The 2012 Australian Open...

[stotty]

To me, Nadal is beaten in a point when he has to hit his slice backhand. Occasionally, he can get away with one but almost never with two in a row.When he returns serve in the deuce court with a slice backhand , he is done immediately. If I were Uncle Toni, I would ban slice backhands .

You're absolutely right, and Matts pointed this out too. As soon as Djokovic can engineer a rally where he can get Nadal to poke that sliced backhand on a stretch, the rally is as good as over. But Matts also said that when Nadal is in a stable enough position during a rally, he should use his sliced backhand more often as a way of mixing things up. Nadal only uses his slice in desperation, when defending. If he could get some bite and depth on the shot and play it in the early to middle part of a rally, it might interrupt Djokovic's rhythm in their toe-to-toe slug out rallies. Djokovic is a machine and machines don't like spanners thrown in their works.

I haven't watched all the final yet. I recorded it and am watching a bit everyday. I have seen the first two sets and have to say that so far Djokovic isn't playing as well as he can. I've seen him play far better.

I cannot see Nadal fairing any better against Djokovic at the French Open either. Djokovic has the shot tolerance to rally as long if not longer than Nadal and there is little reason why he cannot beat him on his favoured surface.

I wonder why Nadal can't play his two-handed backhand on a stretch as well as other players? He's forced to use his sliced backhand in situations where other players (like Djokovic) would still be able to use two hands. There must be a technical reason? Maybe his grips? I think this is a question best answered by Doug Eng if he is floating about on the forum...or any of you if you feel you know the reason.

[julian1]

For licensedcoach

Please see

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin/showthread.php?t=2012&page=3

post #26

[gsheiner]

Licensed Coach,

I note that you say you are watching the 5th set a little each day. As you do, please check on my following recollection.

I recollect that in the last few games, there were many neutral balls essentially down the middle to Nadal, that he elected to return with a slice backhand instead of a little run around to blast the forehand. I was literally screaming at him for doing this. These weren't balls that had him on the stretch.

Of course, the response might be that he was too tired to run around. Possibly true, but by slicing something back he was basically putting himself in position to have to run afor another shot anyway.

I would have preferred, if he was exhausted, for him to run around the forehand and go for broke -win or lose- on your best weapon.