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  • 2011 U. S. Open Tennis Championships

    Lately...it has been The Big Four. Djokovic...is he the real thing? Roger's last hurrah? Is there room for a fifth? Mardy...are you ready? Too much to hope for?
    Last edited by don_budge; 08-31-2011, 02:52 AM.
    don_budge
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  • #2
    Personal messages

    Please check your personal messages

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    • #3
      A possible post

      Don,
      we are welcome to drop a line about serve+1

      Comment


      • #4
        A lesson for Julian...

        The serve is a multifaceted weapon. It can be used to instantly win the point or force return errors, but increasingly, the serve is used to develop a tactic called Serve + 1.


        Julian sent me this link in a private message thus the two posts above. Now it turns out that this is a tennisplayer.net related article.

        Julian...you had a scoop here my man. You are an interesting and intelligent guy who likes to keep his "internet footprint" small apparently. I think that you have had some significant info and ideas to contribute in the past. The way you operate is your business, of course, but you have got something to share with the forum. Just wanted you to know that.

        It is imperative for any tennis player or coach or anyone associated with the philosophy of tennis for that matter, to seize the initiative when it becomes available to you. It may be only a fleeting moment. Don't be shy! Assert yourself!

        By posting this particular article in this thread we could observe the matches and see how the strategy plays out during the tournament...we could of done it at your behest. Great article about the relationship of good serving followed up by pounding a forehand...to keep your opponent in submission and subdued. Modern tennis' equivalent to the serve and volley. The idea...courtesy of Julian.
        Last edited by don_budge; 09-01-2011, 09:38 PM.
        don_budge
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        • #5
          Goodbye to You...and My String-a-Ling

          Goodbye Gail Monfils, Richard Gasquet, Bernard Tomic, Micheal Llodra. Better go home and do a little research on your string jobs. Tweak those crosses and mains. Use string-a-lings in computer generated models, WB40 and eat a pile of spaghetti and throw the leftovers over your racquet...sans the sauce. What the hell...throw on the sauce but hold the meat. Some seeds are falling and are scattered in the wind of Flushing Meadows.

          Djokovic serving up two bagels in his match...an indication of a really dominating service game, a healthy shoulder, tactics that work and a tremendous level of confidence that is enhanced with a proper good dosing of FitLine, some quality time in the Space Egg...not to mention the great string jobs to boot! It's more important to get the brand spanking new Head racquet tweaked and tuned up like a fine old Stradivarius violin. Crosses, mains and string-a-lings. Don't forget the ding-a-lings! Next up...Davydenko. Good Luck Nicol!

          The top half of the draw looks noticeably tougher. Just a tiny bit stacked. Only one American in the top half, the only one with a snow ball's chance...and seven in the bottom. Roger's got his work cut out for him...his part of the draw seems particularly loaded. Come on Roger...bow your neck and please get the strings right this time! Pay attention to your string-a-lings pattern. Damn the forehand...the backhand and serve. The string is the thing. ESPN says so!

          I think that I would like to catch Alexandr Dolgopolov's match with Ivo Karlovic, because of some of the interesting things that have been written about him...including his serve analysis here on the forum. Not to mention that I am curious about how he strings his racquet and tweaks his frame. I suspect that he is not above gambling on his crosses and mains. Here's a guy who is not afraid to take chances. I understand that the other guy has a pretty good serve, too...but he's virtually clueless with regards to his strings. Rumor has it that he doesn't fully understand how to string and fully take advantage of all of the new nuances available in the pro shop...that compliment his game. Questionable string-a-ling tactics won't help his cause either. He won't stand a chance in the long run. I can surely sympathize with him.

          Nowadays during the warmup...professional tennis players are not only observing how their opponent is hitting the forehand and backhand, on high balls and low balls for instance, or handling the low volley. Now listening to the ball striking their opponent's strings is taking precedence, and the players must pay particular attention to their opponents string tunes...the pitch of the ping can give some particularly insightful clues as to how to attack the opponent on any given shot. Which spin to apply...dependent upon the pitch of the ping. Pitch of the ping becomes the new buzz word in tennis jargon. If you can discern what the relative tensions in the crosses and mains from the pitch of the ping you can base all of your tactics on it...hands down. It's fool proof.

          Having a spy with access to all of the stringer information for the different players is the ultimate insider information. The Russians and Eastern Europeans have become particularly adept at this facet of the operation...look at their recent success. Spaniards too! Listening devices from local espionage shops are all the rage. Tuning forks are selling out! It's imperative to know the other guys strings. It's now better than having a tactics coach or a fitness coach...technique is all but obsolete. You must have three or possibly four people to manage your strings. One to do the actual stringing, one to tune, one to research and develop and one to make sure the other three are doing their jobs...but the fourth can multitask and do quality control also. You can record it all in your little portable computer, process it and voila...take it on the court with you. To consult with. Unless, of course, the esteemed ITF deems otherwise.

          I think that the string angle...is getting kind of sexy! Come to mention it I wonder what the ladies are doing with their racquets...how they string them, that is. Designer string-a-lings...anyone? Bling in your string? To accessorize or not? I really like that Carla Suarez Navarro. I am not sure why. There's something about her.
          Last edited by don_budge; 09-03-2011, 12:16 AM. Reason: for clarity's sake
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          • #6
            Djokovic's Shoulder

            I wonder how good it is really. Nole is serving average first serves 5 to 7 mph slower than at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and average second serves are 2 to 3 mph slower. I think that is more significant than his fastest serves, although that speed is also a little slower than at the French. On the other hand he has had an extra 5 days of rest playing the easiest imaginable matches he could have at a US Open and spending just 2 hrs and 14 minutes to complete 2 matches. We should know how well he really is after he plays Davydenko. Monfils has been removed as a threat. But Berdych is winning over 90% of his first serve points again so he may be OK. If Nole is just near healthy, his only real threat is a healthy Berdych, but it is still doubtful. Roger is looking good, but still not adequately lasered in. Perhaps he is just breaking in a new strategy, but he is still struggling where he should cruise. Federer may get another look at Tsonga unless Fish does the job for him (or Verdasco could also).
            In the other half, Nadal and Murray look pretty good for the semis. But if Nadal doesn't get a lot better than his opening match, I'm liking Murray for at least the final. We should know by Sunday, who is really healthy. I don't remember the last time it was such an important question, at least for the men's draw.

            don

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            • #7
              Florian Mayer...quirky?

              Alexandr Dolgopolov. That's d-o-l-g-o-p-o-l-o-v. I hope that I have to get used to spelling that name. He's fast, strikes quickly and doesn't back down from the big server. Unfortunately for him it's the Meteor next...or is he Comet Elin? The question for Dolgopolov against Djokovic is...does he have the nerve to stay in the points? For as long as it takes...it appears that Djokovic is developing nerves of steel but tennis_chiro thinks the shoulder may be made of something less durable...he may be in need of some treatment...some more time in his Space Egg. Perhaps a double dose of FitLine. A little twist, or a yank from a chiropractor...to eliminate some cohesions or adhesions, who knows? Does the ever perceptive tennis chiropractor know something we don't? I always suspect so.

              Against Karlovic, Dolgopolov finished the match bombing back returns of serve with increasing finality and frequency...not to mention velocity and accuracy. Karlovic's serve does not look very fluid, it does not look to be particularly deceptive so much as it is a blunt pounding, it's not pretty that's for certain...but Alexandr didn't back down one little bit. He really stood up like a man and pounded it back. No flinching. He seems to be a pretty easy going character yet you certainly can sense he is intense all the same. Interesting guy. jimlosaltos was definitely correct about his serve...it is designed to be aggressive evidenced by the twenty some aces against his big serving opponent, and he is currently ranked 15th in service speed in the tournament and not far behind Karlovic...133 mph as compared to 139 mph. Speed isn't everything when it comes to service though, and it looks to me that Dolgopolov has a nice fluid motion, which makes him more deceptive...and Karlovic was caught looking many times as a consequence.

              Last night there were three matches being played simultaneously on www.livescorehunter.com. Fish against Anderson, Dolgopolov against Karlovic and The Man against Marion Cilic. Fish is through to the next round but now faces a real challenge in Tsonga...he may be out of water. What about Roger? He's through to the next round..but somehow just a little less impressively than the Roger of old. He doesn't put those blinding streaks of multiple lightning strikes together that he used to in the course of a match. He used to look so effortless but now he appears to be working...though I wouldn't say like the rest of us. When you lose just a touch of speed every shot becomes a tiny bit more laborious...that tiny bit adds up during the course of five sets and during the course of two weeks. He looks human...almost. Undoubtably he's pacing himself. The Swiss Mercedes has accumulated a lot of miles through the years. Come on Roger, chin up. The flesh may be weak...but the will is immortal!!! One of the big drawbacks of the modern game is the lack of mercy on the older players...speed is trump over experience and wisdom.

              Florian Mayer is another interesting player that is entertaining to watch. The trouble is...entertaining doesn't get you a berth in the semifinals. Like Dolgopolov he is a player who likes to keep his opponent off balance. Mayer does it by changing the tempo and placement. He is also clever and deceptive..in lieu of being overwhelmingly powerful. I think he would make a great spy...incognito, under the radar. Mayer's strokes may look to be homemade, but he is a serious opponent and if you don't take him seriously it could be a problem. I saw him give Robin Söderling a lesson in Stockholm earlier in the year and it nearly reduced the Swede to tears. Florian clearly confused him with his tactics. You can't call his game strange or ugly...bottle doesn't like that word when describing tennis player's that take artistic license when it comes to hitting a tennis ball, even when it comes to talking about Marion Bartoli's serve. Florian's serve doesn't look to be much of a weapon, it looks really "quirky" to me, so how do you explain that he is number one among the players in the tournament in percentage of first serve points won? Now that is truly quirky. Mayer plays bottle's buddy ...Ferrer. There is certainly nothing quirky about him...he's a classic modern day tennis player, camped out on the baseline with a decent topspin forehand, an adequate twohand backhand and an ok serve...a true grinder.

              What about that Donald Young? He may of grown up a bit lately...or maybe it's the new Princess racquet.

              I learned how to spell Dolgopolov today. That's a lot of o's...or bagel's. Next up...The Bagel Kid.
              Last edited by don_budge; 09-04-2011, 05:22 AM. Reason: for clarity's sake...
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              • #8
                It's probably the big 4

                I have to agree with a lot of what D_B has to say. I've only seen a little of Dolgopolov, but he certainly is exciting. But I think Djokovic is too good to really be threatened until the semis. I think he is protecting his shoulder and arm with his legs, and judging by his movement against Davydenko, his legs are just fine. He'll end up having almost 3 weeks (20 days) from the Cincy default until the Open semis, when he might actually be called upon to use all of his abilities against Federer, Fish or Tsonga. Tsonga is especially dangerous if he holds together. Fish may actually have the best chance against a hot Tsonga because he can use his ability to hold serve and hang to stay with the pressure; but only if he serves a higher percentage of first serves. Evidently, the courts/balls combo is not as fast as past years, certainly not as fast as Cincy or Montreal and this is putting a little more pressure on the serve. But Fish has not dropped a set to the 16s!

                I can't figure Federer out. His lapses are unexplainable. They don't seem to be fatigue or speed related. His good is still good enough. As he gets deeper into a major, his desire should go up accordingly and that may make all the difference in the world. He and Djokovic or maybe Fish/Tsonga will also will get the benefit of the extra day of rest between the quarters and semis.

                On the bottom half, Simon/DelPotro is the big question mark. Lopez could have a very hot day serving, but the courts are too slow and Murray's ability to neutralize that is too good. Andy's already had his "scares" in early rounds to settle him down and he should be very good until next Saturday. However, DelPotro has the weapons (like Tsonga) to take anyone down if he can sustain it through an entire match. Simon is particularly well suited to disarm him and save Murray the trouble.

                Depending on which Nalbandian shows up today to play Nadal, Rafa has an easy time into the quarters. Nalbandian of two years ago could knock off anyone; we haven't seen that lately for more than a set. I haven't seen enough of Mayer, but I can't see Ferrer faltering before the quarters. Benneteau has a very pretty game, but Roddick looks so good in his interviews. He seems healthy. There are elements of Roddick's game that are really weak because of his grips/style, but he feels like this is "his house" and I think he is going to make a lot of noise in the next week. If Nadal doesn't start to look a lot better by next Thursday, Murray (or maybe DelPotro) could see an away Davis Cup match atmosphere in Arthur Ashe next Saturday that I don't think would suit the Brit very well.

                The women are interesting to watch, but on an entirely different level. It's a question of who has the honor of being beaten up by Serena. I just don't see any of the women left in the draw giving a "healthy" Serena any problems. It will be fun to see how far Niculescu can go. She could make it to the semis and if she plays one of the mental basket cases that pepper the women's draw (that's a bit mysogynistic,but it's true), it could get ugly. She reminds me of a NY hustler named Steve Ross from the late 60's and 70's who was written up in Playboy for having hustled Bobby Riggs. He started out with Riggs giving him games and before the final bet was played out, Steve was giving the handicap to Bobby...and still beating him. I had to play him in an upstate clay court match once. Oh, I dreaded it. It was the third match of the day and I was getting cramps pulling my socks on in the locker room, so I knew I was in trouble. I got the first set by turning the tables and softballing him, but I was toast. The girls in that USOpen draw are going to dread having happen to them what happened to Safarova; Safarova looked like she shouldn't lose a game and ended up winning only one. The look on her face on changeovers told everything. It was a different version of the look on Davydenko's face in the last set against Nole last night. As Dick Enberg would say, "oh my!".

                Bottom line, there is not enough time in the day to watch all these matches. I highly recommend USOpen.org. No commercials. Multiple courts. Modest announcers.

                don

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                • #9
                  Predicting the future...or Anticipation. Who could of known?

                  It gets somewhat easier in the round of 16...to predict the winners of the matchups, that is. In the previous round I thought that Mayer had a chance to challenge Ferrer, for instance. It seemed within the realm of possibilities for Young to take out Chela but who could know how he would react to that moment? Surely, I thought, Del Potro is ready to return to form and dispatch Simon...not to be.

                  I guess that I am not much of a prognosticator...which is probably why I am not much of a gambler. Certainly not after the night I lost ALL of my money at some casino overlooking the Ponderosa in Lake Tahoe...it was 1975 on my return trip from hitchhiking to California...we had ended up in Big Sur. We had our tennis racquets in our backpacks and we practiced volleying on the freeway ramps along Interstate 80 when we waiting for our next ride west...from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Ocean. I was volleying my way across America. It was all of seventeen dollars as I recollect, that is, it was all of my money. Was it worth it for a couple of free Rum and Cokes from the casino? I would have to say, yes it was...looking back on the experience, that is. At the time it looked like it was going to be a long trip home. As it turned out, that after a rather dismal run at the Black Jack table...if my hazy memory serves me correctly, my buddy and I got "lucky". Some guy gave us a ride in the back of his truck with a load of potatoes, nonstop from someplace in Nowhere, Kansas all the way to Dayton, Ohio which left us with a mere hop, skip and jump home to the suburbs of Detroit. I remember walking that last mile from my buddy's house to my house...bone weary. I must of looked really strange...trudging along carrying my backpack with my tennis racquet poking it's nose out of it. I might not of been rich but I was young. Lucky is a relative term. Isn't it?

                  I am willing to bet that lucky tennis_chiro was camped out someplace in the Hamptons giving tennis lessons to the stars or running his song and dance by some nice looking Long Island babes at the very same moment I was riding all night on a sack of potatoes. What a cushy gig...it certainly sounds like it. Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't of traded places with him for a million bucks, even then, but it certainly is nice knowing him now. What a ride it's been, eh Don? I wonder what bottle was doing back then. God only knows. Something rather wild, I suspect. Talk about a song and dance. He's got a way with words...and a story or two to tell. He's been around...I'll bet. I wonder what all of you were doing. But lest I forget...most of you probably were not even an idea in your father's eye yet. I date myself. Good luck to all of you just the same! It's only moments that we borrow...as we gaze towards the future. Realistically speaking...we are all in the same Big Boat. Looking into the unknown. The River.

                  Ahem...I will take Djokovic, Tipsarevic, The Man and Fish in the top half and in the bottom I will take Simon, Murray, Ferrer and Nadal...I think. That would leave the one American with a snow ball's chance.

                  Prior to the round of 16, I think that I am predicting with my heart. I always like a good underdog. Sadly, I am still pulling for Dolgopolov against Djokovic the Great. It's hopeless, I know. But perhaps you can see why? These kind of victories tend to give others hope. I tend to pull for guys that the victory will make a difference in their lives, the guys that really need a victory...a victory that would possibly give them a bit more confidence, to say nothing of a little hope, to challenge the level of players above them on a more consistent basis. Go Norfolk Wolfpack! A victory that will catapult them into the stratosphere. The game needs more contenders but in reality it has always been like this. A few tend to dominate the rest of us, for a while. God usually creates a couple or a few that are clearly superior than the rest. But it makes me wonder about the Gonzales question...how many Grand Slam titles would he of contended for, if he had been eldgible? It gets confusing...one side of the brain tells me that it is going to be so but my heart wants something else. Clearly a need for drama, I suppose.

                  As it looks now tennis_chiro...it looks like a clash of the usual suspects, the Big Four (with the exception of The Man's section, which may yield a surprise). That one exception could upset the apple cart, though. From that one section of the draw there are three men that could possibly (but not likely) go all the way. That one section looks to be a trifle stacked. In the other three sections there is only one player with that possibility...I think. So here we go...making the turn, at the round of 16...then it's down the stretch! To the end! To the finish!

                  On the women's side...who gets the honor of getting beat up by Serena Williams? That is a good way of putting it. Putting it mildly, too. I cannot understand for the life of me how a woman's body can have the appearance of Serena's body. On the one hand she has all of the correct curves that you would expect to find in a woman but if you look just a little bit closer she is built like a human wrecking ball. Then I just have one more question...is it natural?
                  Last edited by don_budge; 09-06-2011, 12:05 AM. Reason: for clarity's sake...
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                  • #10
                    Rain, rain...go away.

                    The delay will only add to the suspense...and play a little havoc with the scheduling.

                    Djokovic the Great (the latest and the greatest) thwarts Dolgopolov the Upstart...an upset would of cast him into the role of Alexandr the Great. It was not to be...it's a little too soon, a bit premature. Great tiebreak but Dolgopolov's serve completely deserted him, leaving him unable to finish what he started. Interesting strategy with spinning balls to the Djokovic backhand...always a good idea! If you are an inferior opponent, it is futile to attempt to defeat power with power...it's better to use guile instead. Draw your opponent into a game that he would prefer not to play...find a chink in his armor. Death by a thousand cuts instead of battle by knockout blows. The Art of War. In the end, Dolgopolov did not have the guns, the knives, the cajones or the experience to pull it off. He can learn from this, though.

                    Tipsarevic cruises through Ferrero to set up a Serbian quarterfinal. I really like Janko. He plays with Tecnifibre and he reads Dostoyevsky...but neither of these footnotes will afford him a spot in the semi's.

                    Federer...coming into form and looking for revenge with a vengeance. He's got a bad taste in his mouth from Wimbledon. That was a lopsided score against a good player. Nice to see that bagel in the last set, he wanted to get off the court in a hurry...it demonstrates that he means business and the look on his face shows it. Now he's got his teeth into the tournament. I will bet he plays an intelligent quarterfinal match with sound tactics...he certainly will have to create pressure on his next opponent. He's been there so many times...it's a wealth of experience to draw from. Priceless!

                    Marty Fish...had it within his grasp and let it slip away. He couldn't get the horse in the barn. It may be a question of physical endurance, five sets can be brutal...tennis players are old at 29 these days, which is unfortunate. You gotta love the tactics, though. It was the tactics that needed one more round of exposure. Tsonga is beginning to really believe in himself whereas Fish doesn't quite, which makes Jo-Wilfried the more dangerous opponent. It's largely a mental game from the round of 16 forward...certainly from the quarters. Federer must make Tsonga doubt himself...in front of a huge crowd, at night, in the Big Apple. That should be doable...for the old maestro.

                    "New York...just like I pictured it. Skyscrapers and everything." Stevie Wonder from "Inner Visions". Big day for American tennis...three players in the "other" half. Roddick, Young and Isner. Can one squeak through to the next round?

                    The Man vs. The Great in the semi's...but I could be going with my heart again.
                    Last edited by don_budge; 09-07-2011, 04:55 PM. Reason: for clarity's sake...
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                    • #11
                      A Serbian quaterfinal

                      I do NOT want to be a pest but it is a Serbian quarterfinal.
                      Last edited by julian1; 09-07-2011, 05:17 AM.

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                      • #12
                        Betting on horses in MA


                        says that Tipsarevic chances are 16 percents

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                        • #13
                          Former Yugoslavia???

                          Originally posted by julian1 View Post
                          I do NOT want to be a pest but it is a Serbian quarterfinal.
                          Isn't that what I wrote? Ahhhh...the beauty of the Edit function. Sorry about that Nikae.
                          Last edited by don_budge; 09-07-2011, 10:56 AM.
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                          • #14
                            Didn't see what you wrote at first, but you might want to use edit function again...its Janko, not Jarko

                            Janko is playing the best tennis of his carrier, it will be an interesting match.

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                            • #15
                              Proof Reading good old don-budge...or "The Idiot".

                              Originally posted by nikae View Post
                              Didn't see what you wrote at first, but you might want to use edit function again...its Janko, not Jarko

                              Janko is playing the best tennis of his carrier, it will be an interesting match.
                              Oh that...I did that on purpose just to see if you were following me, nikae...and it's better that you didn't see my original gaff. To be honest with you, I wrote Croatia instead of Serbia. I confess. I haven't seen you post in a while and I was a little concerned about you. I have to confess that I haven't been sleeping all that well either...trying to stay up to date with what is going on in the Big Apple...with the time difference in Europe. Excuses, excuses, it's just like a tennis player, isn't it? Seriously...greetings to you and any of your fellow countrymen in Serbia that are reading tennisplayer.net. Greetings to any in Croatia, also, of course. I might as well take this opportunity to say hello to the rest of the world...hello! don_budge to Planet Earth! Please pardon me for being geographically challenged. I am an American...and a Swede. I'm torn.

                              So now that I know that all is well with you...I am headed to my post, "Rain, Rain...go away" in this thread and once again I will conjure up the Edit Function. There you see...done. Bing, bang, bye. Jarko becomes Janko in the wink of a young girl's eye. I just love that function, don't you...I would be willing to bet that Fyodor Dostoyevsky would of loved it, too.

                              Just think of all of the time it would of saved him when he was writing those million page novels. Brothers Karamazov. Crime and Punishment. Notes from the Underground. All the rest...including my personal favorite, "The Idiot"...not that it is any reflection about me. The idiot was actually a Prince...unless my memory is playing tricks with me. Help me out if I'm wrong Professor bottle. But i believe Dostoyevsky is in the next world right now, saying to himself..."If only I would of had a word processor". Or maybe he would of thought it was an abomination...much like I think of modern day tennis equipment. Racquets, strings and string-a-lings. The whole kit and caboodle. Fyodor may of thought that the Edit Function was cheating. I have to admit that I could see his point. bottle thinks it is cheating, too, I think. He writes his posts in long hand with beautiful penmanship before he types his posts on the keyboard. Another Virtual Morality issue, I suppose...and don't forget dear readers, I made that word up. With every invention comes a curse...or so said one ancient philosopher.

                              By the way, nikae...did you get your racquet issue straightened out? If not, I recommend a switch to Tecnifibre...like J-A-N-K-O plays! Better yet...I recommend the Tflash 315...like I play. You will love the feel for the ball. Use two dampeners, like tennis_chiro recommended. It deadens the stringbed for the ultimate caress of the ball. Spin, touch, placement...trumps power. Well until you reach the pro level...and even then who knows? With the right string job. How about a combination of...ala Federer? Has anyone tried? Dolgopolov did try for a set against Djokovic..almost, give him an "A" for effort. You can forget about the lead tape. At least I spelled your name correctly.

                              julian1...I am afraid that my ignorance of geography cannot be joked aside so nonchalantly. And I have learned to appreciate your enigmatic internet footprint...you're no pest. Thanks for everything...you've shown me a thing or two that I wouldn't of seen otherwise. But anyways, I think we Americans have a bad image of being ignorant of geography abroad. All of my friends thought that I had moved to Phil's motherland...to Switzerland. In fact, our image has been tarnished more than a little bit with regards to our foreign policy and warmongering, just ask bottle.

                              You can read his latest book..."The Last Words of Richard Holbrooke" which was just published under his pen name John Escher, or maybe it's the other way around. Holbrooke reputedly said, "we've got to get out of Afghanistan", or something to that effect, with his last breath. I can't wait to hear Obama say that. The winner of the latest...I hope it's not the last...Nobel Peace Prize. It's conceivable that they could cancel the whole thing as being obsolete. War is Peace...you see. If our president could just manage the same words as Holbrooke, without choking on them...he gets my vote for another NPP. Our weak showings in Grand Slam events has contributed to our reduced status, as well. In the tennis world.

                              So the lesson for me is clear...I must pay closer attention to what I am writing here on the forum, otherwise what will people think? don_budge is getting old and scatter brained? Maybe I should of started thinking about that a long time ago...like in the mid 1800's. Fyodor's days. Thank God for the Edit function...and thanks to you guys...julian1 and nikae.

                              And now...getting back to the heart of the matter. The subject at hand. What about this rain delay? The question of the day is this, does all of this rain and the ensuing bedlam and scheduling nightmare help The Man, the one remaining man in the field playing classic tennis, in his quest to defeat the rest of the field? Or is it inevitable...is it Djokovic's moment? Is it his time to shine? For Serbia. Or can Tsonga bully his way through the field? You can't rule out Nadal at this point, either...although I think it's funny that people are beginning to write him off when just a little while ago he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Fame can be fleeting. You are only as good as your last miracle. Has it been a while since your last miracle? Be prepared to fall off the radar screen. Sort of like being a modern day employee of any large company these days. The boss expects miracles! What have you done for me lately?

                              Now folks...it is going to be a real old fashioned donnybrook...a slugfest to the end. Last man standing...wins.

                              And God Bless the Tennisplayer Internet Cafe!
                              Last edited by don_budge; 09-08-2011, 01:20 AM. Reason: for lucidity's sake...
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