Seeds: Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Fernando Gonzalez, Fernando Verdasco, Tomas Berdych, Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, Juan Monaco, Jurgen Melzer, Lleyton Hewitt, Thomaz Bellucci, Al Montanes, Nicolas Almagro, Feliciano Lopez

“For me is very emotional,” Nadal said. “Is probably my favorite tournament. I love this tournament. [To] win here another time is a dream for me. The atmosphere here is unbelievable. I feel like home. No one match during seven years I felt the crowd against me. I just can say thank you very much everybody.”

HANNAH FANTASY: ‘ARE YOU TRYING TO SEDUCE ME MRS. STORM?’ — The wardrobe must be working. ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption’s Tony Kornheiser was suspended for essentially saying workmate Hannah Storm dresses like a skank on The Mothership. Apparently American Sam Querrey doesn’t mind, as Sam tweeted, “ESPN’s Hannah Storm is a such a babe.” Kornheiser was suspended for the radio comment: “Hannah Storm in a horrifying, horrifying outfit today. She’s got on red go-go boots and a catholic school plaid skirt…way too short for somebody in her 40s or maybe early 50s by now. She’s got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body…” Got to like those f-me boots, eh Sam?

“Every one of his service games in the second set was deuce, break point, ad-in, and I was just babying the ball around too often,” Querrey said. “I need to step up and take chances. You can work that in practice all you want, but it’s not the same. You’ve got to tell yourself I’m going to do it in a match. I’m just scared to do it. You can’t be scared to go out there and do that. If I play like this, I’m going to win the occasional [ATP World Tour] 250 and final and win some rounds at a Masters [1000], but I’m not going to get to that next level where I want to be playing like that. I need to step up and take more chances.”

Pat Rafter was pushed all the way before completing a 7-6(4), 7-6(1) victory in a thrilling final against John McEnroe at the ATP Champions Tour event in Delray Beach on Tuesday night.

Notes: Roger Federer withdraws at the last minute with a lung infection; the appearance-money-laden Dubai event feature five of the Top 10; openers of interest include (8) Simon vs. Baghdatis, (5) Tsonga vs. the hot-handed Llodra; Andy Roddick pulled out of the event with no reason given; that’s around a mil saved by the Dubai organizers with Federer’s withdrawal; Djokovic beat David Ferrer in last year’s final; Federer said, “I’m hoping to be back for Indian Wells. But of course there are no promises. This is something that with proper treatment will be finished. I’ve been taking it easy, relaxing as much as possible. My breathing is a bit difficult and everything feels a bit slow. I can’t take any chances until I’m fit again. It could be better, it could be worse.”

For ages, I have been begging, asking for the moment when someone other than Roger Federer, as much as I admire his tennis, would take the stage at a tournament. Come on! Federer is the kind of guy you want to know has skeletons lying around somewhere in his grand Swiss closets adorned o’ trophies. He is too perfect.

“I did not have much time to adjust after the Australian Open; it was not easy to meet people’s expectations. I am proud about what I’ve done,” Cilic said. “I have played lot of matches this year, but it was also mentally tough. Now I can relax.”

Notes: Croats Cilic, Ljubicic, Karlovic among seeds; Cilic could face Crazi Dani 2nd rd.; (4) Troicki opens against Schuettler, and (2) Ljubicic vs. Clement; Cilic beat Mario “Baby Goran” Ancic in last year’s all-Croat final; Ljubicic won in 2006.

Notes: Should be called the Spanish Open with four Spaniard leading the seeding and five seeded total.