BNP Paribas Masters 2012...Paris, France

[klacr]

David Ferrer is the most boring tennis player on the planet. I swear I would much rather watch paint dry...or grass grow than watch this energizer bunny play tennis. He is a robot on PED's. Llodra had break points in every single service game yesterday but was unable to apply the clincher and the result was another boring win for the Spaniard...

...It's funny klacr...or not. But I was thinking the same thing about his backhand...why not one handed? Do great minds think alike? I won't be so presumptuous. But then I kept studying the game of Jerzy and realized that he is hitting one handed much of the time. Every single one of the millions of drop shots was executed one handed and he has a really nice classical one handed slice...not of the Bernard Tomic variety that we dissected on the forum. He can really come under the ball like a warm knife through butter. There is a great backhand volley in that block of granite if only he gets a nose for the net like you, Kyle...and the "poor man's McEnroe" Llodra at the Paris Open.

don_budge,

Although we agree with Ferrer being a "boring" player, you must respect the fight he has. Does everyone know where he is going to hit his backhand 99.9% of the time (CROSSCOURT!) Yes, but the fact that he is willing to hang in there, chase down every ball, and keep fighting is a trait we'd love all of our students to have.

As for the one-hander issue, Great minds do think alike don_budge. You are too modest to say it but I gladly will. Janowicz does hit slice backhands and drop shots quite well with one hand, I just wish he'd come over that ball once with the one-hand. What a beauty it could possibly be. A sweeping effortless one-hander that takes our breath away. (Sigh...) Missing those days more and more.

Anyone out there have a time machine?

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Final

I only saw from 2-1 of the second set of the final. The Pole looked all out and was spraying the ball...looked like Ferrer had nibbled him to death.

Yes, very boring that Ferrer. It's great to see him routed by Nadal...which Nadal does routinely.

[klacr]

Credit where credit is due.

I only saw from 2-1 of the second set of the final. The Pole looked all out and was spraying the ball...looked like Ferrer had nibbled him to death.

Yes, very boring that Ferrer. It's great to see him routed by Nadal...which Nadal does routinely.

1st set was close and competitive. Ferrer got a crucial break from a double fault by Janowicz to win the 1st set. Janowicz was up a break in the 2nd, but Ferrer reeled him in, broke him down and the Polish Power was making more and more errors.

I'm happy for Ferrer, He deserves it. I'm sure there will be pundits that say his title should have an asterisk next to it because he didnt have to go through Federer, Djokovic, Nadal or Murray. But that's not Ferrer's fault. Ferrer did what he was supposed to do, beat the players that he was supposed to beat. If Murray and Djokovic lived up to their end of the deal then the tournament outcome may have been different. But they did not do it.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[DougEng]

Ladies and Germs...meet Jerzy Janowicz. The complete match versus Andy Murray at the Paris World Tour Masters 2012. I was wrong...Murray didn't necessarily tank but he did get his butt kicked. Then again...he may have tanked that third set. Plus...another bad haircut. Robocop shoes and when does he find the time to lift all those weights accounting for the beefed up physique.

Great article tennis_chiro. What a sweet service motion from set up to finish. Note the "hanging arms" that John Yandell emphasizes...he maintains that looseness and relaxation throughout the entire motion as well. Oh man...see that racquet drop behind him going into the "rollercoaster loop" behind him. Before seeing this motion I was hard pressed to answer the question for a model pro serve...but now...well, let's see how he holds up in the future. He sure looks promising and not a one hit wonder like Lukas Rosol. Flatter ground strokes can more easily be developed into heavier spin. Your use of the word "fundamentals" is music to my ears. What's more...I see potential in this player. Room for improvement.

I like the tone of tennisspeak these days...noticeably different from a year ago. More talk about volleys, service motions, approach shots etc.

Great tactic to bring the baseliner forwards to the net using drop shots and short balls. Against these modern day baseliners you must use the whole court. It won't work every single time but it serves to disrupt the rhythm over the course of a match. Jerzy has a big bomb on the forehand side but he is very clever as well in how he uses it, frequently mixing up off speed balls before delivering the big one. I love the backswing and the finish on the forehand...nothing stupid or unorthodox.

He certainly doesn't play like he is 6' 8" tall. He looks to be much more agile than say John Isner. He seems to be very "quick" for his size. He's a retriever too...he runs down balls and knows how to reset the point. I really like the way that he carries himself on the court...all of his movements even between points seems to be loose and flowing. Very cool at changing sides...crosses his legs looking very contemplative. He carries and conducts himself like a tennis player. Temperament wise...he never looks completely satisfied until the match is in the bag. He saved two match points in the second set to come back and take the tie-breaker. Perfect. He's demonstrative too...showing his emotions in his own personality. Very refreshing...possibly charismatic. On the other hand...Murray failed to serve out the match once again.

Finalist at the U. S. Open junior in 2007 and the French in 2008. Age 22...nice maturity and there is no reason that children must start at such young ages. It is a ten year deal and if one starts to play at the age of 12 or 13 it is certainly not too late to develop into a first rate competitive tennis player...even a champion. This of course contradicts conventional wisdom.

One more thing...an all white tennis outfit complete with a collared shirt. Matching socks with his initials on them "JJ". Is he a classic? I like him. So does tennis_chiro.


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

Interesting comments. Not sure what is meant by "a 10 year deal"? Perhaps the deliberate practice 10-year rule which is quite arbitrary (the actual range for the 10,000 hr rule is 3,000-26,000 hrs in research and 10,000 is the average but most people falsely assume it's the rule). Jerzy has been playing since he was 5 and that's 17 years. Parents are volleyball players. About 5 years on the tour now. I was just chatting with a friend in Poland; he's quite promising. He moves better than other guys his size but he's still a bit awkward. He doesn't go to the net as much as he should but he has nice touch and that nasty serve. It's typical now the best players make their break at 21-24 years old, rather than 18-19 years old. That means about 4-5 years on the tour before cracking the top 50 or so. Most top 10 ITF juniors who turn pro reach the top 100 and usually break in at age 22 after ca 4 years on the tour. Given Jerzy is a big guy, he is breaking in at the right time like John Isner did. What makes Del Potro and Marin Cilic unusual is that they are big guys getting into the top 20 at younger ages. It's more typical a player who matures earlier and usually a speedy baseliner like Nadal, Hewitt, Chang or Wilander (going way back) make their move as a teenager (17-19 years old).

[don_budge]

The Ten Year Deal...according to Bill Tilden

Interesting comments. Not sure what is meant by "a 10 year deal"? Perhaps the deliberate practice 10-year rule which is quite arbitrary (the actual range for the 10,000 hr rule is 3,000-26,000 hrs in research and 10,000 is the average but most people falsely assume it's the rule).

It's more typical a player who matures earlier and usually a speedy baseliner like Nadal, Hewitt, Chang or Wilander (going way back) make their move as a teenager (17-19 years old).

Hej DougEng...my comment had nothing to do with the deliberate practice research model...which to me seems sort of irrelevant based on the variance. In fact, my comments are rarely scientific observation at all. Just whimsically thinking out loud on tennisplayer.net for the amusement of myself...and others I hope. I guess you are a scientist or something like that...more obsessed with definition and counting up numbers. My comment originates from a Tilden theory that went something like this and keep in mind this isn't an exact science either...in equation form:

10 yr. deal = 1 yr. to learn to play the game + 4 yrs. to become a "tennis player" + 5 yrs. to develop into a champion.

Aaron Krickstein, who really wasn't "speedy" at all, was the youngest player to win an ATP event...Tel Aviv, Israel in 1983 if my memory serves me correctly. He was what I would term "gifted". Plus the fact that his father was extraordinarily visionary. His mother a saint. Going way back in time...pre 1984 so it doesn't really exist does it? I guess that I am sort of obsessed with George Orwell's book...along with other things. But then again...I don't look at it as obsession but more like fascination.

[DougEng]

Hej DougEng...my comment had nothing to do with the deliberate practice research model...which to me seems sort of irrelevant based on the variance. In fact, my comments are rarely scientific observation at all. Just whimsically thinking out loud on tennisplayer.net for the amusement of myself...and others I hope. I guess you are a scientist or something like that...more obsessed with definition and counting up numbers. My comment originates from a Tilden theory that went something like this and keep in mind this isn't an exact science either...in equation form:

10 yr. deal = 1 yr. to learn to play the game + 4 yrs. to become a "tennis player" + 5 yrs. to develop into a champion.

Aaron Krickstein, who really wasn't "speedy" at all, was the youngest player to win an ATP event...Tel Aviv, Israel in 1983 if my memory serves me correctly. He was what I would term "gifted". Plus the fact that his father was extraordinarily visionary. His mother a saint. Going way back in time...pre 1984 so it doesn't really exist does it? I guess that I am sort of obsessed with George Orwell's book...along with other things. But then again...I don't look at it as obsession but more like fascination.

Ok. Baseliners and smaller players tend to develop more quickly. Usually they are much more agility/speedy than big players. A tall player takes 1-3 years longer to develop typically. Aaron was a smaller player although, yes not as quick as some other baseliners.