Where to find inspiration - 4/28/2011

Date: 4/28/2011
Result: Belgrade R2, Marcel Granollers def. Viktor Troicki, 6-2 6-3
Why it matters:
- Granollers is the forgotten member of the "Spanish Armada".  He's not as proficient as Nadal, Verdasco, or Ferrer - that is clear.  But has someone like Feliciano Lopez, who gets a ton of publicity, really done THAT much more than Granollers?  Granollers may fall off the map every other week, but on his "on" weeks, he makes deep runs in events (Valencia 2010, Miami 2011 - Ferrer is his nemesis!) and takes out top players.  So another good top-20 win for Granollers here - but for ranking purposes, he'll need to do his best to capitalize further.
- Troicki's loss is little troubling for fans of Viktor.  It wasn't his first match on clay, in fact he'd performed well in Monaco (Ferrer might be Troicki's nemesis, too), so there was no real reason to come out as flat as he did against Granollers.  Of course, his mind should be on Madrid and Rome, given his chance to solidify his ranking in the next few weeks.  But playing at home didn't inspire him this time around, as it had in December.  Confidence of performing well in front of a boisterous crowd could carry him through the next few weeks, but instead Troicki should get out of town and head to Madrid early, to find the focus he'll need as soon as possible.
Honorable Mentions:
- Estoril QF, Kristina Barrois def. Alisa Kleybanova - 64 62 - Barrois is looking to catch some of the German momentum on the women's tour.  To be fair, her run in Stuttgart was good (convincingly beating Safarova and Baroli), though overshadowed.  So this win isn't a massive shock, but with no seeds left in the draw in Estoril, there's no reason Barrois can't take a title of her own this week.  Kleybanova will never be a major clay court threat, but as with everyone, it's about taking opportunities.  As top seed this week and her major competition (rankings-wise at least) out of the tournament, it looks like she squandered a chance to nab a title.
- Belgrade R2, Somdev Devvarman def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez - 76 26 76 - A classic claycourt grind, where the noted grinder gets out done by the player just coming into his own.  If Devvarman had just outright outgunned Garcia-Lopez, it would be less surprising; you could reason it as just too good of a performance from Devvarman.  But if the up-and-coming Indian can win matches on his least favorite surface when he's not playing his best against a player who feels at home on clay, it could be an indication of more to come.