Indian Wells/Miami Preview

Main draw action for Indian Wells gets underway tomorrow for the WTA and on Thursday for the ATP.  Here are players with big points to defend.

ATP
Champion:  Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)
Runner-up:  Andy Roddick (USA)
Semifinalists:  Rafael Nadal (ESP), Robin Soderling (SWE)
Quarterfinalists:  Andy Murray (GBR), Tomas Berdych (CZE), Juan Monaco (ARG), Tommy Robredo (ESP)

I would be shocked if that many "lower ranked" players made the QFs this year.  Note no Federer and Djokovic in this group.  I am really surprised looking back to see Monaco and Robredo on this list, and of course Ljubicic won the whole thing.

WTA

Champion:  Jelena Jankovic (SRB)

Runner-up:  Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)

Semifinalists:  Samantha Stosur (AUS), Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)

Quarterfinalists:  Elena Dementieva (RUS), Alisa Kleybanova (RUS), Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP), Jie Zheng (CHN)

Another surprise winner in Jankovic but a fair amount of "lower ranked" players also made the QFs but that was typical of the WTA at that time.

Now I'm going to go ahead and do Miami too.

ATP

Champion:  Andy Roddick (USA)

Runner-up:  Tomas Berdych (CZE)

Semifinalists:  Rafael Nadal (ESP), Robin Soderling (SWE)

Quarterfinalists:  Fernando Verdasco (ESP), Mikhail Youzhny (RUS), Nicolas Almagro (ESP), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)

A few more typical players made it deep in Miami, but again without Federer and Djokovic, and also Murray here.  I don't expect that to be the case again.

WTA

Champion:  Kim Clijsters (BEL)

Runner-up:  Venus Williams (USA)

Semifinalists:  Justine Henin (BEL), Marion Bartoli (FRA)

Quarterfinalists:  Caroline Wozniacki (DEN), Samantha Stosur (AUS), Agnieszka Radwanska (POL), Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)

And again matching the men, the top players made it farther in Miami.  And somehow Bartoli managed to breakthrough to the semis.  Will Venus be playing?

Players who went deep at both tournaments:

-Andy Roddick (USA):  F/Win

-Rafael Nadal (ESP):  SF/SF

-Robin Soderling (SWE):  SF/SF

-Tomas Berdych (CZE):  QF/F

-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN):  F/QF

-Samantha Stosur (AUS):  SF/QF

-Agnieszka Radwanska (POL):  SF/QF

These are also players who need to do well to avoid a big drop in the rankings (Nadal excluded).  Especially coming to mind are Roddick and Stosur.  For Sam (and for Jankovic as well), a good chunk of their points came between now and the French Open.