Goodbye, Miami Posted 04/07/2008 @ 12 :56 AM
We saw one champion defend her title. Another lost in the second round. A few losing streaks ended and a few others began. Heck, we even had some blood. What else do you want out of a tennis tournament? The Sony Ericsson Open in Miami is over and the final grades have arrived.
Head of the ClassNikolay Davydenko: From anonymous to suspicious to stupendous--it's been a wild year for the world no. 4 from Russia. Not only did he win this title, he did it after saving match points in his first match (against Ernests Gulbis in the second round). Remember, this is the same guy that Russia benched during singles play at last year's Davis Cup final, the same guy who double faulted 10 times in a two-set match during which he attempted only 24 second serves (and the match was indoors). Gives all of us hope, doesn't it?
Serena Williams: She trounced Justine Henin and defended her title despite a prolonged bout with nerves in the final. Williams looks fit and she says she's made tennis priority numero uno. Does she have a few more major titles in her? (Shameless plug department: If you want to read more about Williams, see my weekly column here.)
Bob and Mike Bryan: The bros are back. Bob and Mike have won their first title of the season and they looked great doing it. Maybe they could talk Roger Federer and Pete Sampras into a doubles exhibition?
Katarina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama: The duo won their second title since they began their partnership in Miami last year. Sugiyama now holds 35 doubles titles in her career.
Honor RollMikhail Youzhny: Just watch him. Again.
Jelena Jankovic: She saved five match points in one match and then battled her way to the final. The Serb can't serve, but she's a fighter. She talks a good game, too (see below).
The Grandstand Court: If you ever visit this tournament, make sure you catch a match or two here (especially at night). Perfect size, always crowded, and a great atmosphere.
A's and B'sMario Ancic
: When Ancic had mono last year, he spent as many as 17 hours in bed a day--for five months. Great to see the Croat, who's one of the nicest guys on tour, and his stylish all-court game back in action. No shame in his fourth-round loss to Davydenko, either--I hear that guy is pretty good.
Andy Roddick: He announced his engagement to model Brooklyn Decker and snapped an 11-match losing streak against Roger Federer. Would have been a perfect week if he could have taken home the title, but Roddick ought to be pretty confident about his prospects for the rest of the season now that he's 3-0 against the world's top three players in 2008.
Roger Federer: He seems healthy and he played well this week, including during his match against Roddick (save a few points in the tiebreak and one terrible game at the end of the third set). He's a favorite in Estoril--a win would do him good. Davydenko is also scheduled to play.
C+Svetlana Kuznetsova: Another deep run and an entertaining match against Serena Williams, but also another difficult loss to a top player. I once thought she would be the best of the Russians. There's still time, but probably not enough.
Lost Their HomeworkJustine Henin: She's fit and she played (and served) beautifully early in the tournament and then looked scared and confused in winning only two games against Serena Williams. She'll hold the top ranking for a while longer, but she's going to have to start playing like a number one soon. The clay court season can't arrive soon enough.
Venus Williams: Wimbledon is three months away…
Caught Cutting ClassThe ranking system: OK, I understand (as best as a human can understand) how the ranking system works, and I don't have a better system in mind (at least not yet). You have to wonder, though, how will casual tennis fans react when they learn that Serena Williams defended her title in Miami this week and slipped in the rankings from no. 8 to no. 9?
Racquet stringers: I've got nothing against the fine folks who wire the most important frames in the game, but if I were one of them, I'd be (mildly) worried about a decline in business after Davydenko's one-frame performance this week. Do players really need to use six racquets a match and waste all those strings? Could top players even tell the difference if you took an old frame, say from the previous day's match, and told them it was freshly strung? Just asking…
ExpelledOn court coaching: I was here for a week and I saw little of it. The one time I did see it in action, the player promptly imploded. Good players rarely if ever use it. It adds little (actually, nothing) to television broadcasts. Can't give this never-ending "experiment" an F often enough. F. F. F.
Insults: During the Jankovic v. Williams final, one fan yelled out, "No snipers in Miami!"--seemingly a reference to Hillary Clinton's recent, um, memory lapse about sniper fire on a trip to Bosnia. Thanks for the news bulletin--now shut up during the tennis!
Pyrotechnics: Did any of you notice the way Jankovic jumped when the closing-ceremony fireworks went off 10 feet behind her back? The confetti and rockets make for great pictures, but what happens when the latter malfunction and shatter a $40 million shoulder? Might be time to pack those away before someone gets hurt.
Captain of the Debate TeamJelena Jankovic: Here's Jelena on the presence of Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson in the photographers pit during the match and near the stage after the trophy ceremony: "They were tickling me on the back when they were taking photos," she said. "I don't know what they were drinking before."
to you, Kolya..... Well Done 
