Posted by Peter Bodo, TENNIS.com
Indian Wells, Ca. -- You're not supposed to say this, I suppose, but it's surprising how often one person's tragedy is another one's opportunity. Hate that boss who's never going to let you up from his thumb and thinks you're a liability to the company? Tomorrow, he gets hit by a bus and the next thing you know, you're the new sheriff in town.
Roger Federer got hit by bus here in the desert a few days ago, meaning that some other male player is going to carry off the singles title to the Pacific Life Open, for the first time since 2003. So a bunch of guys are preening and posing before the full-length mirror in their hotel rooms, practicing their quick draw. A few of them are usual suspects: Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, even poor old can't-win-under pressure Ivan Ljubicic. But the two most interesting ones are Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
Murray will play Tommy Haas in one quarterfinal and Djokovic plays surprise quarterfinalist David Ferrer in the other. If both of them advance we're going to have one of those delicious matches that may mean a whole lot more than a berth in the final. For Djokovic, from Serbia, and Murray, a Scot, have vaulted ahead of a group of talented young 'uns. (The outstanding class they belong to includes tailspinning Marcos Baghdatis, flighty Tomas Berdych, Richard Gasquet and a guy who often seems to have been sent to us to demonstrate that you can be built on an NBA-grade platform and still not come within shooting distance, results-wise, of some gloomy, balding little guy from Russia, Nikolay Davydenko).
Murray has a tough match to win against Tommy Haas, and Djokovic has to take Ferrer seriously, if they're going to get a crack at each other. But Murray-Djokovic is what the practice-court railbirds and pundits are eager to see. They aren't just promising players, they play contrasting styles that are as different as chalk and cheese: Murray, a befitting kid coached by Brad Gilbert, has a great repertoire of tricky, slick, sneaky and nasty shots. Djokovic, who's got the erect carriage of an Army officer and an old-school non-hairdo haircut, has picture-perfect strokes and lethal power that he likes to apply in a very forthright way: Big serve, backhand crosscourt, Ka-boom!!! monster inside-out forehand winner that fills the air with the smell of burning rubber.
These two kids are 19 (born just a week apart in May), lean, rangy and tall (Djokovic is slightly taller at 6-2). Best of all, there's no question about either one's heart. Tennis is a funny game; natural talent and quality of game count for a lot, but to be a top player you need to be a warrior. And these two guys are emerging as the warriors of their generation. Djokovic won the only time they've played. Murray is thinking, "payback."
