Losing the adrenaline rush a little too soon

Date: 4/25/2011
Result: Belgrade R1, Janko Tipsarevic def. Kei Nishikori, 2-6 6-2 7-6
Why it matters:
- Nishikori should've had this one.  Tipsarevic was nowhere near his best, Kei is on his best hot streak ever, and he was playing really well in this one (at times).  He was serving first in the third and had put the pressure on Tipsarevic.  And then he just let his foot off the gas.  Nishikori, especially at 6-5 in the 3rd, saw the finish line.  He'd done enough to be in a position to win, and probably thought, ok, I could break here, but no pressure, I've always got the tiebreak if I need it.  For some players, that lets them swing away.  For Nishikori, he started to shrink back and play too casually.  And Tipsarevic stepped up and ran away with this one.  Losing 0-7 in the tiebreak was really pitiful, if I'm being honest.  Nishikori needs to maintain his form throughout and not give in to the natural impulse to relax.  He's built his game on grinding, and he needs to prove he can grind start to finish.
- Let's hope this is a watershed moment for Tipsarevic.  Other than a very important pair of wins over the Czech Republic in Davis Cup, his record at home in Serbia has been disappointing.  In 2009 and 2010 he lost to players outside the top 100 in the Belgrade challenger in February, and had disappointing losses in the last two Davis Cup ties.  Tipsarevic is extremely thoughtful and I think that is dangerous for him at times.  He really wants to perform for his home crowd and the pressure seems to get to him repeatedly.  He needs to draw on his wins over the Czechs, as his home tournament could really use a good result by one of Serbia's heroes.
Honorable Mentions:
- Barcelona R1, Magdalena Rybarikova def. Marion Bartoli - 64 61 - Bartoli just cannot figure out how to win consistently on clay.  Today, it may have been more than the surface alone, as her serve game was disastrous.  But while Rybarikova is dangerous enough, Bartoli was the elite player on court.  She could use a good boost of publicity in France that may come with a run at Roland Garros, but with her traditional results on clay, she may always be the black sheep of French tennis.
- Estoril R1, Romina Oprandi def. Zheng Jie - 64 62 - Zheng has performed well enough on clay (especially at this particular event) in the past, and her smart style that utilizes her footspeed and angles should work.  But since her return earlier this year from wrist surgery, she is 3-7, with her best win over #75 Kristina Barrois in 3 sets.  She's been a shell of herself.  It isn't easy to comeback from wrist injuries as we've seen, but she needs to get her act together in time for Wimbledon, where on the grass she's had some great results and hopefully can renew her confidence.  Oprandi is a very talented Italian who also has seen her career suffer due to injuries.  No wonder she had no sympathy for the struggling Zheng.