Heroes and Zeros of IW: Bryans Break the Curse, Rafa's Ready to Rumble,

A look back at the studs and duds of the tennis week that was...

By Chris Oddo

(March 18, 2013) -- A fantastic week of tennis at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California is in the books. That means it's time for our weekly installment of Heroes and Zeros.

Hero: The Bryan Brothers

The curse has finally been lifted. In their fifteenth career appearance at Indian Wells--just a stone's throw away from their breeding ground of Camarillo, California--Bob and Mike Bryan finally put the finishing touches on a title run that had eluded them for all these years.

It wasn't necessarily easy (they had to save a match point in the semis, and they won the final in a match tiebreak over the hard-serving duo of Jerzy Janowicz and Treat Huey), but it was sweet. "We've always had friends and family here," said Bob, "so it was nice to finally be able to give them this gift. They've seen some heartbreaks, so it's great to win for them."

Hero: Maria Sharapova

When it comes to sheer, awe-inspiring power and blood-curdling, in-your-face intensity, Maria Sharapova has got you covered. The fire-bombing Russian's 28th career title run might have seemed relatively easy in that she defeated nobody ranked higher than No. 7 in the world, and she didn't drop a set in six matches, but it only seemed that way because Sharapova routinely makes this type of domination look easy. The fact of the matter is that nobody can do what the 25-year-old Russian does when it comes to playing that wild, seek and destroy type of tennis that she has mastered. It's big, it's loud, and it's a lot harder than it looks. Sharapova's a remarkably clean, remarkably powerful striker of the ball, and there are, at best, only a handful of players who deserve to be on the same court with her when she is playing like she did in yesterday's 6-2, 6-2 thrashing against Caroline Wozniacki.

With the victory, Sharapova joins a group of eight players to win Indian Wells twice.

Read: Sharapova Overwhelms Wozniacki, Wins 2nd Indian Wells Title

Zero: Milos Raonic

We're huge Raonic fans, but we simply can't overlook the strangeness that went on at the conclusion of his round of 16 loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Indian Wells. Getting broken twice while serving for the set when your nickname is the Missile is one thing, but not knowing the score and not having the wherewithal to challenge a double-fault on match point(I mean, seriously, can it hurt?) is entirely another thing. Cmon, might Milos, you're better than that.

Hero: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has obviously benefited emotionally from his time away the game, and this might be the single most important thing to mention about Rafa's return, other than the fact that he's clearly doing A-OK with the knee(s). The fact that Nadal, at 26, has learned that he can step away from the game for spells and not just come back, but come back full of life and lust and longing to win (and with the ability to regain his timing and range rapidly), must be incredibly comforting to him.

In winning his first hardcourt title since 2010, Nadal has proved that he may indeed be better than ever, if that's possible. Is it? Well, maybe not, but he is certainly as good as he ever was, and if you factor in the certain "freshness" that getting a sense of perspective during his seven-month hiatus has apparently given him, you have to think that he's not only a go and the favorite to win the French Open, but he's also looking like he could play another five years, provided that he periodizes his competition and training, and is willing to step back when he needs to.

Read: After a Tussle, More Milestones from Nadal

Yesterday's thrilling three-set victory over Juan Martin del Potro is clear proof that Nadal is most definitely back, as good as ever, and most importantly, energized and loving the game as much--if not more--than he ever has.

Zero: Larry Ellison

Is it right for me to call Larry Ellison out for not doing or saying anything to address the Williamses boycott of Indian Wells? Maybe not, but I'm doing it anyway. If you want the most prestigious, most wonderful non-Slam in all the land, and you can't get the best player in women's tennis to even look your way, then shouldn't you do something about it?

Read: What Have We Learned from the Williamses Boycott of Indian Wells?

Hero: Juan Martin Del Potro

How many times did you say "Oh. My. God." after Del Potro uncorked that mighty running forehand, or outlasted Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal in a brutally physical and athletic rally last weekend? I, for one, lost count. Del Potro finally fell in the final to Rafael Nadal, but the fact that he pushed him the way he did may be a sign that it's time for the big man to reign supreme on a big stage once again.

Zero: Laura Robson, Heather Watson, Sloane Stephens

Each highly touted up-and-comer lost in their first match at Indian Wells to a lower-ranked player.

Hero: Ernests Gulbis

Ernests Gulbis smashed racquets and waxed poetic like he always does at Indian Wells, providing highlights and quotes that us blogger-types love. But he also played some transcendent tennis to reach the round of 16 from qualifying (he defeated Janko Tipsarevic and Andreas Seppi), and some gritty, gutty tennis against Nadal to nearly pull what would have been a massive upset, especially considering how well Nadal had to play to beat him.

Zero: Janko Tipsarevic

The Serb's woeful stretch continued, as he was knocked out 6-2, 6-0 by Ernests Gulbis in his first match (second round). Gulbis was red hot at the time, but the scoreline suggests something is up with Tipsarevic.

Hero: Mardy Fish

Fish's return to tennis in light of his recent heart problems, coupled with the anxiety he's admittedly experienced after the incident, was perhaps the most inspirational moment of the tournament. Let's hope it's just the beginning of the recovery for Fish.

Honorable Mentions:

Kevin Anderson, who upset David Ferrer then backed it up by reaching the quarters... Lleyton Hewitt, for taking down John Isner... Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, for taking the doubles title... Kirsten Flipkens, for making her top 30 debut... Maria Kirilenko, for defeating Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Kvitova in succession to reach the semifinals... Fernando Verdasco, for losing 1 and love in his only match to Jarkko Nieminen.

(Photo Credit: Natasha Peterson/ Corleve)