2014 French Open...Roland Garros, Paris, France

[don_budge]

All...

Can anyone see Gulbis knocking Djokovic off his perch? What will he have to do to win? Will he try to hit right through Djokovic or will he employ more subtle tactics? What do you guys think? How do you think will it play out and what will Gulbis have to do to win?

...that I said is that Gulbis has a chance. Trust me... He will take that chance. No mistake...Djokovic is the favorite.

[stotty]

Beating Djokovic

Let's wait and see...but the odds are certainly against Gulbis. The trouble with "throwing rocks and muscling serves" is the ball will always be moving in straight lines. Djokovic loves that. He gets great rhythm when players try to do this to him. Sure, he can drop a set to players in the zone, but once he clicks into place and locks down it's a big ask to beat him this way.

Murray and Federer have had success against Djokovic and it's clear their sliced backhands have played a major part. Mixing up slice and topspin backhands to Djokovic's backhand can make it at least a little more tricky for him to find his full rhythm. Federer and Murray have both been able to pull Djokovic off the court with angled topspin forehands...another rhythm breaker. I like the way Murray deals with Djokovic. It's a bit cat and mouse. He's actually fathomed Djokovic better than anyone else. He can play him like Roger does AND give him a taste of his own medicine here and there...and with a bit of cat and mouse thrown in. It's clever. I like it.

I think to beat Djokovic you have to look at who has been able to beat Djokovic in recent times (not many) and look at what they employed to do it. Federer and Murray do have decent sliced backhands and perhaps more variety to their games than others. I haven't seen Gulbis enough to know if he has anything else other than "wham bam thank you mam" to his bow.

But of what I have seen of him there is little doubt in my mind that Gulbis will try to blast his way to victory. He'll hit in straight lines both on serve and in rallies. I can't see him doing it this way unless Djokovic gets jittery...which he does...sometimes.

Hope you're enjoying Paris, don_budge. It's a wonderful city. I went there many years ago.

[don_budge]

Belief...

Can anyone see Gulbis knocking Djokovic off his perch? What will he have to do to win? Will he try to hit right through Djokovic or will he employ more subtle tactics? What do you guys think? How do you think will it play out and what will Gulbis have to do to win?

Greetings from Paris...now I know why it's called the Parisian hour.

First of all...Ernest's must believe that he can beat Djokovic and trust me he does. Then he must have a game plan that best allows him to dictate play. Then he is going to have to "play the game" and ride out the ebb and flow.

Does he have a chance? Absolutely...and as klacr notes he must be in the zone. Well he has been in the zone and what better scenario for him to lift it to another level. Semifinals of the French Open against Novak Djokovic.

Novak will be looking for that higher ground also. The one advantage that Gulbis has is that he has less to lose and more to gain than Novak. Gulbis can play it loose and go for it a bit which makes him a dangerous opponent. He had no qualms about psyching Federer...with the injury timeout. Gulbis is hungry and aggressive. This could be the match of the tournament.

[klacr]

Can anyone see Gulbis knocking Djokovic off his perch? What will he have to do to win? Will he try to hit right through Djokovic or will he employ more subtle tactics? What do you guys think? How do you think will it play out and what will Gulbis have to do to win?

Nope. Can't see it. But if Gulbis does, it will be because of his backhand down the line. He should hope he plays as well as he did against Berdych. That match he was in the zone. He said so as well.

Gulbis will need to serve well and keep Djokovic on total defense. Avoid drop shots and the cute cat and mouse points. Just stay in the zone. Be a hero in Latvia.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Gulbis versus Djokovic

Can anyone see Gulbis knocking Djokovic off his perch? What will he have to do to win? Will he try to hit right through Djokovic or will he employ more subtle tactics? What do you guys think? How do you think will it play out and what will Gulbis have to do to win?

[klacr]

No, Kuertan came in ranked in the 60's I think that year. That was something, but for Gubis to take out Djokovic and probably Nadal, back to back on clay, 3 out of 5 sets, would be close to me. I saw you said you were looking forward to grass season. I am picking Fed to pick up one last major at Wimbledon this year.

I agree. The Kuerten victory in 97 was just incredible. But if Gulbis can take out three top 6 players in last three rounds (Berdych, Djokovic, Nadal) then he's certainly worthy of a grand slam. Don't think he will. We may be headed for a Nadal-Djokovic final. Although, I've never rooted so hard for Ferrer and Murray until this week. Seeing one of those guys or even Monfils in the finals would be great.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

Roger said the same thing...

Great minds think alike!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Good news about the approaching end of the French open...GRASS COURT SEASON!!! I'm over this clay season.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Roger said the same thing...

[stroke]

Bigger than Kuerten in '97?

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

No, Kuertan came in ranked in the 60's I think that year. That was something, but for Gubis to take out Djokovic and probably Nadal, back to back on clay, 3 out of 5 sets, would be close to me. I saw you said you were looking forward to grass season. I am picking Fed to pick up one last major at Wimbledon this year.

[klacr]

To me. if Gulbis can win the French, it would be a bigger surprise than the year Gaudio won it.

Bigger than Kuerten in '97?

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stroke]

Gulbis defeats Berdych in straight sets. It was never close. Berdych didn't have a chance. Gulbis is playing some great tennis at the moment but this was a big chance to Berdych. What can you do against a guy who is hitting the lines on every shot? Thats what Gulbis did today. too good for Gulbis. too bad for Berdych and I.

Berdych is out of the French...so am I. Interest has dwindled. Good news about the approaching end of the French open...GRASS COURT SEASON!!! I'm over this clay season.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

To me. if Gulbis can win the French, it would be a bigger surprise than the year Gaudio won it.

[bottle]

?

Overcast...and perfect. Watched Stefan Kozlov...America's hope. talked to his coach.

What's most interesting there? Youth wants to know.

[klacr]

Gulbis defeats Berdych in straight sets. It was never close. Berdych didn't have a chance. Gulbis is playing some great tennis at the moment but this was a big chance to Berdych. What can you do against a guy who is hitting the lines on every shot? Thats what Gulbis did today. too good for Gulbis. too bad for Berdych and I.

Berdych is out of the French...so am I. Interest has dwindled. Good news about the approaching end of the French open...GRASS COURT SEASON!!! I'm over this clay season.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Djokovic versus Gulbis may be interesting. I'll look forward to that one. Murray versus Monfils should be decent to watch also.

I am actually hoping there will be an upset. It might be a good thing if Nadal goes out, good for the tournament, maybe even good for tennis. Think about it...someone winning a slam nine times. It's not good a player be so dominant on a given surface.

I am not even sure Djokovic could finally nail Nadal in the final. I can't quite put my finger on why but it rests in Djokovic not being quite as good a match player as Nadal or Federer. He has lapses and makes errors of judgement at critical times. He should have won more slams by now. On balance Djokovic is the best of the big four (or should I say 3 and a half...Murray being the half). There's more to my theory...but like i said I can't quite put my finger on it. I'll work on it.

[don_budge]

Hanging at Roland Garros

Overcast...and perfect. Watched Stefan Kozlov...America's hope. talked to his coach.