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I left the Media Center at the BNP Paribas Open last night to go to dinner when I noticed something strange out of the corner of my eye: massage chairs. Whoa, massages? For who? For me. It turns out, and anyone else using the Media Center. I told you they take good care of us here.<\/p>\n
Today I want to see why Novak Djokovic<\/b> is 13-0 on the year going into his quarterfinal match with Richard Gasquet<\/b>. I watched the beginning of the match as I walked past \u201cthe big screen on the green\u201d in the middle of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and noticed how flat Nole was hitting the ball. When he changed his racket a few years ago he was popping it up. Nole agrees. After the match he said:<\/p>\n
I can flatten it out a little bit and take charge of the short balls \u2026which maybe wasn\u2019t the case in the last year or two.<\/i><\/p>\n
I was surprised to find out that Gasquet was up 2-0 by the time I got to my seat. <\/p>\n
Okay, I\u2019m at my seat now and wondering what Gasquet is doing differently. Down a break in the third game, he serves and approaches then scoops up a short hop volley and wins the point. The next two points same thing \u2013 putaways at the net. He\u2019s obviously making a concerted effort to come to the net.<\/p>\n
Gasquet is one guy who hits as hard as Nole \u2013 just not consistently enough. He typically goes for too much which is an interesting mix since his is a much more reticent personality next to Nole\u2019s party persona. Before his Australian Open final this year, Nole hired a band for his victory celebration. I\u2019m pretty sure his opponent, Andy Murray<\/b>, didn\u2019t approach his match the same way.<\/p>\n
I wonder, has any backward hat guy ever won a slam? What does a hat turned backward say? Does it suggest reticence or nonconformity or complexity? With Gasquet I think of reticence. Here is a guy who backs up on the service return. And once he backs up he keeps going \u2013 three or four feet behind the baseline for much of the match. <\/p>\n
And complexity. Gasquet backs up then goes for winners from that backed up position. He undercuts his vast talent by making it hard on himself. After those putaways at the net in the third game, Gasquet starts going for those big winners I mentioned and loses his serve. Honestly, watching the first few games here, even though Gasquet got out fast, I\u2019m not in the least concerned that Nole will win this match. <\/p>\n
A backward hat person almost won a slam. Guillermo Coria<\/b> won the first two sets in the 2004 French Open final against Gaston Gaudio<\/b> then served twice for the championship in the fifth set but lost. He won a small clay court event the next year but that was it \u2013 no more titles. Maybe he should have turned his cap around.<\/p>\n
Nole goes up a break and is now ahead 4-2. I told you I wasn\u2019t worried. And I\u2019m writing this in real time.<\/p>\n
Down 2-5, Gasquet taps his racket a few times at the baseline as if trying figure out what to do next. He hits a funky short shot to get Nole out of rhythm and while it doesn\u2019t work just yet \u2013 he loses the first set 2-6 \u2013 Nole is decidedly out of rhythm at the beginning of the second set and Gasquet goes up 3-0. <\/p>\n
Wait a minute, Gasquet has stopped backing up on his return of serve! Soon after, though, I notice he returns to his retreating ways and Nole wins a service game to get to 1-3. And so it goes. Nole hits a few winners to get his focus back and Gasquet hits a dropshot as an afterthought on break point to put Nole back on serve. Gasquet manages to win two more games but it\u2019s Nole going away at 6-2, 6-4. And I swear, after the match he was sounding a bit like Roger Federer<\/b>. <\/p>\n
Someone reminded Nole that he had a fast start in 2008 too \u2013 he won the Australian Open and two Masters Series events in the spring including Indian Wells. He asked Nole how he\u2019d changed and this was the answer:<\/p>\n
Right now I\u2019m very clear in my mind what I need to do on the court, off the court, to prepare well and to give my maximum on court. And as well have time to enjoy with my friends, with my team, and just enjoy the off-court life.<\/i><\/p>\n
That could have come straight from Roger\u2019s mouth. He seldom tells you anything is amiss in his life. Life is good. His world is totally copacetic. That\u2019s Nole\u2019s state of mind at the moment.<\/p>\n
Nole meets Roger in the semis tomorrow morning. If he beats him, which is a good bet, he\u2019ll overtake him at #2 in the rankings. Nole spent some time at #2 last year before dropping back to #3 late in October. Maybe his stay will be more permanent this time.<\/p>\n