'PERSPECTIVE'

The cold hard facts surrounding just how tough it is to win on the Mens Professional Tennis tour are no more evident than one of the latest results from the Miami Open. Alexandr Dolgopolov who was ranked as high as 13 just two years ago and who has had wins over players such as Rafael Nadal took on World Number 16 Tommy Robredo just last night.
Now this match up in round 2 was rather ridiculous when you look at their abilities however the rankings don't lie as now Alexandr is now ranked 65 with a run of fairly average form recently. In fact he has dropped 24 places in this last week due to his failure to defend recent points.
Robredo, who has been in sensational form recently would not have been at all impressed with the draw handed to him as he would have been well aware of Dolgopolov's ability. In fact I am certain he would have ignored his opponent's ranking, he knew what he was up against.
The 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 'upset' win by the unseeded player from the Ukrain to many was in fact not an upset, it was simply an example of just how tough it is to win on the Mens Tour. Take for example another second round match up of Janowicz and Bautista Agut with the big Pole winning in another 'upset'.
I never look upon these wins as upsets by lower ranked players, in fact I don't believe that there is such a thing as an upset in Mens Tennis with players inside the top 70 or 80. It is quite simply a mind battle of who turns up on the day.
If a higher ranked player is not 100 per cent switched on in the above mentioned rankings frame he will invariably lose to a player ranked lower, the number next to their name is at times irrelevant.
Sometimes we are subjected to almost a 'Jekyl and Hyde' scenario with some players who can turn up one day and go missing the next.
Tough sport tennis but at times we as spectators should ignore the rankings and enjoy the fight. It puts the sport into perspective when we simply watch the ball being hit from two players who when stepping onto court ignore each other's rankings but are fully aware of each other's ability to play.........