2005 NASDAQ-100 Open News
By Alix Ramsey |  March 23 , 2005

For those of you who were not in Indian Wells, welcome to Miami. The Nasdaq-100 Open is the Identikit image of the Pacific Life Open, this time played on the other side of the country.

The event in Miami likes to bill itself as the fifth grand slam but, then again, it has always had ideas above its station. It is a very important event - of that there is no doubt - but it lacks the gravitas, kudos and just plain style of the four major events.

This year, though, it can at least boast that it has most of the top women players strutting their stuff in Crandon Park. Kim Clijsters comes here on the hunt for yet more ranking points and in the vague hope that she will not, as she predicted after winning in Indian Wells, lose in the first round. She plays Sandra Kloesel, a qualifier, in the first round today. Given that Clijsters leapt 95 ranking spots in the space of one week and four matches in California, who knows what she could achieve here.

Her domestic rival, Justine Henin-Hardenne, is also on view this week. Henin-Hardenne has not been seen since September thanks to a year spent trying to recover from a viral infection. Then, just when she thought she was fit and ready to return, she picked up a knee injury in Sydney at the start of the year.

Henin-Hardenne does not have great plans for her stay in Florida but she does think that, at last, all is well with her world. Patience, she feels is the key to the next few weeks and she will test her mental fortitude against Abigail Spears, the 7-6, 4-6, 6-1 winner over Samantha Stosur, in her opening match.

"I'm coming here to play my first match," Henin-Hardenne said. "It doesn't matter if I win or lose. It was very difficult for me last year. There were days when I couldn't wake up because I was too tired. When you are used to being at the top, that is hard to accept. But I have worked hard physically and I have played a couple of practice matches with my hitting partners. But practice is very different from matches. I don't know what my level is yet."

Maria Sharapova thought she knew her place in the pecking order until Lindsay Davenport gave her a 6-0, 6-0 thrashing in the semi-finals in California. Before you could say "double bagel", those who like to pretend they have their finger on the pulse had designated Sharapova to the ranks of teenage burn out victims and written her off once and for all.

Sharapova, meanwhile, had other ideas. A sensible lass, she knows full well that one thrashing does not a career ruin. Especially not when you are the Wimbledon champion, the world No.3 and more than aware of you own strengths and weaknesses.

"It was just one of those days where I look back and I didn't really find a way to fight," she said. "Maybe it was because I was lacking energy or because of the fact that Lindsay was just playing too good. Usually I find a way to get a rhythm in the match, to start picking it up and to fight. I don't feel that I was really able to do that. I guess it was just good for me to just take a few days off and rest myself and just forget about it.

"I think people have to realise that I can't win every single thing. I think I played very well the day before I played Lindsay. Maybe it was just a match too soon. But I think I forgot about it and I'll be ready to play here. After the Australian Open, I came back and look what happened."

Sharapova went straight from Melbourne and on to win a further two titles in Tokyo and Doha.

She begins her campaign in Miami against Eleni Daniilidou and has Alicia Molik pencilled in for the quarter finals and either Serena or Venus Williams lined up for the semi finals.

After her thrashing at the hand of Davenport, Sharapova warned: "I think losses really motivate me." The Misses Molik and Williams have been warned.

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