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Notes On Indian Wells' Men's Draw
By Richard Pagliaro
Photo Credit: Zahed Khan
(March 9, 2010) INDIAN WELLS — Carlos Moya stood outside the lobby of his holding his blue Babolat racquets in his hand and acknowledging well-wishers with a nod and a smile while waiting for his ride to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this morning.
It was 11 years ago that the man from Mallorca knocked off Jim Courier, Xavier Malisse, Karol Kucera and Guga Kuerten before falling to Mark Philippoussis in the 1999 Indian Wells final. A result that helped Moya make history as the first Spanish man to secure the World No. 1 ranking.
Though the shoulder-length mane of hair and that famed inside-out forehand remain relatively unchanged these days, Moya may well be making his farewell to the BNP Paribas Open this week.
A wild card recipient into the draw, Moya opens against a qualifier and could face 26th-seeded Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the second round. Nothing is a given for the 1998 Roland Garros champion who was confined to the sidelines for much of the 2009 season after suffering a right hamstring injury and undergoing big toe surgery.
Injury-induced inactivity has seen Moya's ranking drop to No. 639. The 33-year-old Moya is 1-4 this season and will likely assess his playing future at the end of the season.
Among the other early-round story lines to follow at Indian Wells this week:
Former World No. 7 Mario Ancic, the 2004 Wimbledon semifinalist, is scheduled to play his first ATP Tour main draw match since losing to Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo in Kitzbuhel last May. Ancic has posted a 1-3 record playing a Challenger and two Futures events this season.
Taylor Dent and 17-year-old American talent Ryan Harrison reached the Delray Beach doubles semifinals two weeks ago and will be first-round opponents this week. Harrison, who turned down a Delray Beach wild card, played through qualifying to reach the main draw in Florida where he fell to eventual-champion Ernests Gulbis in a tight, 6-4, 7-6 loss. Harrison, who plays an appealing all-court game, accepted a wild card into Indian Wells. New father Dent has been practicing under the eye of his father, former Australian Open finalist Phil Dent, this week.
Can David Nalbandian, who conquered Andreas Vinciguerra, 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, to clinch Argentina's dramatic 3-2 Davis Cup victory over host Sweden last weekend the day after helping Argentina win the doubles point, continue the form he showed in carrying Argentina to the quarterfinals? Or will the injuries that have plagued him since last season continue to haunt the 28-year-old from Cordoba? Nalbandian nearly knocked Rafael Nadal out of Indian Wells last March, but ultimately succumbed in a three-set loss.
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