Nouveau Novak

All the big boys are banging away over in Madrid this week in the year's second-to-last Master Series event, leading up to the Shanghai blow-out next month. Roger's cruising along, Rafa bit it this morning against David "South American Samurai" Nalbandian (who looks like he might have shaved down that spare tire he's been dragging around the last season or two) and Andy Murray's finally back from a lengthy hiatus, ready to resume trying to live up to the hype. The big news, though, as far as this particular tennis fan is concerned, can be seen on little Novak Djokovic's face. Novak showed up not only with this stinging double-handed backhand up the line, but also with a goatee, sending a clear message that this boy is here to be taken, well, a little more seriously. The chance for him to vindicate all those squandered set points against R-Fed in the U.S. Open final would certainly help spread the news.