup matchup against Germany. When she finally returned in Stuttgart, the 28-year-old was far from fit and dropped her first match to Angelique Kerber.
Aided by extra rest from that early exit, Sharapova looked like a far different player in her 6-2, 6-3 takedown of Timea Bacsinszky in the first round here. She may be finally turning things around.
Next up is unheralded Mariana Duque-Marino, with Caroline Garcia or Karolina Pliskova standing as potential fourth-round foes. The defending champion in Madrid, Sharapova should have plenty of confidence on these courts to find a way against all those players.
Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska could meet her in the quarterfinals, but Sharapova's superior track record on clay will give her the upper hand.
Should Sharapova put together a couple of wins here, her outlook for the French Open will greatly improve.
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Potential Blockbuster Men's Quarterfinals
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If the men's draw holds true to form, prepare for some savory quarterfinals matches.
In the top half, Roger Federer could play Tomas Berdych in a rematch of their 2012 final if the Swiss can navigate past a section that includes big-hitters Nick Kyrgios and John Isner. Berdych, fresh off his runner-up showing in Monte Carlo, may be in position for another deep run here if he can outlast Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The other potential quarterfinal in that portion of the bracket could be Rafael Nadal against Stan Wawrinka. For the Swiss to reach that point, however, he'll have to shake off his recent poor play and potentially battle Fabio Fognini and Grigor Dimitrov along the way.
At the other end of the draw, David Ferrer and Kei Nishikori may be headed toward their third clash of the year. But Ferrer has the tougher path with reigning U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic looming in the fourth round.
Provided Milos Raonic is healed from his recent foot injury, the Canadian should fare well on the faster Madrid courts and is destined for a duel with Andy Murray, who's riding high after his victory at the Munich Open.
Even without Novak Djokovic participating, the final stretch of the tournament won't be lacking in excitement.
Serena Williams' Quest for a Third Madrid Title
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Can anyone stop Serena Williams?
Not likely at the moment. The world No. 1 has coasted to a 22-0 record this season, her last loss a round-robin defeat to Simona Halep at last October's WTA Championships.
Armed with titles at the Australian Open and Miami Open, Williams has firmly entrenched her position at the summit of women's tennis. At age 33, she looks far from finished and may be entering a new stretch of dominance.
And what better way for her to prepare for a run at the French Open than with a third title in Madrid?
Champion from 2012-2013 at the event, Williams will be hungry to make up for her quarterfinal withdrawal (thigh injury) in 2014. She's wasted no time getting started, breezing past countrywomen Madison Brengle and Sloane Stephens, dropping just five games combined in those two matches.
Clay may never be her preferred surface, but the American feels comfortable enough on these faster courts. Still, plenty of obstacles remain, including potential clashes with Victoria Azarenka, Carla Suarez Navarro, Petra Kvitova and a possible finals date with Maria Sharapova.
Expect Williams to pass all of those tests with flying colors and continue her unblemished 2015 campaign.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on Course for Semifinal Showdown
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The old rivals are headed toward their 24th waltz and first meeting since last year's Australian Open.
Nadal leads their increasingly lopsided rivalry 23-10, with the Spaniard victorious in their last five encounters. Federer's most recent win over his foe came way back in 2012 at Indian Wells, so he'll be motivated to end that drought.
While both players have yet to hit their peaks in 2015, their head-to-head battles always carry extra significance. Even as Federer enters the twilight of his career and Nadal possibly faces the end of his peak years, fans still salivate at the thought of these two icons matching wits.
Federer comes into Madrid after capturing the inaugural Istanbul Open. Yet he struggled in three-set wins over Daniel Gimeno-Traver and Diego Schwartzman and needed a lengthy second-set tiebreak to close out Pablo Cuevas for the title. His week there was successful but unconvincing.
To reach the semifinals, Federer will have to quickly find his footing and work past a quarter of the draw which includes Nick Kyrgios, John Isner and Tomas Berdych. What may help him is the relatively fast court at La Caja Magica.
Based on his recent form, Nadal may have an equally tough time reaching that point. After a shock, third-round loss to Fabio Fognini in Barcelona—already his third of the season on dirt—the Spaniard is still looking for confidence and consistency. Not having to worry about Novak Djokovic will help.
They may be aging, but the possibility of another Federer vs. Nadal showdown still holds the same cache and would serve as the highlight of the tournament.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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