Nadal hitting with world's #1 junior

[stotty]

Nadal hitting with Andrey Rublev. Rublev is the world number 1 junior.

Thoughts...?

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

Here is Rublev's serve...as at 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeJRr6vAzJA

It always interests me the hop from junior to senior tennis. So many never come through despite showing promise and having great results as juniors. Tim Henman had a relatively low key junior career yet had a stellar career as an adult.

[don_budge]

Andrey Rublev...the junior paradigm goes men's tennis

It always interests me the hop from junior to senior tennis. So many never come through despite showing promise and having great results as juniors. Tim Henman had a relatively low key junior career yet had a stellar career as an adult.

I saw Andey Rublev defeat Henrik Wiersholm 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at the 2014 French Open in the second round of the tournament. As you can see from the videos it is the standard issue of the junior game these days. Tremendous groundstrokes...mediocre service motion and little else to talk about. He beat Stefan Koslov in the quarterfinals 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in his toughest match of the tournament.

It's not so interesting as it is boring actually. But the phenomena is interesting in itself. The thing is these kids are groomed to play this game from day one. Actually let's put it this way...in today's society and today's game they are PROGRAMMED to play this way. By the time they are in the men's game it is too late to change. All of the investment prohibits any radical departure from what got the junior to the top of the junior game.

Ironic that the clip of his serve is at the IMG Academy. This is a place where the players that are already excelling in their own right are "leased" to Nick Bolletieri. The players are accepted into the system but you will never see any new concepts introduced into their games. Ironically...it is this academy that more or less hijacked the classic game into the modern era. Nick was one of the first to hawk the Prince racquet...he appeared in commercials on CBS at the 1984 U. S. Open selling the "new" equipment and the "new" game. Pure snake oil.

The current junior paradigm is to recruit the players young and grind them out with a strong forehand, a two handed backhand and a mediocre serve. It's boring...it's a boring game for young minds, so you end up with what you see. Nothing evolves...the "physicality" only gets more mature. Introducing one handed backhands and all court tennis including serve and volley tactics is nearly impossible when you have some hotshot junior high up in the rankings. What's the motivation to change? Where are the role models ala John McEnroe to play a different style particularly when every coach is in lock step and being ground out through a rigid certification process.

Every one of them nodding their heads in unison. Strong forehand...uh huh. Two handed backhand...uh huh. Backcourt tennis...uh huh.

Andrey Rubley wasn't so impressive. Sure he hit hard from the baseline. He seemed like a petulant, spoiled brat to me. He had a running conversation with a woman that I am assuming was his mother during his match with Henrik. He acted as if he was doing Henrik a favor when he lost the second set to him. The hairdo was unique...except I had seen it on Anthony Michael Hall in "The Breakfast Club" many years ago.

[klacr]

Andrey Rubley wasn't so impressive. Sure he hit hard from the baseline. He seemed like a petulant, spoiled brat to me. He had a running conversation with a woman that I am assuming was his mother during his match with Henrik. He acted as if he was doing Henrik a favor when he lost the second set to him. The hairdo was unique...except I had seen it on Anthony Michael Hall in "The Breakfast Club" many years ago.

A junior transitioning into the pros needs to break the paradigm. It will take skills we haven't seen in more than a generation. Rublev isn't horrible as he was asked to hit with Nadal but certainly a great opportunity to break the robotic mold, not just follow it. The good news for him, he is still young.
Don't you forget about him, and his haircut ala Michael Anthony Hall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfIcZtjAch8

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[hockeyscout]

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[hockeyscout]

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[don_budge]

Michael Anthony Hall...and Andry Rublev

Rublev isn't horrible as he was asked to hit with Nadal but certainly a great opportunity to break the robotic mold, not just follow it. The good news for him, he is still young.

Don't you forget about him, and his haircut ala Michael Anthony Hall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfIcZtjAch8

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Don't get me wrong...he is sure to emerge in the coming years as a potential contender.

The match in Paris wasn't so impressive. The footage of Nadal is pretty impressive of course...but Nadal is throwing strikes to him. Gopher balls they call them in major league baseball lexicon.

But being the number one junior is quite a stretch from the top echelon's of professional tennis. I've seen what can happen first hand. Even at "The Academy".

What a fantastic video pick klacr...what a song. You're really getting the hang of this thing. It's called illustrating a point. I have been criticized for it.

I'd forgotten about that one..."Don't You Forget About Me". I think I will draw up a list of old girlfriends and send it to them.


"Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out and
Love's strange so real in the dark
Think of the tender things that we were working on"

[klacr]

don_budge, If you're trying to make an impression on an ex-girlfriend, take a page from my book a la John Cusack in the movie "Say Anything". All you need is a large boombox and Peter Gabriel's "in Your Eyes" playing. Gets them everytime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j379JbL-xM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3kFPBtc9BE

But I digress...

Rublev is young (16) and therefore is nowhere close to where he can be or perhaps will be in another 5 or 6 years. There are some youngsters out there already making a splash...Nick Kyrgios 19, Stefan Kozlov 16 , Borna Coric 17, Thanasi Kokkinakis 18, Alexander Zverev 17.

Rublev is top 500 in the world which is damn impressive for 16. He still has some growing to do. I'm sure we will hear more about him as he transitions from Junior ITF's into futures and challengers and maybe a wildcard here or there in some european events. Good video find!

A great game in juniors does not always translate to the pros and vice versa. Anyone remember the name Al Parker? Great junior, good college player, but once he got to the pros...well, you know how that story goes.

Some juniors are great at being just that, juniors. They soon realize that a consistent game but no tangible weapons does not equal wins at the big boy level. You gotta bring heavy artillery to the table. Tennis is a long term development sport. If you've reached your peak or maximized your game at 17 or 18, well then its going to be a very rough career. I'm preaching to the choir I know but we'll just have to be patient and see how Rublev's progressive development occurs.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

The reason I posted the clip was raise the issue that it seems like a quantum leap that juniors have to make to become tour players. I guess some do it incrementally but in my limited experience of juniors making world class, it seems to happen in surges.

Henman and Murray just broke through and got a whole lot better out of seemingly nowhere. It wasn't just technique, they seemed to figure things out and suddenly understand how it all worked. It seems there's a puzzle to be unravelled in the process of becoming world-class.

I spoke recently at a course to an Austrian who tried for seven years to make it on the tour. He levelled off around the 200 mark in the rankings and burnt through 700,000 pounds (sponsor's money) along the way. He left the game aged 27 with nothing in terms of profit. He now coaches in London.

His case is the saddest in many ways (though he enjoyed it immensely) because you're nearly there but never quite get over the final hurdle...then disappear into obscurity. It always seems a shame to me to get that close.

[hockeyscout]

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[TheWatcher]

That's not exactly the greatest filming. It's impossible to tell anything from this. He could be the next number player or the next top junior we never heard of five years later.

[stotty]

That's not exactly the greatest filming. It's impossible to tell anything from this. He could be the next number player or the next top junior we never heard of five years later.

True enough...knock-ups show us very little, but service motions are always more revealing.

[10splayer]

It is insane how a man who coached and developed so many number ones is a snake oil salesman. Its amazing, everyone is a critic.

Im with you...Most of the critics to both player and coach have more then likely never been involved with a player of this caliber in any capacity. Actually, i could guarantee it.. Just key board "experts".

The kid is a tremendous player, who deserves respect and admiration, and the developing coach's know what they're doing...If you've actually done work in this area, instead of quality control, or reporting, it would be obvious..These "experts" are really getting old.

[hockeyscout]

Im with you...Most of the critics to both player and coach have more then likely never been involved with a player of this caliber in any capacity. Actually, i could guarantee it.. Just key board "experts".

The kid is a tremendous player, who deserves respect and admiration, and the developing coach's know what they're doing...If you've actually done work in this area, instead of quality control, or reporting, it would be obvious..These key board "experts" are really getting old.

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[stotty]

Juniors to seniors

The transition from junior tennis to senior tennis is a fascinating one. Some years ago a top European tournament was held at Queenswood, England. The top two under 15 juniors were invited from the leading European countries. A fifteen year old Malisse was there along with fellow Belgian Olivier Rochus.

Malisse looked like the real deal and everyone touted he would make it - he did. No one gave Rochus a chance. He was tiny and looked nothing at the time, though he was getting good results. He ended up a good tour player...proving most wrong.

Robin Vik was also at the same tournament. He looked impressive, and many thought he was a dead cert to make it. He did...but only for a very short spell...then fell away.

I saw Koslov at Wimbledon last year. His ball control was amazing and he has a great brain for the game, but his strokes were remarkably unremarkable. He had nothing like the power of other boys...but he wins matches. I just wonder if Koslov will be a terrific junior who will reach an impasse. It will be really interesting to see how he develops. I hear he's getting good scores off very credible senior players already. He must have moved on a lot since I saw him in 2013.

I watch junior Wimbledon most years. It's dead cheap to get in and you can have a seat right next to the action to watch the stars of the future. The biggest crowd watching a match is 50 people at the most.

Changing subject slightly...the best tennis you will ever see if the 3rd round of qualifying for Wimbledon. The players are desperate to make the main draw and you can cut the nerves and tension with a knife. One match this year went to 8-6 in the fifth. You need balls to close out a match like that.

[don_budge]

Andrey Rublev...the junior paradigm goes men\'s tennis

The transition from junior tennis to senior tennis is a fascinating one.

Andrey Rublev wild carded into the Kremlin Cup…first round against Sam Groth ranked #88 in the world from Australia.