Nadal and Monte Carlo - ominous

Monte Carlo is exciting, and the tennis players' appearance each year for the Masters certainly adds to the variety. Fame and fortune is surely not out of place as the horribly wealthy and adored Roger Federer and the like slip into the paparazzi zone for a week or so racquet work and cash splash.

On the court, the horror of Novak Djokovic's loss has almost been accepted, and we are actually to the semi final stage - apologies for not reporting the lead up but it has been rather mundane compared to the off court Monte Carlo life style.

However,  the quarter finals were of interest.  David Ferrer had withdrawn from the tournament, meaning that Marcel Granollers took his spot as a lucky loser from qualifying. More pain for Novak as that would have been his quarter final opposition and a much easier run to an expected semi with Federer.

Of course Federer was smiling (and he rarely does) with Novak's disappearance, winning his way through Garcia-Lopez and Bautista Agut to reach another quarter final, this one against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.  No worries for Roger with a 11-5 record and the last time they played here in 2014 Federer won.

This time the Swiss great took the first set 6-3 in a dominant display, breaking the French serve three times and appearing likely to run away with the win.

However, Jo-Wilfried has had this habit of annoying Roger in big matches in the past, and he did it again, thrashing the former number one 6-2 in set two to even the clash.

Set three was a thriller with Federer serving first, placing pressure on Tsonga to hold serve to stay level.  Tsonga was up to the task, and more, breaking Federer and winning the battle 3-6 6-2 7-5.  Another missed opportunity for Roger to win Monte Carlo, one of the few titles that he hasn't captured in his illustrious career.

A French player will be in the final, because Gael Monfils will be Tsonga's semi final opponent.  Monfils is enjoying perhaps his best season, and he took advantage of the draw, playing and defeating Vesely after Vesely had removed Djokovic from the Monfils  diary.  Then not having Ferrer, but lucky loser Granollers to remove, meant that Gael is a semi finalist without having played a seed.

The bottom half of the draw saw Nadal breeze through his matches, including the quarter final against Stan Wawrinka in a straight sets clay court lesson.  Rafa is looking the player to beat in a tournament that he basically owns - he leased it out to Djokovic temporarily last year, but he wants it back now - and he should rake care of Andy Murray in the other semi final.

Murray was impressive in his 6-2 6-0 whipping of Milos Raonic but even his rapid improvement on clay doesn't convince me that he has enough weapons to hold up against the King of Clay.

Novak's shock Monte Carlo exit

Monte Carlo, the first clay court Masters event for 2016 has provided the biggest upset of the year and offered evidence that Novak Djokovic may actually be human. The world's number one was defeated in his first match by tall 55th ranked Czech player Jiri Vesely, who had won through his first round while Novak had a bye.

Djokovic began slowly and while losing the first set, appeared on track with a swift 6-2 reply.  However Vesely played a great third set, competing on equal terms with the top seed and breaking the Serb serve twice to achieve his greatest win yet 6-4 2-6 6-4.

The tennis world is in shock, but don't expect too many repeats of this.  The streak which Djokovic was riding had to end, and clay is the surface that tends to create more even clashes and more surprises.  Novak's loss at this point of the clay court season is better than if he had waited till Roland Garros, but it does open up more discussion about chances for this year's French Open title.

Other early results have been rather pedestrian compared to the Novak shock but Tomas Berdych was another high profile figure to depart after his first match. His hopes were dashed by Damir Dzumhur, the player from Bosnia and Herzegovina, ranked 99 who had knocked out Rafa Nadal in Miami.

Richard Gasquet also fell - to fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille, another nuisance lower ranked player who had also caused damage to a top Spanish seed in Miami, dismissing David Ferrer on that occasion.

Murray, Nadal and Federer progressed to the third round, and the romantics are already preparing for a Nadal / Federer final.

Three for Sloane in 2016

After the two big tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, to be renamed Vika and Novak Benefit Events, many of the big names set themselves for the European clay court season, leading into the second major of the year at Roland Garros.

Several players stayed in the US, women to play the Charleston tournament, the men off to Houston for a clay court experience.  Overseas, Marrakech has hosted an ATP event, while Poland's Katowice attracted a field of WTA players in a hard court warm up to bigger things.

Charleston lost Belinda Bencic and Venus Williams early, but it was 7th seed Sloane Stephens who dominated the event, taking out top seed Angie Kerber in the semi final, before winning her third title of 2016 with a win over Elena Vesnina in a quality final.

Dominika Cibulkova had made one final this year, losing in Mexico to Sloane Stephens in fact, so it was a happy Slovakian who easily conquered a lesser field to win in Poland, as 8th seed, defeating Italian 5th seed Camila Giorgi in the final.

Back in the States, it was future US number one (another fearless prediction) Jack Sock who took all before him, including knocking out top seed and compatriot John Isner to make the Houston final.

However, it was wily old Argentine Juan Monaco, now ranked 148, but once as high as 10, and raised on clay, who won the day.  He dismissed 2nd seed Benoit Paire, 5th seed Sam Querrey, 3rd seed Feliciano Lopez, before the three set triumph over 4th seed Sock in the final.

Marrakech, Africa was the scene for some of the lower ranked men to show their wares, the top seed ranked 37 in the world.  Federico Delbonis had only just taken Andy Murray's scalp at Indian Wells a fortnight ago to make the round of 16, so it was no great shock to see him take the title with a win over Croatia's Borna Coric.  Two mATP events in one week and two Argentine victors. 

Monte Carlo coming up and questions to be answered regarding Nadal on the surface that he has basically owned.  Does he still ?  And is Federer back to full fitness and if so will he ever win this tournament ?

Novak setting more records

Novak Djokovic was determined to follow in Vika Azarenka's footsteps and win the Indian Wells / Miami double.  It would be the third year in succession for Novak, and his sixth Miami title, equalling the Agassi record.

In his way was the final hurdle, 6th seed Kei Nishikori.  No Federer - crook tummy, no Murray - done by Dimitrov, no Nadal - retired on the way to losing to a qualifier and no Wawrinka - again failing early confirming his inconsistency.

So the once Big Four, and more recent fabricated Big Five have now been reduced, or better said morphed into a dominant individual Djokovic, the likes of which we haven't seen for many years, perhaps Federer, before his nemesis from Spain interfered.

Nishikori is one of a group of players, pretenders to the crown, and a win in Miami would make a significant impression given both Djokovic's recent record over top ten players, and particularly his last handful against the Japanese number one.

The final didn't exactly deliver fireworks in the first set, with several service breaks.  However it was clear that with Nishikori not serving as well as he did in the semi against Kyrgios, the returns from the Serbian racquet were going to be more difficult than normal to handle, if that were possible to imagine.

Djokovic won 60% of points from the Nishikori serve, both first and second.  Simple weight of points dictated the direction of the set and Djokovic sealed it 6-3.

Set two was just a Djokovic demonstration of class and Nishikori was left to admire with the rest of the spectators and officials.  The world's best won nearly all points on his own serve and never faced a break point, but was savage on the Nishikori delivery, winning almost half of those points, often with his trademark quick fire change of defence into attack.

Two breaks, one at the start, and one at the end, were sufficient to finish off a tournament without loss of set and break more records.  Kei Nishikori did well, joining Nadal, Murray and Raonic as losing finalists this year to Djokovic, but he needs to find a tournament in which Novak is not participating, should he wish to add to his title success.

For the moment, Djokovic does make it 6 Miami wins to join Agassi at that number, and now is the clear leader of Masters titles at 28, one clear now of Rafa Nadal.

Now for the clay season, and the challengers on that surface are no longer challengers to Nadal it seems, but to the world's best on any surface you'd like to choose - Novak Djokovic.

Where will the Vika express stop ?

The final in Miami was never meant to easy for Sveta Kuznetsova, although head to head she was four all against Vika Azarenka.  Admittedly the last of Sveta's wins over Vika was in 2009 on clay in Rome and the last time in Miami (also 2009) it was Vika victorious in a semi final.

A lot has happened since - Vika has experienced Grand Slam success and the number one mantle, and the perils of injury, but fought back to now be, if not together with Serena, then almost alone, the most feared player on tour.

The opening set of the final was not much to do with the serve because despite the high first serve percentage dialled in by Kuznetsova, Vika won most points on it, and just about all when the second serve was called upon.

Vika couldn't even manage to successfully direct half of her first serves into the correct box, and Sveta enjoyed just as much fun returning those anyway.

Breaking serve was a regular consequence - it just seemed that Vika had more chances and so the scoreline showed 6-3, a rather flattering result, but one which set up Azarenka's second set assault on the Russian.

Vika tidied her serve up considerably, now hitting the mark two thirds of the time, and winning 81% of the points on first serve and half on second serve.

The Belarusian returning was still on song, winning 57% of the points on the Kuznetsova serve.

Two breaks of serve was more than enough for a 6-3 6-2 demolition by the Azarenka express, more silverware and the completion of the Indian Wells / Miami double in one year, only ever done by two women before - Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996, and Kim Clijsters in 2005.

Too early to be talking more Grand Slam success for Azarenka - or is it ?  She is the most consistent player on tour, is winning the big tournaments, so why not Roland Garros ?  Sharapova is missing this year, and we know Serena has struggled there, so Vika must start favourite.  And now with her ranking up in the top few her seeding won't be an issue.

Djokovic and Nishikori book Miami finals spots

Friday's singles action at Miami was restricted to men's semi finals and the first of these was the top seed up against a vastly improved 15th seed Belgian David Goffin.  Sentimental favourite in this match for obvious reasons was Goffin, and he gave Djokovic plenty to think about, especially in the first set which was as even as any Novak had played in the tournament to date.  A break apiece ensured a tie break and Djokovic escaped 7-5.

The second set was also tight but Djokovic had the answers on important points, and he still was to concede a set, winning a spot in the final 7-6 6-4, and with it the chance of three Miami titles in succession and six in total to tie Andre Agassi.

He will have to defeat Kei Nishikori who ended the fabulous run of Nick Kyrgios in the other semi final. Nishikori was razor sharp and unfortunately for Kyrgios once he was involved in rallies the patience and accuracy of the 6th seed was too much for the Aussie to counter.  Losing his opening serve was not the start Nick wanted and Kei was able to hold his serve comfortably throughout set one, breaking again in the ninth game, taking the set 6-3, and importantly serving first in the second.

An immediate break of the Kyrgios serve in set two and things looked to spiralling out of control for the 24th seed, but he broke back with a steely resolve and both players held serve until 5-6, where Nishikori planted his foot firmly on the match, breaking Kyrgios for the final time to win the second spot in the final 6-3 7-5.

Of course the final would be a much different proposition, with Novak Djokovic awaiting, but one day Nishikori will be primed to beat the world number one, probably not this time.  After Nishikori defeated Djokovic in the 2014 US Open semis, he had 2-1 H2H lead.  Since then Djokovic has won all 5 clashes, including the decisive straight sets quarter final victory at this year's Australian Open.

Sveta v Vika in Miami final

Sveta Kuznetsova has turned back the clock this past week, not just teaching Serena Williams a lesson or two, but by maintaining her form through to the final of the Miami Open, a tournament just one level down from Grand Slam status.

Her straight sets victory over fellow giant killer Timea Bacsinszky in the semi final was full of the poise and shot making from her dual Grand Slam winning years.  Not that Timea didn't provide Sveta with a competitive semi final.  It was one that could have swung very much to Switzerland at various stages. A first set with five break points all saved by the Russian and taken 7-5.  A second set with five service breaks from fourteen break points, nine created by Timea.

Experience told in the end, and maybe that could be Sveta's biggest weapon come the final because all the experts will be counting her out against Vika.

Azarenka opened her semi final against Angie Kerber clearly with the intention of controlling things.  And she did this by winning 59% of points on serve and 57% of points on return in a 6-2 first set.  The second set was far more competitive but the Belarusian still maintained the edge and won through to the final 6-2 7-5

The first men's quarter final played today was a momentum changer of the highest order.  Gael Monfils began like a house on fire, taking set one off Kei Nishikori 6-4, in the process sending down 7 aces, and breaking twice.  As predicted, though, the Japanese 6th seed brought his A game to the court, levelling things at a set all.

He further complicated matters for Monfils by going a break up in the decider, and consolidating at 4-2.

Instead of conceding, Monfils lifted, winning the next three games and having Nishikori on the ropes 4-5 and 0-40 facing three match points.  Nishikori amazingly saved all those and another to level at 5-5.

Monfils lost the match in the tie breaker 7-3. Heartbreak for the Frenchman and for his legion of fans who were so close to seeing him in a Masters semi final.

No such disappointment for those Australian fans who have forgiven Nick Kyrgios.  The young talent from down under was not afraid to attack Canadian Milos Raonic from the outset of their big serving quarter final, and his crosscourt backhands in particular caught Raonic on the hop.  Eventually Nick's break points were too much for the 12th seed and one was converted for the break in the opening game.

Nick found himself in trouble on his own serve but managed to find a way through to consolidate at 2-0.  The rather tenuous lead did not bother the Aussie whose serve continued to bother Raonic, either too big or too smart.

Raonic lost the first set with the single break 6-4.  

The second set was all about the big serves and there was no way a tie break wasn't going to decide the outcome. Again Kyrgios seized the initiative, attacking where he could, not afraid of the consequences.  At the first change of ends he had the 4-2 advantage and the facial expression said it all.  The match was in his hands now.

The remaining points all went to serve and Nick Kyrgios now had a semi final appointment with Kei Nishikori.  He also has earned a spot in the world's top twenty, the youngest in that elite group.  Can the Aussie go even one step further and make the final of the Miami Masters ?