Jack Draper and Mirra Andreeva trying to full Sunshine Double – however Gigi Salmon tipping Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz in Miami

In her newest column, Gigi Salmon salutes Indian Wells champions Jack Draper and Mirra Andreeva, offers her predictions for Miami and divulges who received a group table-tennis match…

A ripple of applause began within the decrease foyer of the resort we had been staying in, which grew and grew till the home band that was within the strategy of establishing for the night began enjoying ‘We Are the Champions’.

Jack Draper, Indian Wells champion, had quietly made his manner out of the elevate to hitch us on the desk, the place his group – James, Justin, Shane and brother Ben – had been with Tim Henman, Laura Robson and I.

The followers in Indian Wells know their tennis and had been fast to identify him. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than Jack was fortunately signing autographs and having his photograph taken whereas his group digested and loved the success as they deliberate the journey the subsequent morning to Miami.

This time a 12 months in the past Jack was No 43 on the planet. He wakened on Monday morning as world No 7 having received his first Masters 1000 title in simply his third match of the 12 months after he began the season coming off an damage he picked up in pre-season.

As Jack advised us straight after the match “to be in this position right now is beyond words”.

How Jack performed all through Indian Wells made these individuals who weren’t doing it already, sit up and take discover. Each facet of his sport was inflicting his opponent bother: serve, forehand, backhand, motion.

The checklist of gamers he beat was spectacular: Joao Fonseca, Jenson Brooksby, world No 4 Taylor Fritz, fellow leftie Ben Shelton and two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz

Then within the last he swept apart Holger Rune for the lack of simply 4 video games. Patrick McEnroe described it as a “coming out party in the desert”.

Folks will say we’re getting carried away, it is nonetheless early, it is only one Masters title, however I say let’s get carried away! Jack has labored onerous for this and can proceed to place the effort and time in. He has an excellent group round him and has proven on one of many greatest phases in tennis that he can beat the perfect and again it up.

Not many gamers will wish to face Draper

Miami is subsequent and there might effectively be a let-down, do not be stunned if there’s, however however the best way he’s feeling and enjoying, there will not be too many gamers within the draw who will wish to face him.

Because the sixth seed he has a bye by means of to the second spherical the place he’ll face the winner of Roberto Bautista Agut and Jakub Mensik. He’s within the prime quarter of the draw which is headed up by prime seed Alexander Zverev.

In all honesty it isn’t a nasty trying draw however loads will rely on how he pulls up mentally and bodily from successful in Indian Wells.

Staying with the Brits and becoming a member of Jack instantly into the primary draw is Cam Norrie, who faces Bu Yunchaokete of China within the first spherical with the winner to face Alex de Minaur in spherical two. Jacob Fearnley and Billy Harris are within the last spherical of qualifying.

On the ladies’s facet we have now Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu as direct entrants, with each on account of play on Wednesday. Katie has a troublesome opener in opposition to the American Peyton Stearns, whereas Emma will face Japanese wild card Sayaka Ishii with the winner getting eighth seed Emma Navarro.

There was disappointment for the British ladies in qualifying with Sonay Kartal dropping out to the American Taylor Townsend 7-5 within the third set, whereas Harriet Dart fell to Australian Kimberly Birrell in straight units.

‘Sponge’ Andreeva type participant on WTA Tour

The Miami Open is one other joint and obligatory 1000 occasion and the second a part of the ‘Sunshine Double’, a back-to-back double that Draper and Mirra Andreeva are attempting to realize and one considered the hardest in tennis.

There could be as much as eight hours of journey for gamers between Palm Springs and Miami, throughout which they cross three time zones after which there’s the distinction between the desert local weather in southern California and south Florida’s at-times brutal warmth and humidity. They may also discover that the courts are smoother and play quicker.

That is loads for anybody to absorb and adapt to however you are feeling that 17-year-old Andreeva, who has simply received back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, will likely be okay as she is a sponge, soaks up the knowledge, makes the changes and is the shape participant on tour this 12 months for the WTA.

Andreeva has confidence and perception in bucket masses and I like the truth that she thanks herself when she will get huge wins – “last but not least I’d like to thank myself for fighting till the end and always believing in me”.

The sky actually is the restrict for Andreeva, who finds herself at a career-high No 8 within the rankings. With a bye to spherical two, the primary seed she might face is Doha 1000 winner Amanda Anisimova.

Swiatek hits again at critics over her behaviour

It is value, in case you have time, having a look at a latest social media submit from Iga Swiatek, who by her personal very excessive requirements has had a irritating begin to the season with no title from 4 tournaments performed – though most individuals could be delighted with a return of three semi-finals and a quarter-final!

Within the submit Swiatek says “it’s time I share my perspective to stop the speculation and baseless theories”, on account of latest speak that she has seen about her on-court behaviour and feelings.

It is a strongly-worded, passionate piece the place she addresses her latest ban for a optimistic drug check, the have an effect on that had on her rating with the missed tournaments and the way from being known as a robotic on court docket folks at the moment are saying she is ‘immature and hysterical’ for exhibiting emotion.

Swiatek might open up in Miami in opposition to former top-10 participant Caroline Garcia, with Boulter in her quarter of the draw.

Danielle Collins is defending the ladies’s title after doing a U-turn on retirement nevertheless it’s been a troublesome begin to the 12 months for the American and there will likely be a brand new males’s champion with Jannik Sinner serving his suspension, though the Italian stays snug on the prime of the rankings with a 2,775 cushion to second-placed Zverev.

Who will win in Miami?

Sadly there was no time to do the ‘Bump and Grind Path’ in Indian Wells however there was a hotly-contested desk tennis match on the ultimate night time.

My enter was minimal and never helped as I saved laughing because it was being taken very significantly and went on lengthy into the night time with a spread of solutions the subsequent day as to who received.

However apparently it was the digicam division who triumphed over the sound and manufacturing division. Saying that, it was the digicam guys who advised me that!

When it comes to predictions, I received off to a predictable 0/2 begin in Indian Wells and whereas not very unique I will roll these names over to Miami.

Alcaraz was surprised and damage by his loss to Draper in Indian Wells saying, “I think I usually learn with the losses I have. In 2022 I lost here in the semi-finals and then won Miami. I will try to do the same this year”. I’ll take him at his phrase.

And for Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1 and a two-time quarter-finalist in south Florida, the hearth is burning and the starvation is there. I feel that despite the fact that she might face Coco Gauff or final 12 months’s finalist Elena Rybakina alongside the best way that she’s going to come by means of!

I am flying residence for a number of days again on the varsity run earlier than it is off to Miami on the finish of the week the place I am trying ahead to working alongside Tim, Martina Navratilova and Marion Bartoli.

You possibly can regulate the motion with Sky Sports activities Tennis – our protection kicks off at 3pm on Tuesday.

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