Andy Murray

The Pacific Life (Wide) Open

March 5, 2008

As the men of the ATP Tour usher in the 2008 Masters Series at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, they enter a field that is more ripe for the taking than at any other time in recent years.

Even as world No. 1 Roger Federer, the long-standing dominant force in men’s tennis, continues his assault on the record books, young up-and-comers have demonstrated a determined resistance to the Swiss superstar. The 12-time Grand Slam champion and three-time Pacific Life Open titlist will continue to be an imposing force for the duration of his professional career, but recent losses to David Nalbandian (Argentina), Novak Djokovic (Serbia), and, most recently, Andy Murray (Great Britain), have offered rare hope that Federer can, indeed, be knocked from his perch.

At the forefront of the resistance are the two finalists at Indian Wells from one year ago, No. 2 Rafael Nadal (Spain) and No. 3 Djokovic.

Nadal, who claimed the Masters shield at the Pacific Life Open one year ago, has been a constant threat to Federer’s reign for much of the past two years. The 21-year old left-hander owns an 8-6 advantage in the 14 career matches between the two, including a 3-2 edge in their five Grand Slam final meetings. Though he has yet to attain the No. 1 ranking, he has shown an ability to stare down the Mighty Fed and should keep up the pressure for the foreseeable future.

Djokovic, meanwhile, acts as living proof of the ever-changing nature of men’s tennis, going from brash, cocky youngster to legitimate threat to Roger’s throne in the span of less than a year. After boldly proclaiming that he could top the world’s best to much scepticism in early 2007, he built momentum over the course of a campaign that saw him become Rogers Cup champion and reach the final of the US Open. The animated 20-year old then cemented his place in the upper echelon of the men’s game by striking down Federer en route to his first major title at this year’s Australian Open in January.

Perhaps equally as intriguing as this trio of talented men are the competitors seeking to join them amongst the tennis elite.

With the Masters Series event taking place in the US, one cannot discount the chances of Andy Roddick and James Blake in front of their hometown fans. Those two, along with a trio of Americans on the rise in Sam Querrey, Donald Young, and John Isner, should receive a significant boost from the Indian Wells crowd.

Other names to watch include Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) and David Ferrer (Spain), two skilled veterans among the world’s top five, the dangerous Nalbandian, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France), a relative unknown before catching the tennis world’s attention with a run to the final at the Australian Open.

With the plethora of talent competing in the Pacific Life Open men’s singles draw, a tennis fan can be forgiven for over-looking the ATP Tour’s top-ranked player. But even as he undergoes an ever-so-unfamiliar losing skid (a whole two matches!), Federer remains the king of the mountain and the player no one wants to face.

For Roger and friends, Indian Wells marks the first step along the road that will eventually lead to the Rogers Cup, taking place at Rexall Centre from July 19-27, 2008.

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