• Chris Wilkinson

'I wish I'd put some money on Ljubicic'

Ivan Ljubicic beat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to reach the final at Indian Wells © Getty Images

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Firstly, massive congratulations to Ivan Ljubicic on the biggest win of his career, beating Andy Roddick to win in Indian Wells. He was 100/1 to win in Indian Wells, I just wish I'd put some money on him!

It just goes to show that if some of the top seeds falter there is a real opportunity for the other players to capitalise. Ljubicic has been a top-ten player; he reached a career-high of No. 3 a few years ago. He's 31 years old now but he is still a dangerous player, and he took his opportunities well.

He didn't have an easy route to the final either; he had to beat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on the way. I felt Nadal looked a bit nervous, and that's where he's still struggling - he had been hitting the ball amazingly well, but he's lacking the killer instinct at the moment.

Even though Djokovic won in Dubai, the fact that he has been struggling with his serve gave Ljubicic a chance, and he had the experience and is a good enough player to grab it with both hands.

I know Ljubicic quite well - I played doubles with him at an ATP Challenger event in the south of France shortly before I retired in 1999. We lost in the first round - of course he let me down! But he was only 21 at the time but I knew then he was going to be a good player.

His game is based predominantly around his serve - when he is serving well he is a tough player to beat. He wasn't expected to get to the final, and he definitely wasn't expected to win, but I think that worked in his favour in as far as he had nothing to lose - the pressure was fully on Roddick.

As the underdog he would be able to relax, whereas there would have been a huge amount of pressure on Roddick. It's great for the event and for the crowd to have an American in the final, but hasn't been an American champion since Agassi in 2001, and it's a shame for him.

But he's another player you can never write off, and he's had a good, solid start to the season - he won his first tournament of the year in Brisbane, reached the quarters of the Australian Open and has reached two finals in San Jose and Indian Wells in five tournaments this year.

He's got a great serve and, although his backhand is not the strongest, he's always there or thereabouts, and he will be looking to make it to his fourth final in six appearances in Miami.

Andy Murray is the defending champion in Miami © Getty Images

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Murray's home advantage
Andy Murray is the defending champion in Miami, and it is an important time for him. One of the problems he had against Soderling was lack of match practice - it was only his third tournament of the year, and just his sixth match since the final against Federer in Australia.

Miami will be like a home event for Murray. He is based out in Miami for much of the year, and has trained at the venue and will know the courts well. He knows the area and he will feel comfortable there, and that should work to his advantage.

Federer could be dangerous. He needs to get some matches under his belt and after his surprise defeat to Marcos Baghdatis he will have a point to prove this week.

It is an interesting time of year, and for the top guys and they need to get wins under their belts - there are a lot of points up for grabs in a short space of time and if you are not at the top of your game you could find yourself slipping down the rankings.

And the likes of Soderling, Tsonga and Marin Cilic are all playing well, and are starting to put pressure on the top guys. Nikolay Davydenko and Juan Martin del Potro are both out with wrist injuries, but they can be dangerous.

It's a great tournament, Miami, I played singles there a couple of times. It's a nice area and it's one of those tournaments that players love coming back to and enjoy playing at.

Britain's next Davis Cup captain
I can understand John Lloyd's decision to resign, although I don't think it is his fault that the team lost the tie - you can only use the players you have at your disposal. So the search begins for the next Davis Cup captain - Greg Rusedski and Tim Henman are names that have both been linked with the role.

I think Henman would be good, but he has already ruled himself out of the running. I don't think Murray would play for Rusedski. You don't necessarily need a big high-profile name, you just need someone who knows the system and has been there before, someone who has the experience and who the players will feel comfortable having on the side of the court.

The LTA are conducting their review at the moment, and they are getting in touch with former players to get their views. John Lloyd was contracted to 12 weeks a year, including matches. I personally think that is not long enough - 20 or 25 weeks would be more practical, which would enable the captain to travel with players and spend time with them on the tour so that they really feel comfortable with the coach.

As for me taking on the role? Let's just say I'd always be tempted - I loved playing Davis Cup and it would be an honour to captain Great Britain. Never say never!

Chris Wilkinson is a former British No. 1. He joins ESPN.co.uk as our resident expert, providing an exclusive view on the world of tennis.

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