L.A. KING

WOWZA!!

The Los Angeles Times gave a glowing write-up on Nole Cakes. The lad is kind of on the radar of Sports coverage since he is playing at Indian Wells this week.

As we recall, this paper has never sniffed in his direction before. In the past, the paper barely gave him one or two lines when he WON -- oh let's see--- 3 Australian Opens, a Wimbledon and an US Open.

My, how being #1 finally makes people/a city/a news department take notice.

Three or four years ago, the men's game was clearly the property of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. They were the royalty. Federer had served his time on the throne majestically, and the younger Nadal, all power and spunk and sex appeal and charm, was tugging on the royal robe.

The ascension seemed scripted, established, kind of like with English kings. The Johns and the Henrys were established. But along came a lionhearted player from Serbia, with a personality as compelling as his predecessors' and a name beginning with two consonants. He was supposed to wait his turn, to understand and appreciate his four years as No. 3 and not rush things.

Then came 2011 and the stunning emergence of Djokovic, quickly labeled by previous disbelievers as Novak No Joke

Djokovic's playing style combines speed, quickness and power. He is tennis' Muhammad Ali — he floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee and wins with a swagger.