By Chris Oddo | Tuesday, March 4, 2014
The season's second month featured breakthroughs from a few tried-and-true veterans and some scintillating tennis from a few newcomers, too.
Photo Source: AFP
Before we immerse ourselves in all the glory of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, let's have a look back at February's heroes and zeros...
ATP Hero No. 1: Roger Federer
The Swiss maestro put it all together in Dubai last week, winning his sixth career title and finally passing John McEnroe to move into third place on the ATP's all-time title list with 78. Federer notched a massive win over Novak Djokovic in the semis, defeating the Serb for the first time ever after dropping the first set. In the finals he repeated the trick when he defeated longtime nemesis Tomas Berdych after dropping the first set.
>>> Federer Hits Amazing Tweener in Dubai
In total, that's four of five top ten wins for Federer after dropping eight of his previous eleven before that. In other words, Fed Express is hitting bullet train speed once again.Will he blow through the next few stops and keep rolling right on through Wimbledon?
While thrilled to be finding his groove, Federer is keeping things in perspective: “Beating Novak on the hard courts here in Dubai, it's tough," he said. "Clearly not best of five, clearly not the finals of some whatever tournament, but this is a big -- this is a big step in the right direction for me. Gives me a lot of confidence...”
With Federer healthy, learning to play with his new racquet and benefiting from his relationship with Stefan Edberg, things stand to keep improving as the season progresses. As for now, he's just happy to be finding ways to win. Over the last six months, Federer has found more ways to lose than ever before in his career. He's dropped matches to players outside the top 20, top 50 and even top 100. But all the while he's been working, retooling and searching for the missing pieces. Perhaps all those tough losses—Brands, Delbonis, Stakhovksy, etc...--have lit the fire that will take Federer back to the the top of his game once again.
“Sometimes I have been disappointed with my play when it really mattered,” he said. “Today and yesterday I was able to deliver when I had to. Same against Stepanek in the third when things got tough there against me as well I was able to come up with the goods.”
WTA Hero No. 1: Venus Williams
A week before Roger Federer's Dubai heroics, Venus Williams was paving the way for the not-quite-done-yet set with a run for the ages that earned the 33-year-old her first Premier title since 2010.
Like Federer, Williams saw her game come together in splendid fashion, rather than in fits and starts. She lost a paltry 24 games in five matches in Dubai, crushing former No. 1's Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki before routing Alize Cornet 6-3, 6-0 in the final.
The title is proof that Williams can still play elite tennis for a sustained period when her body lets her. What is remarkable about Williams' latest statement is that Venus herself might have been the only person on the planet that believed she could play this well at this stage of her career. She's been written off by so many, and repeatedly asked why she doesn't just retire, given all the difficulties she's had to face with the Sjogren's diagnosis and the related issues with her back and her overall fitness.
But while pundits have been busy counting her out, Williams has been busy conquering her deficiencies and getting her body in good enough shape so that her overwhelmingly abundant God-given gifts can lead her to the finish line.
In Dubai, we saw just how good Williams can be when it all comes together. Going forward she will still have her naysayers, but whether people believe it or not, Venus Williams is a threat to go deep in any draw that she enters, and that includes the Grand Slams.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion simply has too much game—and too much determination—for that not to be true.
Zero: Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci
The pair of formerly luminous Italian vets have hit the skids. They are a combined 0-13 on the season. How is that even possible?
Hero: Fabio Fognini
The Fellini-esque Fabio won another clay title in Vina del Mar, then reached the Buenos Aires final a week later to make it five consecutive clay court finals. He's gone 23-3 on clay since the French Open with three titles and two finals in six events. That is, to say the least, awesome.
>>> Video: Fognini Pulls Shorts Down after Grueling Point
Zero: Sloane Stephens
Sloane skipped Fed Cup, leaving her compatriots undermanned in Cleveland as they were spanked by the Italians, then showed up in Doha a few days later, only to lose in the first round. She followed that up with another first-round loss in Dubai. Should we have expected this? Has Stephens been overhyped on the strength of a win against an injured Serena Williams at the 2013 Australian Open and lots of cupcake draws in the last five Slams? We didn't think so, but it's getting harder and harder to tell...
Hero: Simona Halep
Halep won her first premier title in Doha, taking out three top 10 players in succession, and climbing into the top 10 in the process. The Romanian continues to impress with her well-balanced game, her likable on and off-court manner, and her ability to deliver big wins on increasingly bigger stages. Is this train headed for the top four?
Zero: Russian Fed Cup Team
Sure, the demands of Fed Cup can be tough, but can there ever be a good enough excuse for fielding a team with an average ranking of 427 when your nation is so talented and so deep? We don't think so.
Hero: Rafael Nadal
Rafa saved two match points en route to winning the Rio Open title, and while winning a 500-level title on clay is really no big whoop for a the best clay-court player of all-time, Nadal's grittiness and willingness to battle through injuries and bad days in Rio made this title especially sweet. We've seen Nadal win with ease on clay countless times, but the Spaniard had to battle in Rio, barely surviving an immense fight from Pablo Andujar (who knew?) in the semis before closing out a pesky Alexandr Dolgopolov in the final for his 43rd career clay-court title.
>>> Video: Nadal Hits Perfect Dropper in Rio Final vs. Dolgopolov
Even more remarkable perhaps was the fact that Nadal won his 49th consecutive clay-court semifinal in Rio, keeping alive a streak that began way back in 2003.
Zero: Juan Martin del Potro's Left Wrist
Delpo's right wrist was the troublemaker in 2010. This year, after a 20-day cooling off period and plenty of rehab for his sore left wrist, the big man suffered a setback in Dubai. He pulled out of the tournament and his 2014 is currently in very much doubt.
Hero: Marin Cilic
Cilic played three consecutive finals in February, sandwiching a loss to Tomas Berdych in the Rotterdam final around title runs in Zagreb and Delray beach. The big man is clearly benefiting from the tutelage of his new coach Goran Ivanisevic, and he's looking like a threat to crack the top ten by the end of the season.
Hero: Ernests Gulbis
A big title in Marseille pushed the Latvian inside the ATP's top 20 for the first time in his career. Gulbis has now won all five ATP finals he has contested. He also reached the semis in Rotterdam.
Hero: Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov won the Acapulco title and jumped inside the top 20 at No. 16 as a result. He also played the point of the season against Andy Murray, which was enough to get him hero status for February even if he hadn't won the title.
Match of the Month, ATP:
Rafael Nadal d. Pablo Andujar, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(10)
Match of the Month, WTA:
***Jovana Jaksic d. Tamira Paszek (at Surprise, AZ Challenger) 4-6, 7-6(13), 7-5
*** Saved 14 match points. Really, she did.
Tweet of the Month: