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 There will be ten years separating the Miami men’s finalists when 19-year-old Novak Djokovic goes up against 29-year-old Guillermo Canas on Sunday, but they’ll both be playing the second Masters Series final of their career. The question is, will the sprightly youngster be able to keep pace with the old man?
It might sound counter-intuitive – unless you’ve seen Canas play this week.
Djokovic did take out Rafael Nadal in a night match earlier this week, and he’ll have to produce the same patient yet opportunistic tennis – this time in the afternoon sun – if he wants to win his first Masters Series title. Canas got his maiden Masters in Toronto in 2002.
The contrast in ages between the two men’s finalists had been guaranteed a round earlier because of the two semifinal match-ups. Djokovic took on Andy Murray in the student’s discount special, with both players born seven days apart in May 1987. They also played in the Indian Wells semifinals. The rematch turned out to be a re-run, Djokovic winning more easily than anyone had expected.
In Indian Wells, Murray was badly hampered after falling in his previous match. He wouldn’t quite admit that there was something troubling him today. “I don't want to make any excuses, because it's going to be the reason why I lost. It wasn't the reason I lost today. He played much better than me,” said Murray.
In the senior’s discount special, Canas faced a fellow veteran in Ivan Ljubicic, who turned 28 a couple of weeks ago.
The older guys put on a better show, playing a tough first set before Ljubicic’s resolve drained away. The turning point of the match was actually a turning pirouette – Canas running back to retrieve a lob and swinging around to produce a spectacular forehand winner down the line. “Hit it” rang through his mind as he sprinted backwards, and hit it he did – a shot that his fourth-round victim Roger Federer would have been proud of. Ljubicic stood at the net in disbelief, watching the ball go by.
And it wasn’t any old point either, but breakpoint at 5-5 – the first inroads Canas had made on Ljubicic’s serve the whole match. He repeated the feat – in slightly less spectacular fashion – in the fifth game of the second set, and that was the end of Ljubicic’s resistance.
It’s not just during points that Canas is producing improbable turnarounds – his career is on the same path. Unranked last September (for referance, rankings run till about No. 1500), he’s now guaranteed a spot in the Top 30 even if he loses the final. The players who at the beginning of the year bet that he would be seeded by the French Open should start counting their winnings. And it’s only March – there’s still some time to lay money on whether he’ll even get in as one of the top 16 seeds.
Because it’s a doping suspension Canas is returning from, this isn’t your normal uncomplicatedly heartwarming comeback story. Canas’ case, which was a tricky one to begin with, and keeps getting more complicated with changes in lawyers, new evidence, appeals, etc. The latest twist came this week when Canas’ appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal was upheld and his case sent back to the Court of Arbitration for re-examination. To avoid going over all the background again, here’s a story on it written at Indian Wells, which also has some pretty forthcoming comments from Canas on his feelings about the whole experience.
It’ll be a couple of months before the full details of the newest ruling are public, but it’s possible that Canas’ case could lead to some reorientation of how doping cases are judged. (I won’t spell out my numbingly lengthy position on this again, but here are some previous thoughts which still hold. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)
To cut to the more practical side of the matter: On the one hand, what Canas has done over the last six months is remarkable in its own right. On the other, the more success he has, the greater the number of people who voice suspicions about whether he’s currently clean. Canas said at Indian Wells that he's been tested twice since he returned to the tour.
Nevertheless, the ATP player’s council now wants to stop wildcards being handed out to players coming back from a doping ban – if it passes, they could call it the Canas clause.
Ljubicic is the player’s council president. He had strong feelings on this in the first place – and they probably weren’t softened by Friday’s loss.
“I feel like giving the wildcards to the guys coming off doping offense, means helping them to come back, which I don't feel right,” he said. “The guys were cheating on us, and I don't think we should help them to come back, simple as that.”
Canas’ reaction? “It’s stupid.”
He didn’t get a wildcard into Miami, despite asking for it on the same day that he defeated Federer in Indian Wells. Still, he’s getting the last laugh – the first qualifier to ever reach the final at this event.
In the main draw, he’s gone through Tim Henman, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Tommy Robredo and Ivan Ljubicic – all seeds the last five rounds. “I'm feeling great to be in the final. I try to beat the sixth seed in a row,” said Canas.
During the time off the tour, he improved his serve (by fixing the toss, according to his coach) and worked on his backhand as well. He’s also trying to be more aggressive during points and feels he’s more relaxed on the court now because of everything that’s happened off it. “I am the same player I was before, just more happy when I get into the court,” he said.
And while Canas has been describing his run here as a “dream,” he's been dreaming big anyway. Asked in Indian Wells what his goal for Miami was, he said, “To win.” To win the title? He nodded.
Djokovic says he won't be happy to just be a finalist again either, but there'll be no extra edge because of Canas' past. "We say hi to each other, you know, we know each other like this, but we are not like friends," he said. "I mean, players accepted him pretty okay. I didn't see any troubles or any things like that."
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