Battle for #2 on clay - 5/6/2011

Date: 5/6/2011
Result: Madrid QF, Novak Djokovic def. David Ferrer, 6-4 4-6 6-3
Why it matters:
- This was the match to unofficially determine who the second best claycourter is after Rafa Nadal.  And it was a great battle of clay court tennis, with players using all parts of the court, defending incredibly, mixing up spins and just laying everything out late night (or in Madrid, at dinner time).  Although I (and most others) already considered Djokovic to be a bigger threat in a match against Nadal on clay no matter today's result given how Ferrer had performed in the finals of Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, Djokovic pulled this one out anyway to reinforce the idea that Ferrer was just filling the void in Djokovic's absence at the previous two big events. Now that Djokovic is back and refreshed, he's performing at the same level as he did on the hard courts.
- Djokovic REALLY wanted this win.  Maybe because it was his first big test against a big name on clay this year, but he showed his intensity on the big points.  This is crucial because it looks like the motivation is still there.  He is not getting complacent about his incredible win streak.  But more importantly, he showed his emotion ONLY at the right times and didn't waste any extra energy.  He'll need this kind of maturity if he's going to be able to threaten Nadal.

Honorable Mentions:
- Madrid QF, Thomaz Bellucci def. Tomas Berdych - 76 63 - Likely the biggest win of the Brazilian's career.  Bellucci had beaten Berdych before in a challenger, but that was before Berdych's growth into a threat at the majors.  This is Bellucci's first year with any top 10 wins and his two at this event have been more impressive because they weren't in a random early round against a top player who wasn't used to conditions.  It was in a big event in a big round, and what's more, Bellucci took it to Berdych.  A very impressive victory, but can he sustain this form?
- Madrid QF, Li Na def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands - 64 36 64 - Another fierce fight for Mattek-Sands, but in the end she's always going to need some help to win matches because she's too streaky to sustain a hot streak herself, so she needs her opponent's level to dip, too.  This wasn't Li's best match, but she wasn't bad either.  However, all things equal Li's always going to beat the American. This tournament is a great opportunity for Li to put her name back in the conversation and move even higher in the ranks. Bethanie had an amazing week, and if she keeps up the momentum, look for her to keep winning a lot of matches.  For both, look for them especially on the grass where they've each performed well before.