Playing a little free association with the words “Henin,” “Sharapova,” and “Madrid,” the 2007 year-end championships final springs to mind, an instant classic in which the statuesque Russian and the petite Belgian fired groundstroke missiles at each other for nearly three and a half hours of relentlessly superb tennis. In their very next trip to the Spanish capital, however, the two former #1s tumbled consecutively to a pair of streaky but second-tier players.…

Under the guidance of the eccentric, brilliant Romanian visionary Ion Tiriac (the non-Swiss legend above), the Madrid event has evolved into the top ticket in European tennis outside Wimbledon and Roland Garros. From its glamorous website to its sparkling arena, La Caja Magica (Magic Box), Tiriac’s territory exploits every opportunity to engage and inspire the spectator…

Despite promising portents during Ana’s Stuttgart loss to Radwanska, we were unprepared for the implausibly sudden awakening of Serbia’s Sleeping Beauty. For us, the most remarkable moment in her eye-opening win over Dementieva was not her 27-minute first-set rampage over the Olympic gold medallist, nor was it her stabilized serve, her fearless forehand, or her improved mobility, which allowed her to prolong several points until the Russian donated an unforced error. While all of these…

To some, Murray's recent below expectation performance is more or less an aberration, and to others, it's a fact that the Scot has finally come to terms with his real shortcomings. Find out more about the Murray's struggles in dealing with the form and criticism...!

But to the avid English fans' dismay, the WAIT is still on. Murray' shot to stardom turned out to be as shortlived as a flash in the pan. Last year, the Scot raised British hopes by reaching the semifinals at…