What a pleasure to see Roger Federer back to his best. His win in Madrid provided confirmation that he's one of the guys in top form this year. Not only has it been a pleasure to watch him play his inspired and unique brand of tennis, but his form also means things are tightening up at the top, ensuring suspense for this year's Grand Slams.

Federer and the art of adjusting

It's true that the new surface in Madrid favoured offensive players. It was difficult to get any kind of support from the blue clay and to find balance after sliding on it, which counted against defensive players and

Novak Djokovic in Monte CarloLike the start of last year's clay season, the question of who will dominate on this unique surface has arisen. For several years we were used to seeing Rafael Nadal having most of the answers, but a change came last season with the rise of Novak Djokovic.

Not only did the Serb take Nadal's number one spot, but he went so far as to hunt on Rafa's turf, preventing him winning most of the clay events, most notably in Madrid.

I remember that, after Djokovic's outstanding start to last season, journalists were wondering if he had what it takes to shine on clay. He set the record straight by

Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Andreas Seppi during the Monte Carlo Masters

Last year, Novak Djokovic made a remarkable start to the season, yet some still doubted his abilities as a clay player.

I don't agree with those views. Of course, he is not a clay player like Rafael Nadal, but he has all the qualities to play well on the red dirt. He proved it last year in beating Nadal twice in Masters 1000 finals.

Djokovic has always played well on this surface. He has above average field coverage, is a great counter attacker and can make a rally last. He has a good drive and a great kick serve.

I see no technical or tactical reasons why he cannot succeed on clay. Besides,

Novak Djokovic celebrates his Miami Masters title win

Following Novak Djokovic's US tour, on which he lost in Indian Wells but won the title in Miami, it's becoming clear just how amazing his feats were last year. Not only his results, but also the way he was dealing with his career.

In 2011, he was under pressure, with his head underwater, for many months but didn't make any mistakes and was focused to such a point that it was impossible to maintain on the long run. Like a Nadal. And I think Rafael Nadal is unique regarding this.

I don't think Djokovic can match Nadal in this respect, but now he's entering another stage of his career, he will

Murray can win a Grand Slam if given timeWithout a doubt, we are now living an era where the top four players in the world are the strongest in the history of tennis.

I cannot help but think that changes will happen this year - and that, having observed him since the start of the year, one of them could be Andy Murray.

At the Australian Open I commentated for Eurosport on the semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Murray. I found the match thrilling and instructive: it confirmed a trend I had noticed in the preceding months.

The media has talked a great deal about the collaboration between Murray and Ivan Lendl, who endured a similar

Marion Bartoli lost in the final of the Paris Open on Sunday, but she has not lost everything. Over the past year the French player has been on something of a charm offensive with French fans. This week she has again scored many popularity points.

Fans of Marion Bartoli cheer during her match against Angelique Kerber in the final of the Paris Open

An unpopular French number one

For several years, Bartoli has flown the flag for women's tennis in France. Only Aravane Rezai overtook her temporarily in the WTA rankings, and then only for a few weeks.

But Bartoli has never enjoyed the popularity that her ranking and her results warranted. Reasons for that include her refusal to play in the Fed

Victoria Azarenka: The next big thing?As the Open GDF Suez is happening this week, it's given me the opportunity to reflect on what happened during the Australian Open regarding the women's game, the rise of a new number one and the Fed Cup.

Azarenka: A new star is born

The Australian Open witnessed the birth of a new star of the game: Victoria Azarenka. Her rise has been anticipated for a few years now, but this year the former junior world champion looks set to reach her potential. After her victory, she's now the new world number one and given the criticism previous world number one Caroline Wozniacki attracted from some, we

Novak Djokovic celebratesNovak Djokovic

The tournament confirmed the Serb's domination right at the start of 2012. His achievements in 2011 seemed barely human, and many wondered if he could continue in that mould: he answered any doubts with his run to the final and subsequent victory over Rafael Nadal - the seventh final win in a row over the Spaniard. But he seemed to be in top shape too quickly. During the first week he was impressive: accurate, taking the ball early and moving well. But at the end of the event he looked out of breath: firstly during the third set against Lleyton Hewitt, when he wasted a 3-0 lead