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As much as I was looking forward to the Stan/Novak match, the next 2 are even more interesting to me. I still think Roger has another major in him. This may be it. If not, Wimbledon. Dimitrov may be ready to take Nadal, but what a test for him.. I also like what Cahill said about Stan's one handed backhand, calling it unquestionably the best in the game. -
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Do I set the alarm...
Shall I set the alarm and get up and watch Dimitrov versus Nadal tomorrow? I might...or maybe not. Can Dimitrov come of age and take out Nadal? Federer will certainly be hoping so. Federer has only beaten Nadal four times since 2007 and two of those were indoors while the other two had a story behind them. If Nadal were to take an unexpected exit, it would spur Federer on no end. I'm glad Nadal and Dimitrov are up first tomorrow...just in case Nadal were to take a tumble.
I'd love to stick my neck out and say who's going to win out of Murray and Federer, but there are a lot of unknowables. Can Federer perform brilliantly again? Or will he fall flat has he has the last couple of years just when we thought he was back to his best? Laver said it becomes harder to rely on your form as you get older. He should know.
As for Murray, it's hard to know how well he's really playing. He hasn't been tested yet. Sure he dropped a set to Robert, but he routed the other three sets. He's always been prone to falling asleep, getting bored.
Murray knows how to play Federer and leads him in head-to-heads. But it's all about temperament with Murray...whether he gets ratty or not. Getting ratty has often led to his downfall. He's been better with Lendl because he can't get snappy with Lendl like he has all his other coaches. Lendl doesn't need the money and can walk. This is a good position for a coach to be in...ought to be made mandatory on the tour when coaching petulant athletes.
If I had to put money on it, I might just have to favour Federer. My heart wants Murray because he's a fellow countryman.Leave a comment:
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I don't think you would have seen last year's Djokovic make that disastrous move to the net on the last point. In the long run, the addition of another weapon or a sharpened one may help him become a better player, but incorporating Becker with the first tournament being the Aussie Open was flawed thinking. It would have made more sense to have incorporated a new tactic or at least a fuller use of it (being more aggressive and going forward more, not just s&v) in the tournaments following the Aussie leading into Indian Wells and Miami.
Here is my earlier statement from my prognosis for the draw:
I don't think there is anyone there who can impede Djokovic's inevitable progress to another Australian final. The one exception is Wawrinka, but I think Djokovic will be too prepared for him. The one thing that could work for Wawrinka is the influence of Becker. If Becker gets Djokovic to try something other than the formula that has been so successful with him, it could hamper Djokovic's performance and supply an opening for Wawrinka. I just think it is a mistake to subjugate Vajda's judgement and suggestions to those of Becker. If this change is not absolutely seamless, it could create a seed of doubt in Nole's mind; that seed of doubt can be deadly at this level. But short of something like that happening, I can't see anyone derailing the Djokovic Express short of the final meeting with Nadal whom I still see as the favorite on the other side.
But all credit to Wawrinka. He kept me up until 5AM! Both he and Tberd are playing well. Stan may be a little more tired, but they are playing a night match. Damn it! No sleep until Friday night.
donLeave a comment:
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Wawrinka vs. Berdych in the semi's...
I watched the whole match except the last set...as well as their last couple of encounters. I can certainly understand why nobody gave him much a chance. Even Wilander expressed his doubts all along the way. I never ruled him out...he was battling the whole way and never backed off. Sure the match has ebbs and flows but Stan was really a man about it. A friend of mine once told me that when I was lamenting about some woman that got away...he told me, "sometimes you just have to be a man about it". That one statement stuck with me all of my life and to this day I think of that sometimes...if times are tough. You just have to be a man about it. Thanks Leon.
What a great match right from the beginning. Some players just match up like that. They just pounded away at each other for the entire five sets. Without letup. I had to leave for work in the beginning of the fifth set. They were on serve when I left and the match was really up for grabs although given that past results...it looked to be Djokovic's for the taking. Given that Djokovic had beaten him the last 14 times in a row. But somehow Stanislas found a way to believe that it was his day. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He had heard that the bell was tolling for him. Quite a story...quite a lesson in life. Don't quit. Keep plugging away. Sometimes...you just have to be a man about it.
I like that return of Wawrinka's. There is nothing more stupid than players trying to hit winner off of return of serves. There is no point to be won if you miss that kind of gamble and slug the return out. I think that Federer makes that mistake against Nadal as he too often feels like he has to drive the return. It looked to me as if Wawrinka was able to neutralize the serve much of the time and reset the point. It's a percentage play and a good one. Keep the ball in play...and live to play another day. That is exactly what Wawrinka did...and now it is a real showdown with Tomas Berdych. You know who's boy.
Well...I hate to be on the other side of the fence with a homey from Michigan but I have this feeling that Wawrinka just might be the man of the hour. It looks to me as if he has the cajones to takes on Berdych for all of the marbles. He has won six of the last seven against Berdych...but the eighth match was a loss to TBerd at the Australian back in 2009. A real toss up. But I never ruled the "Other Swiss" out against Djokovic and I am so happy to see Novak go down after witnessing some of those primal screams once again. If he was doing that to try and intimidate Wawrinka...it obviously didn't work. I remember that he did that to Federer...I don't like that kind of demonstration. Some demonstrative behavior is good for the game but that reeks of something else.
It was a great match and Stanislas Wawrinka deserves it so much. He has really grown and come of age the last couple of years. He has taken his beatings and become a better man for it. He's been my wife's favorite player for a couple of years now. She really knows how to pick 'em...don't you think so? She just came and told me that they are playing the match on EuroSport right now and they are in the fourth. I think I will go and catch the fifth...just for the hell of it.
The court's are quicker. It seems to favor certain types of players. Wawrinka hits a bit flatter and with more penetration. Federer is much the same. There are a couple more very interesting one-handed backhand versus two-handed backhand matches to be played. Perhaps this may just be a glimpse of the future of tennis. They are jazzing it up just a bit.
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What a great couple of sets for Wawrinka...sets 2 and 3. Great clean hitting. Who would have thought he's have won that fifth set? Djokovic won so many love games on his serve because Wawrinka just blocks and chips returns (Wawrinkas big weakness in my book, especially on the forehand). On that basis, going in to the fifth set, I thought Djokovic couldn't lose...just hold serve and wait to break....but Wawrinka hung in. Just goes to show if you hang in something might just turn up.
I felt Djokovic was passive when he needed to step it up. I think he thought he could sneak through the match as he always has in the past. There seemed to be no influence from Becker in terms of game style that I could see. Unlike Federer, where influence from Edberg was clearly evident.
Wawrinka seemed to lose his nerve in the fourth and his standard dropped. He served great at key moments, though, which kept him in there and won him the match for me. Now he plays Klacr's mate...T-bird. With so much at stake I wouldn't like to pick a winner with those two. It will be a nervy affair when it comes to closing out.
Is the surface quicker?. Certainly sets 2 and 3 seemed to say yes. Those bullets from Wawrinka looked to be skimming under Djokovic's comfort zone on his forehand wing, and Djokovic looked pushed for time in many of those rallies. Some of the players say the surface is the same speed as last year, others say it's quicker...the tournament organiser says it's the same as last year...Doug says it's quicker. Can someone give a definitive answer? One thing all are agreed on is the balls are tighter woven and quicker.Leave a comment:
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Doug Eng's findings...
We are all interested to hear what he has to say. I hope that he starts a separate thread.
I would like to hear what he presented at the conference...if possible.
Last edited by don_budge; 01-21-2014, 03:13 AM.Leave a comment:
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I loved to see Doug's comments as well. His insights and additional information always add so much for us here. Great to hear he sees Federer getting comfortable with the big racket. Great stuff about the increased spin.
Today was the first time I'd seen Bouchard play. I was really impressed with the sound fundamentals and the great footwork. Looks like Saviano has had a great influence on her. Looks like her forehand is somewhere between the ATP Type III and the WTA Type II, but closer to the ATP Type III. I think that is one reason she could hold up against the deep drives that Ivanovic was hitting a lot of the time. On the other hand, I have said in this forum before that I think that Sloan's almost Type I backswing on her forehand puts her at a disadvantage when she faces the deep drives of the top players. I didn't get to see her play. Anyone else notice if she has altered that at all? Did she do well in exchanges of deep balls? I know she is great when she gets to set up. I'm wondering if Annacone will get her to modify that at all. The strange thing is, she was also a Saviano product according to some things I've read. I wonder at what stages he had each of these players.
donLeave a comment:
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Can anyone name the 5 current players on the men's tour who have reached the semifinals or better in every grand slam?
Djokovic
Murray
Nadal
Federer
...and Berdych!!!
Tberd is not done playing yet. Took out David Ferrer in 4 sets. He's licking his chops for Novak Djokovic. If anyone can end Djokovic's reign, It's Tberd. Playing very confident right now and a confident Berdych is a dangerous Berdych. Just ask Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic at 2010 Wimbledon, or Federer at 2012 US Open.
Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca RatonLeave a comment:
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Doug, thanks for the perspective from Down Under. Sounds wonderful!
Re Roger Rasheed: it's great to see him, alas, with yet another creative shotmaker (Dimitrov) who might actually listen to his coaching. I've always thought he has a great presence and awareness of the game but his last two puplis (Monfils and Tsonga) struck me as unable or willing to take in his wisdom.
As for Bouchard, I'm not quite sure what is meant by her being "behind" Keys developmentally. In Bouchard I see someone who's game is, yes, quite limited to power baselining but who is proving herself quite match tough. She is ready to compete at this level. I can't say that yet for Sloane or Keys. As for Keys, from what I have seen she has great power but a great deal of problems defending and also keeping the ball more generally in play (at least relative to many other top women).
I'd love to hear more of your thoughts when you get a chance!Leave a comment:
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Three one-handed backhand vs. two-handed backhand matches left
Absolutely great matches featuring the major contrast of styles left in the game. The one-handed backhand vs. the two-handed backhand.
Grigor Dimitrov's task decidedly different from either of the Swiss pair's. He is facing a left-handed scythe of a forehand. If...the speed of the court is quicker keep in mind the following possibilities Grigor. You must try to pin Nadal over on the backhand side. His reverse crosscourt will be less that sensational if you keep the ball spinning away from him...that is, to his right. Of course it will be necessary to be aggressive at his forehand at first to keep him from leaning on that backhand side. Tilden's rule...attack the strength to open up the weakness. Or is that from "The Art of War".
But the speed of the court could be everything to this advantage if Grigor can tactically come to grips with this conundrum. Djokovic many times uses his flatter backhand to this end when he plays Nadal...taking the ball early and going down the line with it. I believe that the power slice will also create some problems for Nadal's two-handed backhand if the court allows Grigor to keep the ball closer to the surface and skidding more than the sand laden courts of the modern engineered tennis courts.
Roger Federer has perhaps a more difficult exploitation tactic to work on Andy Murray...but Federer will come up with the necessary combination of shots and tactics against Andy. The strange thing about Andy is that he supposedly had back surgery just a month or two ago. How is it that he looks as ripped as a RoboCop? Did he do one of those mysterious Naldalian disappearances and recovering from an injury supposedly then returning bigger and stronger than ever? How can you recover from surgery and get so intensely muscled in a matter of weeks? Miraculous? Wonder drugs? Hard to phantom.
Stanislaw Wawrinka knows very well what he is faced with today. He's seen this scenario before coming up just short...last year. Perhaps the most memorable match of the year...his five setter with Djokovic in the semi's of the Australian last year...or was it the quarters. At any rate...if the court is quicker it favors ever so slightly the one-handed backhand if that one-handed backhand knows how to make the ball "lay down". The combination of placements and drives mixed up with net approaches is the way to dismantle the modern two-handed backhand, western forehand paradigm. Stan...you're the man! Good luck...remember second place today is a loser. You know how that feels...don't be satisfied. The Big Four beckons you.
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