Another great rivalry - 5/14/2011

Date: 5/14/2011
Result: Rome SF, Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray, 6-1 3-6 7-6
Why it matters:
- What a match!  Just when it seemed like another Djokovic blowout was on the cards, Murray's serve picked up incredibly and made life difficult for Djokovic.  Additionally, Murray's ability to grind out long rallies and patience was impressive.  But confidence is key - when Murray had the chance to close out Djokovic, his serve deserted him and he collapsed completely once Djokovic edged out in front in the tiebreak.  Conversely, Djokovic looked completely on the ropes, physically spent and as if some sort of leg muscle problem might take him out for good.  But the confidence factor carried him to another victory.
- The rallies were insanely long, the quality of tennis was incredibly high, and it was just a pleasure to watch.  Those who market tennis that aren't promoting the idea that Murray-Djokovic, Nadal-Murray, and Nadal-Djokovic are all rivalries that can produce as compelling a level of tennis as Nadal-Federer are doing an incredible disservice to the game.  I'm not discounting the greatness of Nadal-Federer - many of their matches are all-time classics, including of course their 2008 Wimbledon Final - but their Miami match, and frankly the quality of their Madrid match, this year seem to indicate that the luster is gone from that rivalry.  So these matches need to be given big billing now so the average tennis fan knows where to look for some high-quality stuff.  I guess the fear is that for every amazing match between these two, there is an Australian Open Final dud.  But away from the high-pressure Grand Slams, Murray's been able to press Nadal and Djokovic (and Federer, for that matter) as well as anyone, including the top three themselves.  So talk these guys up, (American) media!  Tennis can be popular again with this young cast of characters, but not if nostalgia for Federer's best tennis or desire for American champions dominates the conversation.

Honorable Mentions:
- Rome SF, Maria Sharapova def. Caroline Wozniacki - 75 63 - Sharapova is back to World #1 beating ways, and who would've expected it to happen on clay?  Especially after the beatdown Wozniacki inflicted on Maria in Indian Wells.  But as I've said recently, Wozniacki is not as great on clay as it seems like she should be.  And Sharapova has been better on clay recently than she's given credit for in the media.  She may have once been a "cow on ice", but now, although she's not perfect, she's learned to be effective enough with her movement that she can be a better defender on clay than on hard by taking advantage of the slower speed of the court.  Sharapova might just be gaining confidence in her relationship with new coach Hogstedt.