-
-
Did I just imagine the last 10 days?!
A lot of pretty strong opinion thereOriginally posted by uspta146749877 View Post
"needs to get stronger than Henin", no power on her serve, weak forehand, etc.
I could swear I saw aces against very good players and winners off her forehand as well. Granted, she has to get a lot better, but she definitely showed she can play on the big stage with the top players. That ability to fight and compete and also to adjust in the 2nd and 3rd sets is awfully tough to train.
I see the serve delivery as way too deliberate to be consistent under pressure, but she does pretty well with it. But not yesterday. Perhaps playing a night match had something to do with it. I haven't had a chance to watch the match yet, but the little I saw, she was making errors she simply didn't make against Dementieva or Sharapova, not exactly your average player.
If she could get nearly as strong as Henin, that would be terrific, but she looks like she actually has a little bigger frame. Remember that Henin consistently served first serves over 110 and second serves in the 90's. Watching Justine in 2004, I remember telling her coach I had never seen anyone better at hitting EVERY ball with intention, man or woman. Physically, she may have been diminutive, but mentally she was imposing. I think Oudin could learn to do that.
It will be interesting to see how she handles the rest of the fall season.
don -
How do you play a counterpuncher?
A part of difficulty yesterday was the fact that Wozniacki is TO SOME EXTENT a counterpuncher,a bit different player than,say.Dementieva.
There were a lot of power rallies as well.Last edited by uspta146749877; 09-10-2009, 12:22 PM.Comment
-
A NYTimes blog-see a part about flexible wrist
Match Analysis: Wozniacki’s Winning Approach
By Geoff Macdonald
Caroline Wozniacki played a solid, tactically intelligent match to beat Melanie Oudin and become the first Scandinavian woman since Catarina Lindqvist to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. Unlike Dementieva, Sharapova, and Petrova, she did not overreach with her shotmaking, and forced errors from Oudin. The three felled Russians all tried to overpower Oudin, who came from behind in all three matches to score huge upsets.
What did Wozniacki do differently? To begin with, she imparts more topspin on both sides when compared with the Russian players. She receives the ball with a more flexible hand and wrist at a contact point that allows her to control the ball with spin and racket head speed. This technique holds up well under pressure, as the topspin allows Wozniacki to swing freely but with a safe margin. Petrova’s forehand, by contrast, is hit with a severe Western grip, and she plays her shots flat. Under pressure, her mechanics tighten and the unforced errors come. Wozniacki turned the tables on Oudin, forcing the young American to go for a little too much on her ground strokes.
Amazingly, Wozniacki hit only five winners. Of the 69 points she won, 43 were because of Oudin’s unforced errors. The Dane artfully allowed each point to develop; she played the ball to the right spot, and forced Oudin to earn every point.
The legendary coach Chuck Kriese teaches his players to “chisel the rock,” to patiently chip away and outwork your opponent. While Wozniacki did this, the three seeded Russians tried to swat away the pesky American by trying to hit her off the court. They stopped chiseling and tried to bludgeon their way to victory. To Oudin’s credit, she never stopped fighting or believing in those matches. She chiseled her way to three small masterpieces that have catapulted her to sudden celebrity.
Wozniacki coaxed Oudin to beat herself and comported herself with class. She also tamed the crowd somewhat. In her postmatch interview she complimented Oudin and charmed everyone in Arthur Ashe Stadium.Comment
-
So now what?
So are you recommending she sign the 10 million in endorsement contracts that are offered to her in the next few weeks as fast as she can; invest the money very conservatively; take correspondence college courses on the sly for the next 4 or 5 years as she works out those endorsement contracts; and then goes to college so she can have a career for the rest of her life beyond teaching tennis??Originally posted by carrerakentComment
-
yeah. pretty much.
1. she's gonna have injuries just like nadal because of poor movement, incorrect movement, too many steps, etc.
2. her game simply won't stand up to the games of top players she has to play.
as time goes on she will stand less of a chance.
just like hewitt. there was a time where defense worked. guys have adapted so that in order to win they need defense and offense. she isn't likely to create any weapons that will hurt anyone. she counts of them breaking down, which is exactly what we saw in her wins.
in May she played our local $50K and won it. two girls that she beat barely lost because they could not bring the offense for long enough. these were girls ranked 300 and worse. Oudin was lucky in the US Open. mental breakdowns by the three seeds she beat...rather, totally beat themselves.
3. endorsement money doesn't mean anything as a measuring stick. america is so desperate for an american champion...nuf said.Comment
Tweet
Comment