Date: 5/7/2011
Result: Madrid SF, Petra Kvitova def. Li Na, 6-3 6-1
Why it matters:
- Kvitova isn't joking around. We know that she's capable of big wins - she not only made a massive run at Wimbledon, but followed it up with good results in Australia and Paris indoors. Now she's tackling the clay and putting together some wins on a big stage. The key today was not just that she beat someone the level of Li, but that she demolished her. She dominated all aspects and was especially impressive on the return. I've questioned if she can really string enough wins together against top players, but a title in Madrid would put most of those questions to rest, especially if she goes through three top-tenners to do so. I still think that she's such a rhythm player and can be so streaky, that winning in Paris is out of the question, but why not another big run at Wimbledon? She's top 10 now, which should help her draws significantly. I'm not ready to say she'll win a major yet, but maybe several more semifinals or a final? And it could be even as soon as Wimbledon or the US Open.
- Li can't be pleased, but this was her typical type of result up until she started to convince us she was capable of more in Australia. She, like Kvitova, has always been streaky but capable of dominating any opponent on any given day. Today just wasn't her day. If she wants to continue this upward momentum she's had in 2011, she'll need to figure out how to really minimize these losses throughout the year. However, if at the start of the tournament she was told she'd be in the semis, I think she'd have taken it. But losing to Kvitova, as opposed to Zvonareva or another "big" name, will still sting a bit.
Honorable Mentions:
- Madrid SF, Novak Djokovic def. Thomaz Bellucci - 46 64 61 - It REALLY seemed like this would be it for the streak. Bellucci was playing out of his mind, dictating every point; Djokovic was much too passive, as if he hadn't recovered from the late night effort against Ferrer in the quarterfinals. But once Bellucci gave Djokovic that small opening, and Djokovic won an inspired long rally to psyche him up, he remembered that losing this match wasn't in the script. He will lose tomorrow if he gets off to a slow start again, but don't be surprised if Novak gets himself up for another big test against Nadal.
- Madrid SF, Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer - 57 61 63 - This was definitely not the demolition that we saw in Miami, but that might actually be a worse thing for Federer. Roger played some of the most inspired tennis he's played this year, Rafa looked a mess, and Roger eked out a set, then got routined (in score, which doesn't REALLY reflect how close that 3rd actually was) by Rafa. He was ornery in arguing line calls and on edge the whole time. And these were basically the best possible clay conditions for Roger. The fact that the roof was closed definitely helped Federer significantly in limiting mishits and errors. Federer can't delude himself into thinking that he was that close today. He really needs to regroup, restrategize, and most importantly, reevaluate his place in the game and what realistic expectations are. If he stops obsessing about #1 and focuses only on how to peak at the majors, he may add to his legacy in a more impactful way than he's been doing over the last 12 months.
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