Best In Show

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Not sure how he's doing it, but he's doing it mighty mighty well. Novak Djokovic won his 26th straight match in 2011 defeating Rafael Nadal in the Miami final 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4). It was only fitting for such a match to end in a tiebreak, but as soon as it got there, it was Djoke's to lose.

Confidence is funny that way.

Djoke has it, Rafa doesn't. I forget how difficult it is to remember how to win when returning to competitive play from even a short injury absence. Rafa's serve and return of serve didn't allow him to control many of the rallies and, by the end of this dramatic match, he found himself doubled over gasping for oxygen in the smothering Miami heat.

If winning is habit forming, Djoke's an addict. His defense continues to elicit gasps. There was a point when Rafa struck a backhand so hard and flat into the corner, you just didn't figure Djoke would get a racquet on it, and even if he did, the reply would be something upon which Rafa could pounce. Not so. Djoke simply flicked the ball right of the baseline, effortlessly, it seemed, changing its direction to down the line, and Rafa had to scrambled to the other side of the court just to get his own racquet on the return shot. Djoke ultimately won the point, a microcosm of the match.

Funny how hype works. Back when the Serbian was hyped as the Next Big Thing before he had the results to back it up, I was flummoxed. Now, while some would suggest Djoke is the true ATP world No. 1, there's another emerging group of fans, some of whom also call themselves "journalists", who are suggesting that Djoke will never reach the heights of Nadal and Roger Federer and that his rivalry with Nadal will never transcend tennis the way Fedal has.

Tennis fans are strange that way.

Like him or not, Djokovic's 26-0 start in 2011 is historic. As he alluded to in his pre-tournament interview, he has come through some personal, emotional issues and feels he's now free to produce his best tennis on the court. He's always maturing into a true ambassador or the sport. While I don't believe he deserves to be called the "real No. 1" by anyone, that ranking my come, it may not, he's certainly cemented his place at No. 2. As for his rivalry with Nadal, I'm going to quote Brad Gilbert, who gets it right in this tweet during the match:

I know they don't want to admit it out loud, but this is the new rivalry, definitely best in show.

I wonder who the "they" are in this quote. His fellow pundits in the commentary booth? The "journalists" who promote the sport to the detriment of real reporting? Whoever he means, I find it most interesting that he knows that they don't want to say so out loud.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter. The proof is in the witnessing. The fans who were chanting both players' names yesterday afternoon weren't trying to pull a listless player getting his ass handed to him into the match so they might actually see a match, as they did in the Fedal semifinal. These fans were jacked up because their players, both of them, were putting out. Best in show indeed.

Bring on the clay.