Halle: Garry Halle tournament!!

[gzhpcu]

Dustin Brown, playing brilliant serve and volley tennis just beat Nadal 6-4, 6-1! It wasn't even close! Perfect classical grass court tennis! Kyle you will love this!

OK... transition to grass from clay is tough, but still...

[klacr]

Dustin Brown, playing brilliant serve and volley tennis just beat Nadal 6-4, 6-1! It wasn't even close! Perfect classical grass court tennis! Kyle you will love this!

OK... transition to grass from clay is tough, but still...

Love it? I wrote it! (Sorry, old "Classical Pianist" Joke)

Yes, saw the match live. Very good stuff.

Dustin Brown excels on the grass courts. Sadly, the season is only 5 weeks long, soon to be 6 weeks. Dustin plays high risk and improvisational tennis, grass courts can reward this if the grass is playing quickly which it looks like it was. Happy for Dustin Brown.

A few notes about the win...

- Dustin Brown joins a short list of players with a winning record over Rafael Nadal. The others, Nikolay Davydenko and Chris Guccione.

- Ranked 85 in the world, Brown is the lowest ranked player to defeat #1 ranked player since Mardy Fish (Ranked 98) Defeated Federer at Indian Wells in 2008.

- Nadal has a three match grass court losing streak. Lukas Rosol (#100). Steve Darcis (#135) Dustin Brown (#85).


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

You watched it live on TennisTV too Kyle? I saw the whole match too.

[klacr]

Yes Phil, I watched it. As glorious as it was, I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention another player that embraces the Serve and Volley, Mr. Radek Stepanek defeated Reigning Queen's Club and Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray today 7-6, 6-2 in London.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

18-16

18-16 in the 3rd set tie-breaker for Kohlschreiber vs. Dustin Brown. Fantastic stuff. Fans in Halle getting a real treat this week.

That is the longest deciding 3rd tie-break in the last 15 years.

Kohlschreiber had 8 match points.
Brown had 5 match points.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Berdych...in a snoozer

18-16 in the 3rd set tie-breaker for Kohlschreiber vs. Dustin Brown. Fantastic stuff. Fans in Halle getting a real treat this week.

That is the longest deciding 3rd tie-break in the last 15 years.

Kohlschreiber had 8 match points.
Brown had 5 match points.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

...went down in Queens without serving and volleying at all.

[klacr]

...went down in Queens without serving and volleying at all.

I tried to be a good boy and not mention Berdych's name until he won the title this week. Disappointing loss to Feliciano Lopez. Lopez BTW, did Serve and volley for many of the points. Won 90% of his first serve points. Lopez only faced 1 break point the whole match and saved that.

Berdych is a skilled doubles player (remains only player in 2014 to win both a singles and doubles title, has a 20-1 record in Davis Cup doubles matches and was ranked as high as #2 in the world in Doubles a s a junior)

For Berdych, An issue could be that transition. If you start him up at net as server's partner he can hold his own but it's the coming in off his serve, which also is usually a low first serve % can cause him issues.

Being a Berdych fan can be frustrating but he is too good to give up on as a fan. IMHO, he's the best pure natural ball striker on tour behind Federer. I'll get some serious flak for that last statement but I can take it.

Also, Tomas needs to go after Lendl as his coach. It will take much persuading since Lendl isn't that motivated to get back on tour. Lendl can share duties with Berdych's current coach Tomas Krupa. Berdych needs to gain that belief and mental dexterity that Murray gained with Lendl. Or Berdych can hire me. Compared to Lendl, I'm much cheaper and much more willing.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

More Lawn tennis from Halle...Germany

I tried to be a good boy and not mention Berdych's name until he won the title this week.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Yes...one wonders what it will take to stop being a "good boy". I wonder when I stopped trying...I cannot for the life of me remember exactly why either. A combination of things...I suppose.

Ok...there was a lot of oohing and ahhing of "Downtown" Dustin Brown...he of the Rastafarian Dreadlocks. But he's gone now so we are left to settle for those two grass court experts in the top half...Phillipp Kohlschreiber and Alejandro Falla. Wait a minute...since when did Columbia start producing grass court tennis players? Answer...they have not. Why wouldn't a big hulking lug with a huge serve like 3rd seeded Milos Raonic not cruise to the semi's of an ATP 250 event like this one in Halle, Germany? Answer...no answer. It's stupid.

In the bottom half is the last remaining link to "classic tennis"...Roger Federer versus the "Samurai Kid" or the "Karate Kid" Kei Nishikori. I am dying to see if Roger is going to make a concerted effort to get his aging and experienced butt to the net where he has all of the opportunities to conclude this thing as a victory for his newborn twin sons. I certainly hope so.

[klacr]

Federer and Falla in the finals. Roger got his butt to the net. Although, not as much as I'd like to see.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Butt forwards...

Federer and Falla in the finals. Roger got his butt to the net. Although, not as much as I'd like to see.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Roger's butt was also going in the wrong direction after match point. Apparently he had lost track of the score and didn't realize that he had won the match...he was retreating to behind the baseline to play the next point and Kei was at the net wondering where the hell he was going.

I guess that is the best of all possible times to have a lapse in concentration and lose track of the score...after you have won match point. Roger is so good that even when he is off...he has won.

His net play was a bit forced. He doesn't look natural going forwards. His approaches could have a bit more variety. He doesn't close like an instinctive net player. Sometimes after he hit a volley he barely moved forwards but in his defense the ball is being returned so fast there isn't much time. The biggest point is that his approach game is not geared to carry his momentum forwards.

Using an ATP strong gripped forehand swing as an approach technique is going to swing you too much to the left side of your body on your forehand and doesn't carry you forwards and to the net as an underspin chip or slice might. But with the way the courts are the chip or slice doesn't lay down as you might like it.

He was looking like he was making an effort to be more net attack oriented but it doesn't come off as such a natural play for him. This is a bad sign for the tennis world when the most versatile athlete in the game is having difficulties playing the game the way that it used to be fundamentally played. It shows how much effect the engineering has had on the game over the years. Engineering as opposed to evolution.

[klacr]

Roger's butt was also going in the wrong direction after match point. Apparently he had lost track of the score and didn't realize that he had won the match...he was retreating to behind the baseline to play the next point and Kei was at the net wondering where the hell he was going.

I guess that is the best of all possible times to have a lapse in concentration and lose track of the score...after you have won match point. Roger is so good that even when he is off...he has won.

His net play was a bit forced. He doesn't look natural going forwards. His approaches could have a bit more variety. He doesn't close like an instinctive net player. Sometimes after he hit a volley he barely moved forwards but in his defense the ball is being returned so fast there isn't much time. The biggest point is that his approach game is not geared to carry his momentum forwards.

Using an ATP strong gripped forehand swing as an approach technique is going to swing you too much to the left side of your body on your forehand and doesn't carry you forwards and to the net as an underspin chip or slice might. But with the way the courts are the chip or slice doesn't lay down as you might like it.

He was looking like he was making an effort to be more net attack oriented but it doesn't come off as such a natural play for him. This is a bad sign for the tennis world when the most versatile athlete in the game is having difficulties playing the game the way that it used to be fundamentally played. It shows how much effect the engineering has had on the game over the years. Engineering as opposed to evolution.

Here's the video from Roger's mental lapse...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQw1DyTFFZ0

Roger's net play was forced. He doesn't look natural. But then again, who does look natural serving and volleying nowadays. Stepanek and Lopez? It's a tough ask but I am glad to see Federer attempting. That's further than many players would go.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

When Fed beat Sampras at the age of 19 at Wimbledon, about 2000, Sampras said, "He will be number one.", and Fed came into net: 139 times.

[gzhpcu]

When Fed beat Sampras at the age of 19 at Wimbledon, about 2000, Sampras said, "He will be number one.", and Fed came into net: 139 times.

Well, if you don't use it you lose it...

[don_budge]

Downtown Dustin Brown...vs. Rafael Nadal at Halle

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

The much ballyhooed match between "Downtown" and "Fafa". He's a rare character. It isn't often you see these dreadlocks playing lawn court tennis. Great contrast and the guy definitely has some very redeeming qualities.

I just love the wear pattern in the grass, don't you? Just inside the baseline the grass is brown from where the server, after hitting a big serve, comes to an abrupt stop and retreats behind the baseline.

[klacr]

Hopefully the brown patch inches closer to the service line, then eventually beyond it and up to the net.

Just a wish

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton