Tennis: The Top Surprises at Indian Wells 2011 So Far
We are into the so-called second week of the mini grand slam that is the Indian Wells Masters, and we have been treated, for the most part, to expected outcomes. The seeds have mostly been through, on both the men's and women's sides, and the lineups for the quarterfinals have set up nicely.
As with any tennis tournament, however, Indian Wells has already witnessed some of the bigger shocks which, at the end of the day, make this sport so much worth waiting for and watching.
There have been the oohs and aahs but also big upsets which make any tournament colourful.
The Young American Shocks the Scot
1 of 7
Donald Young's stunning upset of the fourth seed, Andy Murray, must surely rank as the most unexpected result in the desert so far.
Murray looked sluggish from the start, showing in his tennis the mental hangover from his second consecutive finals defeat at the Australian Open in January.
It was a fine performance from Young, however. The upcoming American star put on a wonderful display to oust the 2009 finalist, 7-6, 6-3.
Dinara Safina Wins Back-to-Back Matches
2 of 7
There was a time when a player at the top of the game was supposed to win several matches in a row, several tournaments in a row, every year. That used to be the case for Dinara Safina, when she led the women's game back in '08.
Since her slump, however, after reaching the French Open final in 2009, it seems she had lost the ability to win matches, let alone string victories together.
Her good run this week, in defeating Parra Santonja, Daniela Hantuchova and most recently Sam Stosur, should bode well for whatever comeback she has planning. Not too bad considering the last two scalps.
Milos Raonic Wins Routinely in the Desert
3 of 7
Most would have expected some let-off after an amazing run from a young upcoming star. So it should have proved for the Canadian Milos Raonic.
Instead, he managed to turn a potential tricky affair, against the former finalist Mardy Fish, into a routine win.
Routine is the operative word; Raonic for the most part played well enough to down someone who had once blown Roger Federer off the court for the loss of five games.
That match, by the way, happened here at Indian Wells in 2008—this year, Raonic could face that same player in the quarterfinals.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic Repeating the Serbian Surge
4 of 7
2007 was the break-through year for the Serbians, and this year, a mini-surge has materialised with the progress of former Serbian tennis queens Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic to the fourth round, where they will face-off in a blockbuster.
Both players have been struggling—Ivanovic especially—and this mini-streak of a few matches strung together, along with the match they both face, will surely be of some confidence-injecting value.
The Return of DP
5 of 7
Perhaps this isn't such a surprise. It isn't startling considering Juan Martin Del Potro's past results but certainly so in view of his more or less vacant 2010 season and sudden surge to form early this year.
His run at Delray Beach, his rivals should be warned, has not impeded his return to the top.
If anything, his straight sets demolitions of Radek Stepanek, or just today of Alexandr Dolgopolov, should be alarming. He has been hitting that bone-crunching forehand like he did at the US Open of 2009 again.
After all, we are back in the US and on hard courts.
Sharapova Loses Just Four Games Against Rezai
6 of 7
Most people have probably written off the former top-echelon mainstay Maria Sharapova, as nowadays simply a good player, but not a great one. Surely, her recent results would suggest this.
Her victory over Aravane Rezai, who's ball-blasting style would rock the core of any opponent, should offer some glimpse of hope for Sharapova.
She lost only four games in a 6-2, 6-2 victory, which, from the score line alone, would suggest a thrashing.
It wasn't exactly that of course—Rezai does have the firepower to put Sharapova at bay—but it was certainly a confidence-boosting result for the Russian.
Roger Federer Beats Andreev in Straights
7 of 7
This is possibly another result we should be taking for granted. Roger Federer's first matches have been routine affairs for the best part of the last nine years. Although, against this player, the right-handed Igor Andreev, nothing has been routine in the past.
This includes, of course, a close first rounder they played at the Australian Open last year, when Andreev nearly took a two sets to one lead—not to mention the fact that his high-bouncing forehands have always troubled Federer.
There seems a certain vulnerability and looseness to Federer nowadays too, which makes his turning the record against Andreev, in beating him in straight sets for the first time, worthy of some note.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
