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  Coming into the PACIFIC LIFE OPEN, word from the players in the pre-tournament press soirees was that ROGER FEDERER and JUSTIN HENIN-HARDENNE were playing their best tennis, and their best tennis was just a bit better than the rest of the field. After Sunday’s finals in both the women’s and men’s draws, that fact seems even more evident. ROGER FEDERER made quick work of TIM HENMAN, 6-3, 6-3. JUSTIN HENIN-HARDENNE disposed of a once again healthy LINDSAY DAVENPORT 6-1, 6-4. Such is the state of the top of the tennis world.
Coming into Indian Wells ROGER FEDERER had lost only once in 2004, and really was playing in the stratosphere since WIMBLEDON last year, where he won his first grand slam title losing only one set during the entire fortnight. He won 78 matches in 2003, more than anyone on the tour, including 7 ATP titles on 3 different surfaces. He started 2004 just as hot as 2003, winning the Australian for his second slam, and losing only once all year to, who else, TIM HENMAN.So it was sweet revenge for FEDERER to beat the 29-year old Brit. Actually, in 7 previous matches, the only one FEDERER won, he did so as HENMAN retired because of a neck injury. TIM was up a set in that match. HENMAN had beaten FEDERER in straight sets the last 2 times they had played. It made it all the more surprising, not to mention impressive, the way FEDERE easily swept HENMAN yesterday.
“I feel like there are not many guys left that have an edge on me. I think this is very important for the rest of the season.” That was ROGER FEDERRER handicapping the day’s events for the media after the match. The rest of the men’s field better take head. FEDERER is here to stay, and he means business.
His game is so smooth; he hardly looks like he’s trying out there.  On Saturday, in the toughest match of these two weeks, FEDERER played ANDRE AGASSI, the number 5 player in the world. AGASSI looked brilliant in his previous match, eliminating GUILLERMO CORIA, the number 4 player in the world, with a finely crafted game of baseline winners and net volleys. Against FEDERER AGASSI won the first set 6-4. It was only the second time FEDERER had his service broken and the first time he lost a set during this tournament. FEDERER quickly bounced back in the second, 6-3. Which set up the third set, where at 3-4 with FEDERER serving, ANDRE blew two break points. Then at 4-4 with ANDRE up 40-15, FEDERER turned it up. As AGASSI approached the net after a deep shot to FEDERER’S backhand, you could see flashes of the CORIA match. There, nearly every time ANDRE moved into the net it was to close out a crucial point. This point was no less important, and it seemed ANDRE had an easy volley to finish the game, but somehow, with very little effort, FEDERER got from his backhand alley to the forehand sideline in full stretch and was somehow able to get a low shot, with quite a bit of pace back across the net. A surprised AGASSI was only able to get his racket out to block the shot, and it went high into the air, bouncing on FEDERER’S side of the net. Meanwhile, ROGER had quietly, and effortlessly crept up to the net and was in the perfect position to put away a fierce forehand volley, and that was the beginning of the end for AGASSI.
FEDERER won the next 7 points to close the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Afterwards a stunned AGASSI told the press “That’s the one thing that makes him a great player, is that he sort of strikes so quickly, you never know. He can play just a few minutes of great tennis and that’s enough to get himself over the hurdle.” Translation-ROGER is so much better than the rest of the field, all it takes is one great play to put him out of reach in a match. And it is true, in all his matches at Indian Wells, there were only a few flashes of brilliance and then it was done.
AGASSI later said defiantly, “I know he was a millimeter away from losing that match.”When re  minded by the press corps that FEDERER was accomplishing all this without the benefit of a coach, ANDRE replied, "Not having a coach and doing what he is doing is a testament to his skill...Having a good coach, hopefully, is an asset he won't have."No doubt the rest of the men's tour agrees. AGASSI got closer to beating the number 1 in the world than number 10, HENMAN did. FEDERER was never tested in the final, despite his career record against TIM. On Saturday FEDERER told the press he wasn’t in his rhythm when he played him in Rotterdam, the only loss he’s had this year. He sure got the beat going yesterday, committing only 5 unforced errors to HENMAN’S 19. TIM never even got to a break point.
 On the women’s side, LINDSAY DAVENPORT was satisfied with her play during the tournament. “Today I lost to a, by far, better player.” That was probably apt analysis by the previous 2-time champion here. DAVENPORT could have been the only woman, including such names as MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, STEFFI GRAF and MARTINA HINGIS, to ever win the PACIFIC LIFE OPEN 3 times. She’ll have to give it another go next year.HENIN-HARDENNE said the day she arrived that it was no coincidence why she was playing her best tennis. She said she is enjoying playing the game more than ever before. And it showed. She is 24-1 on the year, her only loss coming in Doha, Qatar to SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA, upon whom she exacted revenge in this tournament.
She was never really tested here either, except perhaps for the sun. Reports were that the temperature on the court was as high as 116. JUSTIN said it was the warmest conditions she had ever played under, including the Australian, known for the heat. Yet, she didn’t lose a set, cruising through SAMANTHA REEVES 6-2, 6-2; MARTA MARRERO 6-1, 6-2; BARBORA STRYCOVA 6-3, 6-4; SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA 6-4, 7-5; ANASTASIA MYSKINA, the number 5 player in the world 6-1, 6-1; and DAVENPORT the number 4 in the world 6-1, 6-4. Tournament over, man!
 HENIN-HARDENNE has won 3 of the last 4 grand slams, with only VENUS WILLIAMS interrupting her string at last year’s WIMBLEDON. Neither of the WILLIAMS sisters has appeared at this tournament since the finals fiasco where VENUS withdrew at the last minute in her match with SERENA, just before the contest was to be televised. There’s been bad blood ever since.SERENA and VENUS are both supposed to play at Miami this week, with SERENA making her return to the game after her knee surgery last summer. There has been talk that SERENA, who has made several appearances on THE DIVISION, and is scheduled to appear in a feature film currently in production called BEAUTY SHOP, might abandon her tennis career for the bright lights of Hollywood. We’ll soon see just how committed she is to returning to tennis, where, before her surgery, she was poised to become perhaps the most dominant player ever.
In her absence JUSTIN HENIN-HARDENNE has been sharpening her skills. “I was feeling two or three years ago that I would never be (one of the top players). I needed something more to be in the top three and then to become number 1, I just started to believe in myself, I decided to change my attitude, just believe in my tennis.”
After all, tennis really is about confidence. “I’m a better fighter now than I was in the past, for sure. I know the impossible is nothing for me.”
April 5th we’ll get to see just how true that is, when SERENA, and the bulldog, JUSTIN play at Amelia Island, Florida. This could get interesting. Make your reservations for next year's Slam of the West, a tennis festival under the blazing sun and beauty of the desert in Indian Wells, March 7-March 20, 2005, at www.pacificlifeopen.com |
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