The ATP Tour went to the desert to initiate the month of March’s big two-event hardcourt showcase in the United States. Which players came out of Indian Wells feeling good about themselves, and which ones have to be upset for one reason or another?
Novak Djokovic Remains In Charge
There is still zero reason to think that anyone in men’s tennis is going to take away the No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic anytime soon, at least in 2016. Djokovic continues to rule men’s tennis with an iron fist. He won the first really big tournament of the season at the Australian Open. He has now followed that up with a win in Indian Wells. There were questions about Djokovic when an eye problem caused him to retire from a match in Dubai in late February. When Djokovic played Davis Cup the weekend before Indian Wells began, he was dragged through a five-set match, one in which he trailed two sets to one. He struggled early in Indian Wells, with the early rounds being a slog. He definitely did need time to sort out his game and his shots. However, by the end of the tournament, he had done exactly that. He beat Rafael Nadal in a first-set tiebreaker in Saturday’s semifinals. That set of tennis, in what was a well-played match, seemed to wake up Djokovic and bring out the best in his game. He goes to Miami in full control of his game… and men’s tennis.
Rafael Nadal Has Some Reason To Hope
The search for a more consistent game has been Nadal’s constant obsession over the past several months. It was true last year. It was true in the offseason. It was true at the start of the 2016 season. It was true entering Indian Wells. Nadal did not play all that well in the first few rounds, and when he fell behind, 5-2, in the third set to Alexander Zverev before the quarterfinals, it seemed his stay in California was going to end relatively early. Another tournament, another disappointing result. However, Zverev botched a forehand volley on match point. He later made a mistake when Nadal gained a break point to get back on serve in the third set. Nadal rallied and won that match against the run of play. He then straightened out his game until the semifinals, when he lost to Djokovic. This could be the event which gives Nadal real hope. The thing which has to be kept in perspective, though, is that he was one point away from losing early in this tournament. Still, it’s a positive tournament for Nadal.
Milos Raonic Will Be Fine… As Long As He Can Remain Physically Fine
The Canadian who made the Australian Open semifinals but then got injured in that match created a very similar and frustrating story in California. Raonic made the final and played very solid tennis, including a clean performance in a win over Tomas Berdych in the middle of the tournament. However, in the final, Raonic injured himself. Djokovic strolled to an easy win, and Raonic probably has to recuperate. If he can just keep his body healthy, Raonic’s tennis is better than it’s ever been before.
Marin Cilic Continues to Waste Opportunities
The thing about Cilic is that he’s never made a Masters 1000 semifinal. He had his huge chance this tournament, facing David Goffin, who is an inferior player. Many people felt that Goffin was lucky to be in the position he was as he had somewhat of a fluky win over Stan Wawrinka. Cilic should have been able to break through and beat Goffin in the quarterfinals to get rid of this nagging “0-fer” in his career. Yet, Cilic lost. It’s the kind of loss which haunts a player for a long, long time. Cilic should be so much better and more consistent than he actually is. Instead, he’s still one of those second-tier players that has the opportunity to win big tournaments but doesn’t look like he’s got the ability to execute at a high level consistently enough to get the job done.
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