Sharapova v Kuznetsova in Saturday Miami Final

To chants of "Davide! Davide!" from the pro-Argentine Miami crowd, Nalbandian held for a 2-1 lead in the second set, before a couple games later dropping serve after a slew of unforced errors. Ljubicic powered through his next game where Nalbandian couldn't get a serve back, and Ljubicic ran out the set and the match.

"I tried to play my game, but I never couldn't make it," Nalbandian said. "So was tough. Was windy. He played incredible. So was really tough."

Ljubicic said the match was nothing more than him being "on," which makes it difficult for any opponent.

"Today's match was just, I mean...everything went my way, I have to say, except one challenge call on breakpoint. But everything else was great," Ljubicic said. "I really...I'm serving fantastic and I'm playing well. I'm moving well. I see the ball fantastically. It's really happening all positive for me."

Ljubicic, even in his typical deadpan persona, was jovial in his post-match conference, speaking of friend Goran Ivanisevic and his injury travails.

"Yes, yes, he told me yesterday be careful about your neck, yeah," said Ljubicic about Ivanisevic, who once year had to default the Miami final after waking up with a stiff neck. "I spoke with him yesterday. He said, 'Be careful. If you win (the semifinal), just sleep on the same pillow, don't open the window,' and stuff, yeah...he was deadly serious, yeah, definitely. Actually, he sprained his ankle now. I mean, I told him the other day, 'Just sleep. Just stay at home.' Because anything he does is just horrible (for getting injured)...I mean, many things. Smacking the door, smacking the finger with the doors, running out of racquets in Brighton, yeah. Yeah, many funny stories."

Federer has an easy time in the first set with Ferrer, but then the Spaniard gathering his nerves.

In the second set Ferrer went up a break 2-0 as unforced errors crept into the Swiss' game, then held for 3-0 before Federer broke back for 3-3. Nerves crept in as Ferrer double faulted to give the Swiss a 4-3 break lead, then Federer held at 5-4 to clinch the victory.

Federer was so comfortable in the match that with Ferrer serving at 0-5 in the first set, game point for the Spaniard, the Swiss ran around his backhand to uncork what had to be one of the biggest forehands he has ever hit, drawing a gasp from the crowd with the ball landing just long to gift the Spaniard a game.

"I played very aggressive and tried to do the same in the beginning, but obviously it's not so easy to do that on a consistent basis," Federer said. "I chose again, once I was down 3-Love, to play with a lower risk and sort of make him play a few shots, too, and try to then only go for my shots when I'm really in a good position."

Federer improved to 27-1 on the year with the win, reaching his 11th consecutive final.

In doubles action Friday, No. 2 seeds Bjorkman/Mirnyi beat No. 4 Hanley/Ullyett 6-3, 7-6(1) in the semifinals, and will face the top-seeded Bryan brothers in the Saturday final.

Navratilova Reaches Miami Final v No. 1s

The top-seeded American/Aussie tandem of Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur defeated the marquee duo of Amelie Mauresmo and Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-2 to reach the final of the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami.

In the final the world No. 1s will face No. 7 seeds Liezel Huber and fan favorite Martina Navratilova, who came from a set down to defeat No. 8 seeds Shinobu Asagoe and Katarina Srebotnik 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-3.

Tennis-X Writer Vach Wins Tennis Reporting Honor

JACKSONVILLE, FL, March 31, 2006 -- Tennis-X.com senior writer Richard Vach has been honored with a first-place finish in the "Best Hard News" reporting category for 2005 in the 7th Annual U.S. Tennis Writers' Association Writing Contest.

The award was for the story, "Doubles, Doubles toil and Trouble" printed in Tennis Week magazine regarding the controversial ATP doubles rule changes implemented in 2005.

"A horrifying glimpse into the abyss of experimental doubles competition as the ATP attempted to reform it without adequate consultation among its most important members," stated contest judges Robin Blackburn-Ellis, who administers the National Magazine awards at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, and John Martin, an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a former tennis editor. "The article contains a wide range of comments and shows a resourcefulness and commitment to examining a serious rift in the world of professional tennis. A fine example of enterprise reporting and analysis."

A dozen writers were honored, with 1st through 3rd place finishes in Feature Story, Game Story, Hard News, and Column/Commentary. Among the media outlets honored were Tennis Week magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Tribune and ESPN.com.

"Hard news and investigative reporting is important in these times when the so-called caretakers of the game are making poor decisions, and tennis media coverage is suffering in the U.S.," Vach said. "This award is an honor considering the number of great U.S. tennis journalists."

Rios Into Senior Doha Final

Marcelo Rios, competing in his first senior tour event on the Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions at Doha, on Friday defeated Pat Cash 6-4, 6-4 to cap a perfect round robin record to reach the Saturday final.

"It's my first tournament on the Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions and being in the final is pretty good," Rios said. "It would be nice to come to Doha in my first tournament and to win the title. After not having played for two years, to come back and be in the final is good."

In the final the Chilean will square off against Frenchman and former Wimbledon finalist Cedric Pioline, who defeated former Wimbledon champ Richard Krajicek 6-7(5), 6-2, 10-7.

Krajicek's children, ages 8 and 5, burst into tears courtside after their father lost.

"I'm so sorry they were disappointed that daddy lost," said Pioline afterwards. I don't know what to say, except I'm sorry!

"It was a tough match today because Richard is still serving very, very hard. In the beginning of the match I was surprised about his serving and it was difficult to find my rhythm. It was difficult for me to return and it was a very close match. I have to play Rios in the final now. I think it's going to be fun and interesting."

Krajicek and Thomas Muster will play for third and fourth place.

All-Russian Dressing in Miami Womens Final

For Maria Sharapova it is a record on the line, and for Svetlana Kuznetsova it is a return to the Top 10 on the WTA rankings.

Sharapova and Kuznetsova square off in the Saturday final at the NASDAQ-100 in Miami, with Sharapova trying to join Kim Clijsters and Steffi Graf as the only players to win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in the same year.

The two Russians have split their four previous meetings, with Sharapova winning their most recent encounter in three sets at the 2005 Australian Open.

Kuznetsova beat world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo to gain the final, and seems to have regained the confidence that propelled her to the 2004 US Open title.

"Judging from the points I saw, she's playing pretty well to beat the No. 1 player," said Sharapova of Kuznetsova. "She gained a lot of confidence from the Martina (Hingis) match. You know, it will be my job to stop her."

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Ivan Ljubicic on his career turning point: "Well, I think everything switched at Olympics 2004, Athens, winning a medal there in doubles. You know, finally something big happened, something very important, something that's gonna stay there for all my life. So after that, I really felt confidence. I really felt like I have something in my career already, now I can relax and then play and enjoy tennis. That's, I think, where everything kind of started. Unfortunately, a week after that I went to US Open and I broke my rib so I couldn't really play well at the US Open. But I felt already that there I was playing good tennis. 2005 obviously was fantastic year. Now 2006 is even better."...Props to ESPN's Brad Gilbert for paying up promptly on a $20 bet with Tennis-X writer Richard Vach, with courtside reporter wrongly wagering that David Nalbandian would rule the day versus Ivan Ljubicic...Got to love the three University of Miami students with the press passes filming for "Canes Gone Crazy" in the press seatings at the NASDAQ-100 Open, three girls straight out of the "Heathers" movie who had to be told to not use flash photography and that you can't clap and cheer for players while in the press seating -- but nonetheless were ultra-polite and into the tennis, coming straight from the Friday-night fashion show on-site...Ivan Ljubicic on the video replay challenge in Miami: "Sometimes when I was lower ranked, I felt like the top guys have advantage of the linesman. Like sometimes in the big points they always gonna go for the better player. So, you know, now it's not happening. It's definitely -- at least I feel like the chair umpires are actually not even trying to make overrules anymore. They give all the pressure to the players. If they want to challenge calls, you know, they just go for it; I'm not gonna touch it. So I think it's a change in the game, you know. I'm not necessarily positive for any changes, but I think it's a good change. This one is a good change."...Apologies to X-Readers for the abbreviated match coverage from Thursday, mark that down to technology and intern problems...With a win Saturday in the Miami final, Maria Sharapova would duplicate Kim Clijsters' performance from last season, winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same year. The only other woman to win the IW-Miami twosome in the same year was Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996...Tatiana Golovin will be out 4-6 months after her left ankle sprain sustained in the Miami semis against Maria Sharapova...Maria Sharapova on the Tatiana Golovin injury retirement: "I mean, what can you say at that point? I mean, you feel terrible. Your stomach is flipping inside out, and, I mean, of course to her "I'm sorry" probably doesn't mean a lot, unfortunately. But I really am. I saw her in the locker room, the trainer's room, I told her anything she needs, I mean, it's very unfortunate. I feel awful for her. I understand it's sport, but, you know, I've known her and I've seen her over the years, growing up together. It's just difficult."...Ivan Ljubicic's statement that David Nalbandian chokes in the big matches holds true after his beat-down in the Masters Series-Miami semifinals...Tatiana Golovin was back on site after twisting her ankle, speaking with the Miami Herald about her pink cast: "Hey, if I have to be in a cast, it might as well be pink. They let me pick the color, and this color was kind of cool."...From tennis reporter Matt Cronin bagging on ESPN: "Let me say this to ESPN crew (web site included) in the nicest way possible: it's okay to have an opinion, that's what you are paid for. You won't get fired. "Wow!" is not an opinion. Letting Andy Roddick determine the course of a commentary is not analytical."...Roger Federer has reached 11 straight tournament finals dating to his semifinal loss last year at the French Open...Sergi Bruguera just got scratched from Pete Sampras' Christmas-card list, with the senior tour-playing Spaniard telling the BBC that Roger Federer is "10 times better" than the American legend: "Federer has a better forehand, better backhand, better returning, touch and feel. He has the perfect game for winning in Paris. But maybe he isn't as confident on clay as he is on other surfaces."

Also see:
Live Blogging From Miami:
http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/

Tennis-X Writer Vach Wins Tennis Reporting Honor
http://www.tennis-x.com/story/2006-03-31/m.php