2014 U. S. Open Championships...New York, New York

[don_budge]

The Finals of the 2014 U. S. Open Men's Championship

[10] Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs. [14] Marin Cilic (CRO)

Kei Nishikori owns a 5-2 head to head advantage over Marin Cilic. Marin has been defying the odds all week. Why would he stop now?

It's an interesting match in the sense that these are two newcomers to the Grand Slam finals scene. But can they live up to the billing? That remains to be seen.

Cilic has been playing a starring role as "The Sleeper" in the tournament. If he continues to serve as well there isn't any good reason why he isn't the next U. S. Open Men's Champion.

It's late here in Sweden. I am already starting to yawn. It doesn't bode well unless something of extreme interest happens in the match. I don't anticipate that happening. Let me know who wins. Yawn.....

[10splayer]

[10] Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs. [14] Marin Cilic (CRO)

Kei Nishikori owns a 5-2 head to head advantage over Marin Cilic. Marin has been defying the odds all week. Why would he stop now?

It's an interesting match in the sense that these are two newcomers to the Grand Slam finals scene. But can they live up to the billing? That remains to be seen.

Cilic has been playing a starring role as "The Sleeper" in the tournament. If he continues to serve as well there isn't any good reason why he isn't the next U. S. Open Men's Champion.

It's late here in Sweden. I am already starting to yawn. It doesn't bode well unless something of extreme interest happens in the match. I don't anticipate that happening. Let me know who wins. Yawn.....

Yes, please go to sleep.

[stotty]

Good start from Cilic...starting how he left off with Federer...5-2.

[stotty]

6-3 6-3 3-1 to Cilic. Nishikori just cannot muster enough...or anything so far. All Cilic has to do is hold his nerve...

[don_budge]

2014 U. S. Open Men's Championship..."The Sleeper" Marin Cilic

[10] Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs. [14] Marin Cilic (CRO)

Cilic has been playing a starring role as "The Sleeper" in the tournament. If he continues to serve as well there isn't any good reason why he isn't the next U. S. Open Men's Champion.

It's late here in Sweden. I am already starting to yawn. It doesn't bode well unless something of extreme interest happens in the match. I don't anticipate that happening. Let me know who wins. Yawn.....

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) d. [10] Kei Nishikori (JPN) 63 63 63

No surprises. I slept well...I fell asleep before the match began. I had no interest. Does that seem odd? I spent so much time and effort chronicling the 2014 U. S. Open Championships.

It all seemed so anticlimactic. I spoke with my father today and he was surprised that both of the "Big Four" had lost in the semi's. We have been conditioned for certain outcomes.

"The Sleeper" never woke up it seems. It's just as well. When things are going along perfectly there is not sense in asking yourself why...just go along for the ride and see how long it lasts. Marin Cilic richly deserves the title this year. He snuck up on everyone and even when his brilliance kept on hitting everyone in the face...it was hard to believe that this was the same Marin Cilic that had been around for a long time without accomplishing the big deeds.

I never saw a single point of the finals. It must have been over very quickly leaving those watching feeling that this was furthermore anticlimactic. The tennis world is scratching their heads...wondering how it came to this. Well...most of them haven't read or watched the "Ille Nastase versus Arthur Ashe...1972 U. S. Open Finals" or "John McEnroe versus Bjorn Borg...1980 U. S. Open Finals. It's just as well too I suppose. We don't want to wake them.

Afterall..."The Sleeper" found that it was beneficial to not wake up during the course of his run. He didn't wake until it was over...then he was standing in front of everyone holding the trophy over his head. A dream come true.

[stotty]

Well, I did watch the final.

It was disappointing from Nishikori's point of view. After his previous two five set marathons, and his performance against Djokovic, his was pretty much spent.

Cilic was amazing. He hardly faltered and was incredibly brave throughout the match. I though he might choke towards the finish line but he certainly didn't...steely to the last. A deserved win, and, yes, it's nice to have someone different seize the jewels.

[don_budge]

The Coaches Advice...

"One of the biggest pieces of advice Goran gave me this tournament was to not think too much," he later told Britain's Sky Sports. "Toss the ball, hit it, play your game, be aggressive. Try to be relaxed."--Marin Cilic.

Sound familiar..."don't wake up."

[klacr]

Redlining his game. Cilic played great. Kept things simple yes, but when you can execute, things do become simple. After his 5 set marathon with Simon in 4th round, he then went on to beat Berdych, Federer, Nishikori in straight sets. The Berdych loss doesn't feel so bad knowing he mandled Fed and Nishikori in much the same way. Cold comfort.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Every Picture Tells a Story...Rod Stewart

Cilic played great. Kept things simple yes, but when you can execute, things do become simple. After his 5 set marathon with Simon in 4th round, he then went on to beat Berdych, Federer, Nishikori in straight sets. The Berdych loss doesn't feel so bad knowing he mandled Fed and Nishikori in much the same way. Cold comfort.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Every draw sheet tells a story...don't it? Sure it does...just ask Rod Stewart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmyGa29zIqk

Novak Djokovic (1)...Diego Schwartzman, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Sam Querry, Phillipp Kohlschreiber (22), Andy Murray (8).

Kei Nishikori (10)...Wayne Odesnik, Pablo Andujar, Leonardo Mayer (23), Milos Raonic (5), Stanislas Wawrinka (3), Novak Djokovic (1).

Marin Cilic (14)...Marcos Baghdatis, Illya Marchenko, Kevin Anderson (18), Gilles Simon (26), Tomas Berdych (6), Roger Federer (2), Kei Nishikori (10).

Roger Federer (2)...Marinko Jatosevic, Sam Groth, Marcel Granollers, Roberto Bautista Agut (17), Gael Monfils (20).

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Share/Event-Draws.aspx?Year=2014&EventId=560&Draw=ms

I had a chance to see a repeat of the 2014 U. S. Open Men's Final here on Eurosport. Very interesting...or not. Depending upon your point of view. Modern tennis isn't my cup of tea...you might say. The repeat didn't hold my undivided attention. I can admire and appreciate great serving but as a whole the match was lacking...a competitive opponent for one thing. Great serving. It just got better as the match went on. That is the hallmark of a great serving motion. It is like a big old freight train...it just accumulates tremendous momentum. Towards the end of the match it just was a runaway...running away from Kei Nishikori. He was helpless.

Marin Cilic has come upon the most essential bit of tennis that should be the ultimate goal for any competitive tennis player. The perfect service motion. You can put his right up there with any of the great ones...any of them. Throw dear old Richard Gonzales in the mix. Marin's motion is perfect. Period.

I noticed that at Wimbledon. He was cutting his teeth with it against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Cilic only ran out of gas in that match...he was outplaying a competitive Djokovic. He was only getting poised to taste success...he was rehearsing on the lawn. Berdych fell to him there in straight sets as well. Berdych was again the catalyst of some real heroics but this time Marin followed through and his conditioning didn't fail him. Perhaps he was steadying his nervous energy and managing the pressure better. He played the U. S. Open like a Stradivarius...while upping the tempo all along the way.

He beat another big server in Kevin Anderson in the third round and he did it rather handily. Then he dispatched his old nemesis Gilles Simon going the distance as they are want to do. But then he really hit his stride. He pounded a hot-handed heavy hitting Tomas Berdych, who had literally pounded the up and coming Dominic Thiem in straight sets...in straight sets. Berdych didn't know what hit him until the third set...I saw some of that match. By the thiem Marin caught up with Roger Federer he was traveling on moxy and so in the zone he was looking for air...he was so high up. Roger didn't stand a chance. He didn't have his legs under him from the dramatic Monfils match and the recent rather successful weeks on the hard court circuit had caught up with him. In hindsight he may have skipped one of the two lead up tournaments...or at least tanked early at Cincinnati. Who knows he may have been up late changing diapers...none of it mattered. It was over before it began.

Marin Cilic then never woke up. Even his coach was telling him not to think. When you have a perfect service motion...when your serves are clipping the lines at a zillion miles an hour it is best not to think. You don't have to think. You just ride the wave. The wave of a perfect service motion. I know...I had one.

When the serve is working like that everything just follows in it's wake...everything else just gets that much better. The forehand was particularly sharp and the backhand was nothing to sneeze at. The thundering serve puts you on the attack for at least fifty percent of the match...but guess what? It puts your opponent just a bit more under pressure on his serve. In this case...it was a lot of pressure. Being down a break and looking at this piece of work coming down the pipe is no picnic. Go ask Roger. But the key is as Goran Ivanisevic suggested...do not think. Don't wake up. Just wide the wave...just ride the perfect service motion.

Watching the final...it felt anticlimactic. It wasn't very entertaining either. The way that tennis is played in the professional game in 2014 is a shame. There is zero aesthetic beauty left in the game...save for the appreciation of a perfect service motion...and there is zero subtlety. The Kei Nishikori story was quickly reduced to zero as well. He was what you would call a passive participant in the final.

There are very few perfect service motions as well. Only one as a matter of fact. Marin Cilic's.

Every picture tells a story...don't it? Yes it does...yes it does.

[don_budge]

Marin Cilic...The Sleeper Part 1

August 29...7.45 AM

Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) vs. [12] Richard Gasquet (FRA)
[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Illya Marchenko (UKR)

Skip "Cocaine Lips" on the way to Marin Cilic...a possible sleeper.

August 30...8.39 AM

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) d. Illya Marchenko (UKR) 76(2) 62 64

Marin Cilic...another sleeper in the draw advances. Another big guy playing with a two handed backhand who never should have once he was old enough to drive.

August 31...1.50 PM

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. [18] Kevin Anderson (RSA)

Marin Cilic against Kevin Anderson...two big hitters with two handed backhands. Why do you guys need the two hands on the racquet? Why???

September 1...8.38 AM

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) d. [18] Kevin Anderson (RSA) 63 36 63 64


Marin Cilic over Kevin Anderson...no surprise and no entertainment value. Cilic is "The Sleeper".

September 2...10.00 AM

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. [26] Gilles Simon (FRA)

Marin Cilic vs. Gilles Simon...I was looking at Marin as "The Sleeper" in the draw until I looked up the head to head for these two. Simon by a surprising 4-0 with last match a convincing 5-setter at the 2014 Australian Open where Simon took Cilic going away. Go figure...all of their matches have gone the distance yet Simon wins every time. Both players are in very good form and it should be a very competitive match. There is a first time for everything...but not every time obviously. Let's hope that they go the distance again and the best man wins.

Dimitrov and Monfils is downright compelling on paper if it materializes. The same might even be said for Cilic and Simon.

September 3...8.00 AM

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) d. [26] Gilles Simon (FRA) 57 76(3) 64 36 63

Marin Cilic vs. Gilles Simon...Simon received treatment on his back in the first set then miraculously came back to win it. From there on out it appears to have been a "compelling" match. Once again they went the distance..this time with a different outcome. A first time. A maiden voyage. I watched just a bit of it...too mesmerized by the resurgent Monfils. Marin is "The Sleeper".

September 3...10.15 AM

[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. [14] Marin Cilic (CRO)

Tomas Berdych vs. Marin Cilic...Somehow this tournament just came down to the heart of the matter. Another compelling match on paper...it is only too bad that neither of these two has any stomach for the net. Both big strong guys firmly anchored to the baseline with two handed backhands. If I had my way they both would drop that second hand and play the whole darn court. Be that as it may this is anybodies match with the advantage to Berdych...he has friends in high places.

But Marin has played "The Sleeper" role to perfection thus far and he has a loose cannon in his corner for a coach. First he has to believe that he can get it done and perhaps his loss to Djokovic at Wimbledon will serve him in good stead. Berdych really is riding with a lot of confidence...perhaps more than I have ever seen in him. He moves around quietly...but he is swinging a big stick. This match just might be watchable...but that isn't certain.

September 4...10.57 PM

"What was the game plan", asked Darren Cahill.
"Well, we both hit big....I returned well...I used the conditions better." was I think the gist of the reply from Cilic.

So no tactics really...just hit big. Makes you wonder whether once players are hitting with such incredible velocity that the range of tactics becomes more limited.

September 4...10.13 PM

Look on the bright side. Short of a stella performance from Monfils, Roger will be in the final if Birdy loses. Cilic has never beaten Federer.

I'm on your side with Annabelle Croft. She is absolutely lovely...and nice with it.

September 5...8.00 AM

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) d. [6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) 62 64 76

Tomas Berdych vs. Marin Cilic...It wasn't watchable. Two Goliaths slugging it out from the baseline. Player B in the end hit the ball harder in the court more often than Player A. Tactical play...null and void. This is the epitome of the modern game and it is too bad. Give 'em both a wooden racquet and let's watch them slug it out. I guarantee you that if this were the case both of these players would be doing their utmost to get to the net first. We'd see how much kickback those service motions would have...none I suspect. Marin Cilic has been "The Sleeper" in the draw but Tomas knew what he was up against from the beating he took at Wimbledon earlier in the year. Cilic overwhelmed him when it seemed as if it was Berdych's moment. He was not the first to fall in this fashion. He followed Grigor Dimitrov to the sidelines. Federer next for Cilic...a different animal.

September 6...11.47 AM

[2] Roger Federer (SUI) vs.[14] Marin Cilic (CRO)

Now it is time for the semifinals of the 2014 U. S. Open Championships. Two matches between four players. It's down to four from the original one hundred twenty eight. If only we could just look at the draw sheet so far...and just appreciate how we got to where we are. Every picture tells a story...and so does every draw sheet.

Marin Cilic (14)...Marcos Baghdatis, Illya Marchenko, Kevin Anderson (18), Gilles Simon (26), Tomas Berdych (6).

Roger Federer (2)...Marinko Jatosevic, Sam Groth, Marcel Granollers, Roberto Bautista Agut (17), Gael Monfils (20).

Roger Federer versus Marin Cilic...Roger is 5-0 head to head against Marin. He is aiming to make it six and he doesn't want to screw around doing it. He can ill afford to take all night to send Marin home and he would like it if Marin very kindly would cooperate. After the epic against Gael Monfils 48 hours ago there might still be a lingering question about his condition. He pretty much used it all up...all of that nervous energy from the pressure that Monfils put on him in front of a packed Arthur Ashe stadium. How much can he have left? Marin wasn't very shy about bullying Berdych back to Prague and from all indications he feels as if he belongs where he is. All messages to be heeded by the Federer camp. I have been calling Marin Cilic "The Sleeper" in the draw all along and here he is. Poised to take on Roger Federer for all of the marbles with Roger quite possibly on shaky legs.

There is a first time for everything you know. Marin isn't taking those five previous beatings lightly. He is saying to himself...nobody beats me six in a row. An expression made famous by Vitas Gerulaitis after beating Bjorn Borg for the first time after 15 tries...or so. So Roger will not be able to rest solely on past results here...in fact he has to guard about relying on them at all. This is a first time match up in a sense and he has to treat it as such. In fact...he would do well to put himself in Cilic's shoes and try to think of himself as the underdog in a sense. He has to play with a sense of abandon and wanton urgency. Anything less is going to be construed as indecisive to Cilic and he is only looking for an invitation to steal the crown...from the Once and Future King.

So it is anybody's match in a sense. Sure you can say that Roger is up 5-0 head to head. But their last confrontation was in Toronto where he just barely emerged the victor. But I believe in miracles...I always will to my last dying day. Somehow I think that justice will be done...a naive thought I rationally know. So I believe that Roger can beat him...whether or not that he does...one never knows about the future. But seeing as this tournament is all about the racquet of Roger Federer...or the sword of King Arthur...he has to win to give the truth a chance. As Merlin said..."every time you tell a lie you destroy a little piece of the world". Or as Scarface said..."I always tell the truth, even when I lie". It's anybody's match...but I am a believer. Go figure.

At this point it is all about pressure. Tilden writes about maintaining pressure on your opponent. Monfils did a splendid job of this against Federer and Roger was lucky to be playing today. We have Nishikori and Cilic up against a couple of legends of the sport of modern tennis and their unenviable task is to see if they can maintain pressure on them. The one intangible here is the crowd. Mere mortals don't know that kind of pressure...but Roger and Novak certainly do. They know how to make that work for them and the others are sort of leery of it working against them. If they can manage those doubts then they stand a much better chance of emerging today. It's a huge intangible...and it might just bolster Roger's legs when he needs it most.

Early on in the tournament i referred to Marin Cilic as "The Sleeper" in the draw. It wasn't that I was picking him to win the tournament...it was only that I felt that given his form and his play that he was going to be a handful for any given opponent.

[don_budge]

Marin Cilic...The Sleeper Part 2

September 6...12.19 AM

I'm not seeing any issues for Roger fatigue wise vs Cilic. Roger was very impressive vs Monfils. He withstood Monfil's very best, took that 3rd set, and Monfil's, despite his great 4 sets of play, did not fight his best in the 5th. For Monfil's is to ever take that next step, he just can't go away like that. Kei has the game, I just got a feeling his fitness or injuries will be a factor today vs Novak. I would be very surprised if Roger does not advance to the finals.

September 7...3.05 AM

It couldn't fall any better for Marin Cilic. This may be his best shot at winning a major, even with Goran in the corner, it will be hard for him to reproduce as I don't think he really has the game, but he's on fire. Federer struggled against Monfils, and although I didn't see his play against Cilic, I imagine, Fed struggled too although the stats says it was a quality match I doubt Federer was at his best. We all knew none of the big four, except Federer were playing that well coming up to the open.

Marin is really the big surprise, not Kei. It's expected Kei can do well.

Marin had never beaten Gilles Simon and lost to him earlier this year in Australian in 5 sets. He won. The same for Roger Federer and Marin won. He was 0-9 against the two.

Cilic does well against big guys who hit big. He has a good record against Berdych and Anderson. Hence, he had a great draw. Then he also faced Gilles, someone who's never done really well at majors (1 QF) and the fading genius. He doesn't do as well against runners, counterpunchers or all-court players which makes you wonder about Federer. According to IBM stats, Federer came to the net only 23 times against Cilic. Too little considering Marin's style. And Federer certainly doesn't help with his low stats on the serve return. When he's bad, he's bad. Federer only had 2 break points against Marin and converted one.

Marin conquered his personal nemesis and stopped two streaks. The question, is…can he do it again? He's 2-5 vs Nishikori and as Federer says, the record doesn't count.

This year the majors go through Djokovic. I think Kei is 4 tight sets or even 5.

Kei will have more break points in this match than his last two.
Best,
Doug

September 8...7.50 AM

The ATP website has Marin Cilic winning the 2014 U. S. Open Men's Championships. All they need is a score and the stats. Do they know something we don't? It wouldn't surprise me.

Was it only me or did Djokovic look as if he didn't show up to win?

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=N552&oId=C977

The ATP website had posted Marin Cilic's name as the winner before the match had been played. I was looking at their head to head results when I saw this.

September 8...8.44 AM

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. [2] Roger Federer (SUI) 63 64 64

Player B hit the ball much harder than Player A. Player B won. No surprise...not really. It was "The Sleeper" who had the quick drop right from the beginning. Roger never stood a chance. There really isn't much to say about the match except to sort of be in awe about the performance of Marin Cilic throughout this tournament. He defeated Gilles Simon whom he had never beaten before in four tries in spite of pushing him to the brink on all four occasions. Five's a charm. He hammered Tomas Berdych into total submission which is no easy task. Straight sets in the quarters.

Nobody had to tell Roger "this ain't your night kid" because he knew it from the start. His legs weren't in it having been taken away from him 48 hours by the lunatic effort against Gael Monfils...having to come from two sets down derailed his plans for Marin Cilic. He knew in advance that he wouldn't have the energy to get his act to the net...he announced it. He may have even been injured...we may never know. That wasn't a hundred percent Roger Federer out there Saturday. But you see...he is the last remaining link to the real game. He may play with a bigger racquet now...he was the very last to cave completely in to the modern game. But his heart is still in it.

He is in the end...A CLASSIC. Classic tennis players didn't announce or make big deals of the injuries before matches were played as if to declare their excuses up front just in case they lost. No...they preferred to keep their cards close to their chests and try to make do with what they were dealt. Sometimes an injury could be overcome...best to keep it to yourself and not let it become a topic of conversation.

The match with Monfils exhausted Roger more than physically. Emotionally he was drained. His last gasp was the scream at the end of the Monfils match. That is what he needed most were some primal emotions to fall back on when everything else was failing. He's a husband and a father of four now and a lot of his emotions are already spoken for before he goes out on the court. With all of his money he cannot afford to be the selfish bastard that he needs to be at moments like this. During the Monfils match it looked to me that he wanted to scream for the first four sets until he had Monfils by the scruff of the neck and even then he couldn't relax until he had him securely in the barn. During the post match interview there was something decidedly different about Federer...he looked as if he had aged. I saw the beginning of an old man. As an athlete his star is falling.

He had nothing to combat "The Sleeper" with. Nothing substantial. All that he had was his reputation and his past laurels which in all probability were like a yoke around his neck when he was in the thick of it. Weighing him down. The weight was collecting in his legs and his heart. He was spent. There was nothing to give. He has given it all.

But that was some very impressive serving by Cilic. He was pounding the backhand down the tee in the deuce court. He was pounding the tee in the ad court. He was pounding at all of his targets the whole match. Whenever Federer managed to return a serve Cilic was there to mop up the remains. Federer's only hope was to engage him in longer points but without legs and a heart that may not have been in it...it's a losing battle. As for Roger's own serve...it had disappeared in the Monfil's match and it never returned. You have to have your legs under you to serve in commanding fashion.

As for the final...the way that I see it is that Marin Cilic has been a perfect "Sleeper" in the draw. Not a lot was expected at a number of points in the tournament but now everyone is awake to his possibilities. My hope for him is that he doesn't actually "wake up" himself. He is playing as if in a dream. He is frightfully in "the zone". When you are in the zone it isn't so much as thinking your way through things it is only about repeating the ritual...the mantra. Listening to the voice inside your head that is only humming a monosyllable noise. The dude is on auto pilot and there is simply no reason to question why he is where he is. He only has to believe that he is where he should be and the rest will take care of itself. That is how it works in "the zone". No questions...no second opinions. If I were him I would skip all of the interviews...better to sleep walk through the whole deal. I would particularly avoid Barbara Schett...the numbskull.



September 8...9.23 PM

[10] Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs. [14] Marin Cilic (CRO)

Kei Nishikori owns a 5-2 head to head advantage over Marin Cilic. Marin has been defying the odds all week. Why would he stop now?

It's an interesting match in the sense that these are two newcomers to the Grand Slam finals scene. But can they live up to the billing? That remains to be seen.

Cilic has been playing a starring role as "The Sleeper" in the tournament. If he continues to serve as well there isn't any good reason why he isn't the next U. S. Open Men's Champion.

It's late here in Sweden. I am already starting to yawn. It doesn't bode well unless something of extreme interest happens in the match. I don't anticipate that happening. Let me know who wins. Yawn....

September 8...11.30

Yes, please go to sleep.

Appropriate to include this last quote...somehow.

[don_budge]

Marin Cilic...The Sleeper Part 3

September 8...11.30

Yes, please go to sleep.

September 9...7.33 AM

[14] Marin Cilic (CRO) d. [10] Kei Nishikori (JPN) 63 63 63

No surprises. I slept well...I fell asleep before the match began. I had no interest. Does that seem odd? I spent so much time and effort chronicling the 2014 U. S. Open Championships.

It all seemed so anticlimactic. I spoke with my father today and he was surprised that both of the "Big Four" had lost in the semi's. We have been conditioned for certain outcomes.

"The Sleeper" never woke up it seems. It's just as well. When things are going along perfectly there is not sense in asking yourself why...just go along for the ride and see how long it lasts. Marin Cilic richly deserves the title this year. He snuck up on everyone and even when his brilliance kept on hitting everyone in the face...it was hard to believe that this was the same Marin Cilic that had been around for a long time without accomplishing the big deeds.

I never saw a single point of the finals. It must have been over very quickly leaving those watching feeling that this was furthermore anticlimactic. The tennis world is scratching their heads...wondering how it came to this. Well...most of them haven't read or watched the "Ille Nastase versus Arthur Ashe...1972 U. S. Open Finals" or "John McEnroe versus Bjorn Borg...1980 U. S. Open Finals. It's just as well too I suppose. We don't want to wake them.

Afterall..."The Sleeper" found that it was beneficial to not wake up during the course of his run. He didn't wake until it was over...then he was standing in front of everyone holding the trophy over his head. A dream come true.

What an impressive run by the rather underestimated Marin Cilic. It sort of runs true to form as his coach is Goran Ivanisovic. Another "loose cannon" from the past who rode a huge serve to his only Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. I am not so certain that this will be Marin's only Slam...if he stays healthy and manages the mantle of "Grand Slam Champion" he would be my pick for Wimbledon if it were being played this year.

But go ask Stanislas Wawrinka how tough it is to wear that mantle...it puts a big bullseye right square between your shoulder blades that all of the competition takes dead aim at. It serves as inspiration and motivation for the other players to take down a newly crowned champion. You have to be one tough hombre to manage it.

[GeoffWilliams]

Ivanisevic will be coach of the year: changed toss to 12 oclock: changed back arch: changed toss more forwards: changed approach dtl/inside out to bh corner: changed burst first step to allow more relaxation during groundies.

[don_budge]

"The Racquet"...John McEnroe

From the thread entitled..."John McEnroe versus Bjorn Borg...1980 U. S. Open Finals

ART...has left the stadium. Only the Great John McEnroe would have the balls to suggest something so outlandish as to do the right thing. The right thing to do by THE GAME.

From John McEnroe's most excellent autobiography..."Serious"...his top ten recommendations for improving tennis in the 21st Century:

"A return to wooden racquets would be a huge improvement for professional tennis. The biggest change in the game in the last twenty five years...the replacement of wood by graphite...has been a bad one. I happen to think that wooden racquets are beautiful aesthetically and purer for the game.

Look at baseball. Kids start with aluminum bats in little league, then move on to Kevlar or whatever in college and then...and only then...if they make it to the majors do they get to use those beautiful wooden bats that require greater expertise for success.

Why not do the same thing in tennis? I think that it looks great to have a little wand in your hand, instead of some ultra thick club big enough to kill somebody with. Wood...to me...has glamour. You need strategy and technique. Tennis, these days, is sadly lacking in all these things.

It's all (as David Bowie says) wham, bam, thank you ma'am." ...the great John McEnroe.

Seconded by the not so great...don_budge.

Just this one last thought...John McEnroe went on record by saying that the biggest change in the game was the racquets. What he said was actually quite eloquent...richly deserving of some serious thought.

[don_budge]

What a difference...five years makes. Marin "The Sleeper" Cilic

Marin Cilic at the 2009 U. S. Open Championships...first video is his defeat of Andy Murray in the round of sixteen. The second is his loss to Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarterfinals. He was only 20 years old and coming on strong. It took him another five years to get to this point.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAv_KOBCi98

Here below is a highlight video of Cilic in his semifinal match this year with Roger Federer. Notice the big difference in the ball toss and the improved service motion. When the serve gets better it makes everything else that much better. The synergistic value of the sum of the parts being greater than the whole is quite evident in his performance. It permeates his whole attitude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8xenbxwySA