It was a night for the senses at the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne. The air was warm but not too hot, and an occassional breeze blew some slightly cooler air through the stadium. Sitting down low, just to the right of center court, I was able to witness the action up close and personal. I saw the unbelievable athleticism of Novak Djokovic. I heard the deeply resonant grunting of Victoria Azarenka. And I felt the incredible power these superbly talented players hit with.
Kim Clijsters didn't seem to want to be playing tennis last night. She showed no emotion and committed an inordinate amount of unforced errors in losing to Azarenka in straight sets. The Belarusian babe hit the ball deep and hard with consistency, but the story of the match was Clijsters not being there mentally.
The crowd urged her to wake up, to no avail. You would think the insane loud yelling of Victoria Azarenka would have jolted Kim out of her daze. Azarenka's particular brand of gutteral grunts have a way of cutting right through to the core. It's irritating and unnerving, and that was just from my perspective in the stands. But nothing seemed to lift Clijsters out of the cloud she was in, and a victorious Azarenka moved through to the semifinals.
Kevin Anderson, a tall South African with a big serve, upset John Isner in the previous round and earned a shot at the tour's hottest player, Novak Djokovic.
The crowd was clearly unfamiliar with Anderson. With the exception of a few scattered cheers, Djokovic receieved most of the support.
Anderson played pretty well, battling from the baseline and earning five break points. But he was unable to convert on any of those key points and didn't serve well enough to put real pressure on the Serb.
The final score would indicate a routine 6-4, 6-2 win, but it felt like Anderson made Djokovic work for it at least.
Though Nadal and Federer and a hot Mardy Fish remain the tournament, Novak Djokovic seems invincible right now. He's brimming with confidence, he's in perfect physical condition, and he's hitting the ball as cleanly as he ever has before. It'll be a surprise if he doesn't win this tournament.
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