We are now getting closer to the first major of the year, and here are seven things we've learned in the first week of the 2013 tennis season.
1. What happens when 'burrowing through the match' is your tactic
For years, every knowledgeable tennis commentator and fan has been calling David Ferrer "underrated." The Spanish World No. 5 was able to shake the moniker a bit after winning his first Masters 1000 title at Bercy last fall, but perhaps we were too quick to let go of the epithet. On Tuesday of last week, at the Qatar ExxonMobil open in Doha, David Ferrer created a hole on the seemingly unbreakable hard court surface while moving back to return a shot. Perhaps we have been underestimating Ferrer's powers after all.
2. Don't play with fire
Argentina's Leonardo Mayer burned himself playing with fireworks during a New Year's celebration. Read the warning labels on those dynamite sticks, friends!
3. You never know when a new friendship will blossom
Perhaps it'll be a coach from romantic 'Pa-ree'; perhaps it'll be a younger cute boy (from a country) next door; maybe it'll be a quirky pop star who 'works out' and loves tennis; it might be a recently re-employed star athlete who's played in several Capitals; or another sportsman who carries a big golf stick. Whoever it might be, if you're a WTA star, there's probably a dude stalking you around the Tour.
This year, it is a tad more interesting.



