2013 Sony Open...Miami, Florida

[don_budge]

Thoughts? I will try not to say too much...I am sensing "sensitivity". No Nadal. No Federer...there goes the tournament. No more Del Potro. It's the Djokovic and Murray show...unless somebody steps up. Who?

[klacr]

Thoughts? I will try not to say too much...I am sensing "sensitivity". No Nadal. No Federer...there goes the tournament. No more Del Potro. It's the Djokovic and Murray show...unless somebody steps up. Who?

Berdych? Former Finalist.

Yeah, This Sony Open is lacking a certain energy and buzz this year, which I thought was impossible considering the fact it's in Miami and 5 minutes from South Beach. nadal and Federer both skipped the event and leaves Miami with a two-headed monster of Djokovic and Murray instead of a star-studded Semi-final with 3 of 4 or all of the big 4. A bunch of other withdrawals from the tournament as well. Players nursing injuries and a few that came to Miami a little under the weather.

Despite some rain earlier in the week the weather has been decent. Low 80's and a smooth ocean breeze.

The tournament attendance seems to be lacking as well. hardly anyone in the stands for some very good matches. It's a shame but let's hope next year is better and involves more participation from the top 4.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

I will be in Key Biscayne on Wednesday. I have some business to handle with some tennis governing bodies. Will be busy the whole day but trying to set up a quick meeting with Tomas Berdych while I'm there. We'll see what happens. fingers crossed.

And speaking of TBerd, anyone see that match today against Falla? Down match point, 2nd serve, hits an ace. Love it. if there was ever a time to start rooting for him, that should be it.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Grigor Dimitrov...Interactive Forums, TBerd...Serena and her Daddy

I will be in Key Biscayne on Wednesday. I have some business to handle with some tennis governing bodies. Will be busy the whole day but trying to set up a quick meeting with Tomas Berdych while I'm there. We'll see what happens. fingers crossed.

And speaking of TBerd, anyone see that match today against Falla? Down match point, 2nd serve, hits an ace. Love it. if there was ever a time to start rooting for him, that should be it.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

I had a chance to take in a couple of matches at the Sony Open last night. First up was Grigor Dimitrov who is being touted as "Baby Fed" and Andy Murray. We had a sneak preview of the Grigor Dimitrov forehand in March in the Interactive Forum and I always wonder why not show us the rest of the game? I'm thinking forehand, backhand and serve would be sufficient nowadays. That is 98% of the picture in 99% percent of the players. It seems to me that it would be a good idea to get as complete a picture of each player in one sitting as possible. I suggested that before but perhaps my critisim's are becoming just that...too critical. I was told that it was enough to think about...one stroke at a time. I don't agree. The whole package is the only thing worth thinking about. The relative weaknesses and strengths. But then again...I am a tactician as well as a technician.

Dimitrov has a fine forehand and a very nice looking one handed backhand. Everything looks very Federesque. The serve at first glance appears to be fine and dandy...except to me and my critical eye. I noticed what I thought was a flaw and wondered to myself...does this serve have the potential to go afluey at some critical point in an important match? Sure enough it did...and it wasn't the first time.

He served for the first set and double faulted three times and he had served for a set against Djokovic last week at Indian Wells and did the same thing...only he double faulted four times. He lost his rhythm. As the serve goes...so goes the confidence. I missed the points where Grigor started serving from an abbreviated motion for a game...I think it was serving to get into the first set tie-break. The announcers mentioned this. I notice that Magnus Norman is coaching him...Robin Söderlings old coach. Maybe I will write him a letter. Dimitrov ended up losing in straight sets...confidence left behind.

Speaking of a "Baby Fed"...there is a fine line between mimicking and being a wannabe. Grigor will figure this out in time...he has the same anomaly in his service backswing that I asked John about in his new "Teaching System"...I deleted it when it became apparent that I was being ignored. Too bad because here that same anomaly is present and the whole shebang collapsed. Maybe it wasn't such a stupid question after all.

With regards to klacr's favorite TBerd...to serve an ace with a second serve on match point against, is taking what my coach used to tell me to the n'th degree. He said that you must be a bit fatalistic with the second ball and today this is even more important as weak second serves are generally catfood. I always felt this way on the second ball and went after it very much like the first one and it helped me tremendously. I swing just as hard if not harder but put a bit more spin on the ball...to more or less compensate for the miss of the first.

In tight situations you "hit out" and do not try to push it in...this is when something can go horribly wrong. As Grigor is finding out. I am not worried about Dimitrov though...he is just like one of the infinite monkeys in the room with infinite typewriters...sooner or later he is going to figure it out. I would like to see him "break on through". Hopefully his coaches will eventually address his defect but I wouldn't bet on it. TBerd should get to the semi's if he can hold true to his seeding setting up an encounter with Murray. Mr. Charisma. Get an autograph for Stotty...Kyle. That is something that I have never done...asked for an autograph.

So that brings us to Serena. This woman's behavior is really a spectacle at times. It's hard to put one's finger on the root cause. Probably a question of culture and fame. Or just the culture of fame. Probably just a question of the individual. But her performance against Cibulkova last night was rather dubious. She more or less tanked the first set then "woke up" late in the second to run out the match. Her post game comments and interviews have to rate as the most boring and ridiculous of all time. Such fake emotion. Adoring words for "her fan's". It's enough to make you happy not to be a fan of anything. Her self love is always evident and huge. She is built like a linebacker. Then there is Daddy waiting in the wings. What a character...but what a story too! Amazing isn't it? All of the permutations and combinations out there. Everybody's different.

Nishikori vs. Ferrer. Time for an upset?

[klacr]

Interesting comments on Dimitrov. If you want to watch all the shots of his game, you may enjoy this video of him playing Wawrinka at the Australian Open. Pretty good angle as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6p5ZdGR4hU

The Tberd match was a little too close for comfort. I've been known to "go for it" on my 2nd serves as well. Frequently towing the line between bravery/genius if I make it and absolute madness/stupidity when I miss. But I always now deep down inside I can make this serve, even when I don't.

I would gladly get an autograph for Stotty, although much like you don_budge, I've never asked for an autograph. I'm more of an ask them how their day is and wish them good luck in their next match and then move on. Always felt that is more appreciative and respectful than shoving a ball, magazine, hat in their face and become presumptuous that they just sign with no regard or social interaction with the human attached to the thrusted object in front of them. But maybe that's just me.


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

I had a chance to take in a couple of matches at the Sony Open last night. First up was Grigor Dimitrov who is being touted as "Baby Fed" and Andy Murray. We had a sneak preview of the Grigor Dimitrov forehand in March in the Interactive Forum and I always wonder why not show us the rest of the game? I'm thinking forehand, backhand and serve would be sufficient nowadays. That is 98% of the picture in 99% percent of the players. It seems to me that it would be a good idea to get as complete a picture of each player in one sitting as possible. I suggested that before but perhaps my critisim's are becoming just that...too critical. I was told that it was enough to think about...one stroke at a time. I don't agree. The whole package is the only thing worth thinking about. The relative weaknesses and strengths. But then again...I am a tactician as well as a technician.

Dimitrov has a fine forehand and a very nice looking one handed backhand. Everything looks very Federesque. The serve at first glance appears to be fine and dandy...except to me and my critical eye. I noticed what I thought was a flaw and wondered to myself...does this serve have the potential to go afluey at some critical point in an important match? Sure enough it did...and it wasn't the first time.

He served for the first set and double faulted three times and he had served for a set against Djokovic last week at Indian Wells and did the same thing...only he double faulted four times. He lost his rhythm. As the serve goes...so goes the confidence. I missed the points where Grigor started serving from an abbreviated motion for a game...I think it was serving to get into the first set tie-break. The announcers mentioned this. I notice that Magnus Norman is coaching him...Robin Söderlings old coach. Maybe I will write him a letter. Dimitrov ended up losing in straight sets...confidence left behind.

Speaking of a "Baby Fed"...there is a fine line between mimicking and being a wannabe. Grigor will figure this out in time...he has the same anomaly in his service backswing that I asked John about in his new "Teaching System"...I deleted it when it became apparent that I was being ignored. Too bad because here that same anomaly is present and the whole shebang collapsed. Maybe it wasn't such a stupid question after all.

With regards to klacr's favorite TBerd...to serve an ace with a second serve on match point against, is taking what my coach used to tell me to the n'th degree. He said that you must be a bit fatalistic with the second ball and today this is even more important as weak second serves are generally catfood. I always felt this way on the second ball and went after it very much like the first one and it helped me tremendously. I swing just as hard if not harder but put a bit more spin on the ball...to more or less compensate for the miss of the first.

In tight situations you "hit out" and do not try to push it in...this is when something can go horribly wrong. As Grigor is finding out. I am not worried about Dimitrov though...he is just like one of the infinite monkeys in the room with infinite typewriters...sooner or later he is going to figure it out. I would like to see him "break on through". Hopefully his coaches will eventually address his defect but I wouldn't bet on it. TBerd should get to the semi's if he can hold true to his seeding setting up an encounter with Murray. Mr. Charisma. Get an autograph for Stotty...Kyle. That is something that I have never done...asked for an autograph.

So that brings us to Serena. This woman's behavior is really a spectacle at times. It's hard to put one's finger on the root cause. Probably a question of culture and fame. Or just the culture of fame. Probably just a question of the individual. But her performance against Cibulkova last night was rather dubious. She more or less tanked the first set then "woke up" late in the second to run out the match. Her post game comments and interviews have to rate as the most boring and ridiculous of all time. Such fake emotion. Adoring words for "her fan's". It's enough to make you happy not to be a fan of anything. Her self love is always evident and huge. She is built like a linebacker. Then there is Daddy waiting in the wings. What a character...but what a story too! Amazing isn't it? All of the permutations and combinations out there. Everybody's different.

Nishikori vs. Ferrer. Time for an upset?

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl5...y#.UVHFUxesh8E

[tennis_chiro]

Long live the all court player!!

Haas was fabulous tonight. If you get a chance to see the match in replay or on TennisTV, it's a great display of all court tennis by Haas. No question Nole was way off his regular standard, but Haas's strategy had a lot to do with that. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone expose Djokovic's forehand that way. The mix of slice and topspin and sidespin backhands (especially down the line) on top of the windy conditions caught Djokovic a little by surprise. Tommy showed that you can go into the teeth of Novak's forehand corner and keep the upper hand. He didn't serve and volley that much, but just enough to make the threat real and he did a great job finishing at the net winning 7 of 9 forrays to the net accoding to the stats they posted on TennisTV. And he constantly changed things up going down the line to Djokovic's forehand and then coming in to halfcourt occasionally to go the other way inside-out to the backhand corner. On top of that, he won an amazing 72% of second serve points. Finally, he didn't fold when Novak evened the score at 4-4 in the second set.

I think he really exposed a new tactic for playing Djokovic's forehand wide and we will see more people doing that. But he also showed the value of being able to volley and play the forecourt well. Sadly, not many of the other top players can really volley that well.

Great night for Haas. Not so good for the tournament promoters. Kyle may get his wish for a Berdych breakthrough here. It looks like Ferrer against Murray/Berdych in the final. Haas has his work cut out for him coming back in 21 hours against Simon. If he plays like he did tonight, he could do it, but Ferrer is a heavy favorite against the other three on his side of the draw. Gasquet rarely plays a great match after a long tussle like he had today and he's going to have to play well to beat T-Berd. The Frenchman sure can hit some beautiful shots though. And Murray is starting to find his range and would be very tough for Cilic.

One more thing. I didn't realize how great Haas's forehand was. He's better recognized for his backhand. Haas's forehand is a great model: nice flip, but very simple and he tracks the ball with the racket head like a bloodhound. Bottle, you should take a good look at what he is doing. Grip is relatively conservative as well. Wonderful to see the Methuseluh of the tour picking up the second win of his career against a number one!

don

[stroke]

I was there on Tuesday in the Grandstand court. The Gasquet Almagro match was a great one to watch, those 2 exchanging beautiful one handed backhands for 3 long sets. The big surprise to me was the following Berdych Querry match. Berdych won it 1 and 1 in under an hour. Querry just could not dial in his forehand and just kept making errors. He has a huge, whippy forehand, kind of a violent flip, but it was just off and Berdych, to his credit, certainly did not give Sam anything to give him any chance to get into the match.

[bottle]

Querrey needs to paste thimbles under his ears to scare his opponents more. "OMIGOD!" they'll say. "It's Frankenstein!"

[tennis_chiro]

Not just a one-off fluke!!

Haas was fabulous tonight. If you get a chance to see the match in replay or on TennisTV, it's a great display of all court tennis by Haas. No question Nole was way off his regular standard, but Haas's strategy had a lot to do with that. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone expose Djokovic's forehand that way. The mix of slice and topspin and sidespin backhands (especially down the line) on top of the windy conditions caught Djokovic a little by surprise. Tommy showed that you can go into the teeth of Novak's forehand corner and keep the upper hand. He didn't serve and volley that much, but just enough to make the threat real and he did a great job finishing at the net winning 7 of 9 forrays to the net accoding to the stats they posted on TennisTV. And he constantly changed things up going down the line to Djokovic's forehand and then coming in to halfcourt occasionally to go the other way inside-out to the backhand corner. On top of that, he won an amazing 72% of second serve points. Finally, he didn't fold when Novak evened the score at 4-4 in the second set.

I think he really exposed a new tactic for playing Djokovic's forehand wide and we will see more people doing that. But he also showed the value of being able to volley and play the forecourt well. Sadly, not many of the other top players can really volley that well.

Great night for Haas. Not so good for the tournament promoters. Kyle may get his wish for a Berdych breakthrough here. It looks like Ferrer against Murray/Berdych in the final. Haas has his work cut out for him coming back in 21 hours against Simon. If he plays like he did tonight, he could do it, but Ferrer is a heavy favorite against the other three on his side of the draw. Gasquet rarely plays a great match after a long tussle like he had today and he's going to have to play well to beat T-Berd. The Frenchman sure can hit some beautiful shots though. And Murray is starting to find his range and would be very tough for Cilic.

One more thing. I didn't realize how great Haas's forehand was. He's better recognized for his backhand. Haas's forehand is a great model: nice flip, but very simple and he tracks the ball with the racket head like a bloodhound. Bottle, you should take a good look at what he is doing. Grip is relatively conservative as well. Wonderful to see the Methuseluh of the tour picking up the second win of his career against a number one!

don

Haas may be playing the best tennis of his career, although we forget how many tough 5 set matches he played in majors against the top players in the world. In any case, he is making a great case for a complete game including volleys. 15/18 on trips to the net tonight and he really made some beautiful volleys.

How can it be so hard for the players not to see this? If he just stayed back, he would have little chance against Simon, and none against Ferrer. But using variety, attacking the net, mixing things up he could have a good chance against Ferrer and some chance against Murray or T-Berd. Tommy is certainly hitting his groundies great and making far less unforced errors than we are used to seeing, but the option of going to the net is making those groundies much tougher on his opponents. But if he didn't have those volleying skills, he wouldn't have that option. And if you don't develop the option by age 17, you are not going to be able to learn it adequately later on.

In the meantime, it's really fun to watch.

don

[stotty]

Seveteen...to late.

But if he didn't have those volleying skills, he wouldn't have that option. And if you don't develop the option by age 17, you are not going to be able to learn it adequately later on.
don

Seventeen is too late....fourteen to be real comfortable at the net and for it to become a game style of first choice. I spoke with Ian Barclay once about this. He got Pat Cash racing to the net at fourteen...at the expense of losing matches initially...but look how good the finished player became.

There is a GAPING great hole for a quality serve and volleyer to come along and steal the show.

[klacr]

As a Tomas Berdych fan, that match with Gasquet was tough to watch. Huge opportunity missed by Berdych. Gasquet played well and credit to him and his Coach, Boca raton resident Sebastien Grosjean.

Yesterday I had the privilege of being on Court at the Sony Open in Key Biscayne on behalf of the USPTA in cooperation with ATP/WTA Tours as part of their Pro University and career management course. Gave a few presentations and touched on topics to all the recently retired or soon-to-be retired players on teaching tennis to all levels and took them through the USPTA certification Exam. It's an event I've done before and was pleased with the feedback, questions, interest and eagerness of the professionals. They are very excited to learn and begin a new chapter in their tennis life. It was a good day.


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

First set to Haas...Second Set to Ferrer...Match to Ferrer

First set to Haas...6-4.

Volume off. iTunes on shuffle. Here's the lineup...

Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts...Bob Dylan
Holiday Inn...Elton John
The Last Resort...The Eagles
Tuesday's Dead...Cat Stevens
All of My Life...Phil Collins
Candy Everyone Wants...10,000 Maniacs
I Need to Know...Marc Anthony
Have You Heard...The Moody Blues

second set to Ferrer...6-2. The music lineup as follows...

Human Touch...Bruce Springsteen
Bones...The Killers
Thick as a Brick...Jethro Tull
With or Without You...U2
One...U2

Match to Ferrer...6-3. Played to the following...

Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes...Paul Simon
You Know What I Mean...Phil Collins
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses...U2
One Time For Old Times... .38 Special
This River is Wild...The Killers
Wishlist...Pearl Jam
Simple Twist of Fate...Bob Dylan
Do You Remember?...Phil Collins
These Are Days...10,000 Maniacs
New York City Serenade...Bruce Springsteen
Over and Out...don_budge

These are the days you might fill with laughter until you break.
These days you might feel a shaft of light make it's way across your face.
And when you do you'll know how it was meant to be.
See the signs and know their meaning.
It's true, you'll know how it was meant to be.
Hear the signs and know they're speaking to you, to you.

[don_budge]

Tommy Haas vs. David Ferrer...music over the voices of mundane things

I made the decision to mute the voices of the "talking heads". Greg Rudzinski, Peter Fleming and the host...whomever. I get tired of the droning. The go along to get along. The dog and pony show. Oohing and ahing over every little things as if that is going to make it more palatable...more entertaining. Let's face it...the product is limping along and no amount of propping it up is going to increase the television ratings which would increase sponsor revenue which eventually leads the loyal herd to their favorite product to come out of their induced hypnotic state from watching too much tv and not playing enough...tennis preferably.

But enough of the moralizing...remember I am living in the wilderness but I come out daily to give to my students...to share my knowledge. Whether I get paid or not matters little to me...I am beyond. Simply beyond compensation. Tommy Haas never impressed me as being such a great tennis player in his prime. But here he is reinventing himself at the ripe old age of 34 and what does that say to you? I don't know about you but it tells me that the field is weak but you already knew that. Tommy did nothing new in his recent comeback he is only exercising some of the lost fundamentals, the lost art of playing tennis. He is making his opponents play a game that they would prefer not to play. Haas has been mixing up the depth, the speed and the spin of the ball to keep his opponents off balance to either deliver the knockout or to subtly force them into committing an error. Watching him play many are probably thinking that somehow he has reinvented the game...too young to know any better.

The tactics are interesting...particularly when they are matched against the modern day topspin specialists. How do you deal with heavy topspin hitters? Well...for one thing don't give them the ball in their strike zone. At least not the one that they prefer. I was more focused on the tactical choices off of the Haas backhand than I was of his technique of his forehand...the question these days is always does he flip or not. My question is...who cares? One of the interesting outcomes of the match was that it made David Ferrer marginally worthwhile watching if there was anything that he can do to spark any interest in the game of tennis. Because he is as boring to watch as Harold Solomon was in the seventies. But that being said...Ferrer did do something that was interesting and it was successful. He changed his game a bit to match the tactics of Haas. He actually came to the net more often than Haas which in turn had the effect of upsetting the rhythm of Tommy.

It was fun listening to the music in the background for the duration of the match. So many different lyrics and concepts to ponder. I had played tennis earlier in the afternoon with a big hitting Swede 35 years young with the standard ATP forehand...and that was after giving a lesson to three attractive young ladies at the club. My style and tactics against him are very effective and I am holding my own against him. My style and tactics with the ladies were equally effective...I worked with them for a couple of hours in net play and this was my third session with them. They loved it!

But my opponent doesn't choose to hit to my forehand any more than I do to his...intelligently choosing the weaker side. Yesterday I initially started playing to his forehand...tactically trying to move him over to that side so that I could work on his backhand side better. The problem that I encountered is that my backhand is not quite up to the task. It started out quite well but a couple of aggressive misses changed my mind...as my confidence ebbed. The surprise that I have in store for him is my backhand which is becoming more aggressive on a daily basis. Within a month it is going to match my forehand. This defies all conventional wisdom and my own intuition because of the age difference etc.

There is definitely more to this game tactically than is currently being developed. The continental forehand thread, the USTA development, the 1984 Wimbledon final Traditional Thoughts thread...all of it is relevant. The close minded attitude and simplistic nature of the lock step philosophy is typical of tennis which has always been subject to fads and fashion since the days of Tilden. Tennis is simply eliminating too many of the permutations and combinations with the close minded coaching mentality. Teaching continental is irresponsible? That is crazy talk...not everyone is going to be a professional tennis player and it is a big mistake to approach teaching tennis in this philosophy.

I am telling you that the game is a numbers game...we need more monkeys and more typewriters. You cannot just eliminate possible variations because they fall outside the control limits of box mentality...conventional wisdom.

Speaking of technique...it seems to me that Ferrer keeps his elbow fairly close to his side therefore engaging his swing with the turning of his hips. In golf...it is ok to let the elbow fly away a bit as long as it returns back to its place by the side in order to stay on the inside track.

Please don't shoot me...I am only the messenger. Oh hell...go ahead and shoot. I am perfectly capable of returning fire.

[don_budge]

The Finals Andy Murray vs. David Ferrer...to the shuffling music on iTunes

First set to Ferrer 6-2. The lineup as follows...

Sundown...Gordon Lightfoot
För Kärlekans Skull...Ted Gärdestad
Find a Way To My Heart...Phil Collins
Eyes of the World...Fleetwood Mac
Born To Run...Bruce Springsteen
Wishlist...Pearl Jam
Loosin' End...The Doobie Brothers

Second set to Murray 6-4. The lineup as follows...

You Know What I Mean...Phil Collins
The Actor...The Moody Blues
The Wild, The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle...Bruce Springsteen
In Your Eyes...Peter Gabriel
The Waiting Room...Genesis
New Kid In Town...The Eagles
Never Comes The Day...The Moody Blues
All In Love Is Fair...Stevie Wonder
Black...Pearl Jam

Match to Murray 7-6 in the third. The lineup as follows...

I Wish I Were Blind...Bruce Springsteen
Running To Stand Still...U2
Pony Boy...Bruce Springsteen
Two Hearts...Chis Isaak
You Can't Hurry Love...Phil Collins
Every Breath You Take...The Police
Fortress Around Your Heart...Sting
Blue Letter...Fleetwood Mac
The Crystal Ship...The Doors
Counting Out Time...Genesis
L. A. Woman...The Doors
Undertow...Genesis
Fråga Stjärnarna...CajsaStina Åkerström
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free...Sting
Beautiful...Gordon Lightfoot
Back Where You Belong... .38 Special
Fill My Eyes...Cat Stevens
Jesus...Cat Stevens