One more big clay tourney before the French Open means one more opportunity for the top players in the world to tweak their clay court game. But who needs to play well at Madrid the most?
Nadal: He has been on his game this clay court season, winning the last two masters tournaments in Monte Carlo and Rome. But... he needs to assert his dominance one more time before the French starts. Before the clay season, he was injured and getting beat on a regular basis. A victory here would be a great way to remind everyone that he doesn't lose on clay.
Federer: He has had a terrible clay season and hasn't beaten anyone of substance. He can usually turn it on when it counts but with clay, he needs some momentum. He has to show that he's physically and mentally up for the grind that he'll experience at the French Open. At the very least, he needs a semi-final appearance to boost his confidence.
Djokovic: For the entire 2010 season, he's been a mess. Yes, he's #2 in the world, but he hasn't really contended for any of the big tournaments so far. And then this last week, he retired at his own tournament. Djokovic is an emotional player. If he fails to win some matches this week, his confidence will be in the dumper.
Murray: Looked good early on this year and then he fell apart. He hasn't really figured out clay yet, but has the game to be effective on it. Like Djokovic, his success weighs heavily on where he is mentally. With a bunch of early losses so far this clay court season, he needs a few matches under his belt to give him any sign that he can compete with the dirt ballers at the French.
Fernando Verdasco: He has looked sharp so far on clay. With a few of the other top players not as confident as they usually are, he has a great chance of asserting some dominance. If he could win Madrid, it might give him the boost he needs to truly compete in a major. A little confidence and this might be his shot at winning a grand slam.
Isner & Querrey: These guys are awesome for American tennis. They are so young and thirsty to win that they don't even know yet that Americans aren't supposed to win on clay. They have great momentum, coming off of a finals showdown in Serbia. If they could get to the 4th round of Madrid, it would give them so much experience/confidence, that they could do some serious damage at the French Open. Look for these guys to shake up the next two tournaments and potentially surprise everyone.
So who needs it most? I vote Federer. He has the best shot at competing with Nadal but needs a serious boost of confidence. Look for him to play well at this tourney as this could be a good indicator of how he plays at the French Open.
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