Good week / bad week: Kyrgios, Sharapova & the ITF

After the drudge of the last few weeks, it’s been a refreshing seven days in the tennis world. Tournaments are happening, plot lines are bubbling away, and some players have had a great seven days. Others, though, probably wouldn’t mind forgetting about the last week…

Good week

Nick Kyrgios: There’s a fair few people who like to knock Nick Kyrgios. The way to stop / frustrate those knockers? Keep this going. Kyrgios scooped the biggest win of his career at the Japan Open by playing his usual brand of entertaining, massive tennis. Let’s hope this carries over into Shanghai.

Johanna Konta: Who cares if Jo Konta lost to an inspired Aga Radwanska at the China Open? She probably does. But hopefully she keeps her mind on the fact that she has just become the first British woman in 32 years to crack the WTA Top 10. Now if that isn’t worth celebrating, what is?

Maria Sharapova: Masha had her ban reduced which, in her opinion, is a good thing. Not everyone shares that view, but whatever the ifs, buts and maybes around this ongoing saga, there’s no doubt Maria will be happier with last week than quite a few of the ones before it.

An honourable mention to…
Grigor Dimitrov: Say it quietly, but Grigor Dimitrov might just be back. He played great, he beat good players, he fell short to the juggernaut that is Andy Murray at the moment. If this is the return of the Grigor of old, that can only be a good thing.

Bad week

The ITF: So let’s get this straight: one of the most high profile, marketing savvy athletes in the world gets banned for taking a banned substance. Said athlete gets her ban slightly shortened and then goes on a media rampage. The result? The ITF are portrayed by the media as the bad guys, the athlete is portrayed as an innocent victim, and the normal order of these things gets flipped on its head. All of that made it a bad week for…

Tennis: Take Maria Sharapova’s good week, add the ITF’s bad week and what do you get? A rubbish week for tennis. The sport has taken a bit of a bashing over this whole protracted affair, and Masha’s attack coupled with the ITF’s handling of it merely made the whole thing look rather messy.

Kei Nishikori: Kei Nishikori is a rock star in Japan. A real-life, make-the fans-swoon-with-a-quick-glance, rock star. He’s also a marketeers dream. The two combined mean that when the Japan Open rolls around pretty much everybody wants Kei to win. He didn’t. An injury-induced exit from the tournament was a rubbish way to end a week that promised so much.