Keeping Focused - 4/22/2011

Date: 4/22/2011
Result: Fes QF, Dinara Safina def. Anastasia Pivovarova, 6-4 2-6 6-4
Why it matters:
- A dramatic win for Safina in trying conditions.  Not only did she have some moments where it looked like that chronic back problem would derail her good run in Morocco, but she wasn't as pinpoint accurate as she'd been in earlier matches and the rains came on and off - at 4-4 in the third following a lengthy delay, they came back to the court to play one point, and then get pulled off for another long rain delay.  This pivotal moment was on Safina's serve and it was exactly the type of situation that could see an unmotivated Safina collapse.  But she held her nerve and now is in her first semifinal since she reached the final of Cincinnati in 2009 when she was still #1.  Safina's not playing with enough confidence to win this tournament easily; but if she does win this event, she might get the boost she needs to start winning regularly again.
- Pivovarova proved why I think she might still develop into a dangerous tour player.  She played well, hung in rallies with the more accomplished Safina, and dictated how rallies played out.  Unfortunately, her game is too "unremarkable" right now to see her becoming a great player.  She does everything quite well but nothing spectacularly.  If she can develop some devastating weapon, who knows how high she might go.  But for now, she may have to settle for making life difficult.

Honorable Mention:
- Barcelona QF, Rafael Nadal def. Gael Monfils - 62 62 - Rafa is finding his feet.  After some performances in Monte-Carlo that failed to impress most fans who know what Nadal is capable of, he really put the beatdown on a capable and talented claycourter who potentially has the firepower (should he decide to unleash it) and defensive skills to trouble Nadal.  On the other hand, this is a tough matchup for someone like Monfils though without some extra inspiration.  He is prone to lose focus anyway, but going into a match that he's almost always going to lose, he may not have had the drive necessary to even begin to trouble Nadal on his most prolific surface.  Monfils will need to believe if he wants to beat some of the big boys in a few weeks in Paris - and the French fans are desperate for him to do it.