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Great to see that Wawrinka has found his form. Hope he holds it for Davis Cup...
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Great for Wawrinka. Bad for Berdych. Tberd took it on the chin today. Embarrassing to watchOriginally posted by gzhpcu View Post
Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca RatonComment
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Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka…Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori
Djokovic and Wawrinka in a couple of good old fashioned shellackings. 61, 61. Any questions? Marin Cilic was not a factor in the match as I watched the first sixty percent of it. Apparently Tomas Berdych was not either…which is somewhat surprising.
The other half doesn't appear to be nearly so one sided and Roger Federer has not clearly distanced himself from the field. Today he needs to serve really well to keep "Samurai Kid" on his heels. If he gets his feet into the match he will make things extremely difficult for the ageing King. The other match? Who cares? Murray hopefully does…Raonic does that is for sure. Raonic is serving well enough to make things difficult but look for Murray to right his ship in time to challenge Federer.
Federer served really well in spots and spells against Raonic. In fits and bursts. He had a spell during the second set where he could not buy a first serve. When he serves low percentage first serves he becomes much more defensive and his game suffers for it. Against Nishikori he will have to serve consistently throughout the whole match as if the Japanese player gets his teeth into the match he is not going to let go. Federer must be a man about this and be aggressive. I think his preparation is right on time to produce a high performance match when he needs it. He showed signs against Raonic but he didn't sustain it…and he didn't exactly need to. Is it a case of being on a need to perform basis? Much as I am on a need to know basis.
Last edited by don_budge; 11-11-2014, 12:55 AM.Comment
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I had a couple of friends who travelled to the O2 yesterday to see what amounted to under two hours tennis. They were not amused...rotten luck.
I was disappointed in Cilic. He didn't serve to good effect as he did at the US Open. He was serving right at Djokovic. At the US he was cleaning the lines with that first serve. Once Djokovic got a foothold in those rallies he looked impregnable.
As for T-Bird...well...worst game he's played this year. Nothing went right.
Let's hope for better games today. I hope Nishikori and Federer play a blinder. I can see this being a good game to watch.StottyComment
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I think if veterans McEnroe and Stich were in the ATP World Tour Doubles Finals they might have a chance.
Or maybe even Newcombe and Roche...
While singles play has gone into the stratosphere, doubles play seems to have plummeted into an abyss.Last edited by stotty; 11-11-2014, 03:37 PM.StottyComment
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Fortunately or unfortunately, It's been the doubles at the ATP tour finals that have been exceptionally entertaining. These guys are good. If anyone had the pleasure to watch Horia Tecau and Jean-Julian Rojer vs. Bruno Soares and Alexander Peya they know what I'm talking about. Exceptional points and an exhibition of every shot, serves, returns, drive volleys, drop volleys, poaches, overheads, overheads from the baseline, reflex drop volleys off the overhead, lobs, short angled volleys and every other shot you can imagine. Great stuff.
Hoping tomorrow brings just as much entertainment from the singles.
Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca RatonComment
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Preparation and Performance…Roger Federer's tactical retreat in Paris continued
Originally posted by licensedcoach View PostQuite right boys…it's only entertainment now. Image is everything…whatever you can successfully put over on the unsuspecting masses. It's not so hard…tell them the big lie. It's easier than accepting a bunch of little ones. The game at the O2 is a carnival like atmosphere. I can imagine the souvenir sales. Who has the money? I wouldn't go to the end of the driveway to see this "Big Time Wrestling" venue. But Roger Federer has a knack for keeping my head in the game. Keeping it interesting as our tactical unit in Boca Raton suggested earlier in this thread. Our Human Howitzer.Originally posted by klacr View Post
Yesterday I was teaching the usual suspects. Kids that come one or two hours a week for some activity…something to do. I am happy to get their little "gold mines" out of the virtual reality that they are living in these days. But, you know it's tough trying to connect the dots for them. Futile even. Oh well. Meanwhile at the O2…Roger Federer was taking care of business. Showing the little "Samurai Kid" who is boss. Slapped him around a bit for good measure. Good Roger…rough him up. The kid said afterwards that "he doesn't seem to be 33 years old." He's not kid. Some people say you are only as old as you feel…good old don_budge says you are only as old as the woman you feel. Roger probably has some young squeeze. Just kidding…just aimlessly speculating. The world works…in so many ways. The wife is smart…she always seems to be close by.
Roger Federer vs. Kei Nishikori…It's a mismatch on paper. The only possibility when all things are equal as they were yesterday is that somehow Kei lulls Roger into a baseline duel of long points. But when Roger is throwing his full array of tactics at his opponent guys like Kei are always going to come in second. Nishikori tried to match him in wits on a number of occasions and he succeeded at times but overall he doesn't have the tactical spectrum as he is deficient once he is out of his comfort zone…which is camped out securely on the baseline. Andy Murray next for Roger…playing indoors is going to advantage Federer. I still cannot get a feel for the courts but they seem to be on the slow side. Advantage Novak Djokovic.
Andy Murray vs. Milos Raonic…Once again it was a matter of getting the quick drop on Milos. A quick break in the first set and Milos was muttering to himself. He is a bit lethargic and he fights this. But he is what he is…there is no changing that. A lumbering Canuck. He should be serving and volleying and really giving his opponents a dose of his size and strength but instead he camps out on the baseline where he is a sitting duck for smaller and more mobile opponents. The two hand backhand is extremely limiting in his case and in the cases of the larger players on tour. Remnants from the junior game…old habits are hard too break. What if his coach at the age of thirteen had the vision to wean him off of the two hands…it might just be a different story.
For Andy's part he manned up. He played like a meek little puddy cat against Nishikori but he brought some balls to the game yesterday. As for his upcoming match with Roger he senses just how fit and prepared the Swiss Maestro is at the moment. Federer has gaged every step and every moment since the Parisian debacle against Milos Raonic to arrive in London in the fittest and sharpest of condition. He has gaged it exactly right as he has escalated his performance in the first two matches and still seems to have another gear to shift into. I suspect we will see glimpses of that Thursday against Murray. Here is what Murray had to say and he is measuring his words as he doesn't want to piss off the Swiss Knife any more than he already is.
“It will be obviously a very difficult match,” said Murray. “But it will be an exciting match. A good one to be part of. I hope I can play well. We've had some very good matches over the years. I hope on Thursday it will be the same.”
I detect doubt. Whenever I here the word "hope" more than once in a statement it turns out to be pie in the sky. Anybody here remember some unknown pariah preaching "hope and change" to a nation of hopefuls. How about "more of the same"…meet the new boss same as the old boss. I hope Roger pins his ears back. Period.
Wow!
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Slow surface
Roger Federer blames the slow surface at the O2 for lopsided matches.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1...p-matches.html
Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca RatonComment
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Yes, strange, isn't it. The court is laid by the same outfit that did Paris and handful of the other venues. They say the court is exactly the same as all the others they have laid. I wonder if the balls are different?Originally posted by klacr View PostStottyComment
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I have to say I was expecting a better match here. I think the problem with Nishikori is one of having to compensate, compensate for at times is a weak serve. It really is a big ask at times. It means his baseline play has to be faultless, which it often is, but it's tough to play like that all the time.Roger Federer vs. Kei Nishikori…It's a mismatch on paper. The only possibility when all things are equal as they were yesterday is that somehow Kei lulls Roger into a baseline duel of long points. But when Roger is throwing his full array of tactics at his opponent guys like Kei are always going to come in second. Nishikori tried to match him in wits on a number of occasions and he succeeded at times but overall he doesn't have the tactical spectrum as he is deficient once he is out of his comfort zone…which is camped out securely on the baseline. Andy Murray next for Roger…playing indoors is going to advantage Federer. I still cannot get a feel for the courts but they seem to be on the slow side. Advantage Novak Djokovic.
Another conundrum for me is this:
Players often move well inside the baseline to return second serves. But they make no attempt to pulverise. Most times they are bluffing and place the ball deep...with no real penetration. I understand the logic is to pressurise the server but often it leaves the returner way inside the baseline and if the opponent manages a deep reply the returner is sometimes left out of position...and has to scamper back behind the baseline. This scenario happens quite a lot.
Both Djokovic and Murray sometimes take second serves as much as five feet inside the baseline. I am surprised Djokovic doesn't go for more when he does it. It seems nothing more than mild pressurising most of the time.
Maybe the serves kick up too much to do anything with...StottyComment
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Enough is enough. Sorry John for posting this, however, what is happening here is just plain wrong. Please, don_budge, it would just be great if you did not use that term Canuck. We kind of dislike non-Canadian's (American's like you) calling us by that term. I perceive it as racist based on your track record here on the forum. Also, please refrain from Canucklehead, Cheesehead, Hoser, Frog, Maple-Sucker, Moosefucker, Pepsi, Chug, Frog, 51st Stater, Puck, Puckchaser, Seal-Fucker, Snowbird or Shoobie. That'd just be great.Originally posted by don_budge View Post
As well the derogatory comments you've posted in recent weeks about Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova (panty check) and Amelie Mauresmo are really uncalled for in my opinion, and regrettable.
I'd know how much you hate proper certification, however, please, enroll into a sensitivity training course. It's not the dark ages anymore!Last edited by hockeyscout; 11-12-2014, 11:02 PM.Comment
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The courts…what company?
Originally posted by klacr View PostIt's just great that you fellows are commenting on things that pertain to the engineering of the game. When the term engineering comes up the word "fixing" immediately comes to mind. Fixing as in money fixing things. Is my harping raising the level of awareness about these things. The court speed is surely having an effect on the play and the entertainment value. I wonder if the tournament committee is happy with the results.Originally posted by licensedcoach View Post
By altering the court surface the Tennis Corporation will perceptively be altering the conditions for one reason of another. Remember the bitching and whining of Rafael Nadal last year as he was lobbying for slower surface…even a clay court. This is why there should be standards for equipment and the rest of it. The size of the court has never changed even though the racquets have. Is the fix to shrink the court in direct proportion to enlarging the equipment?
I wonder too who made the courts. Was it a company owned by Emilio Sanchez? I attended a conference on courts by a company that was called "Green Set" I believe and helped to link a club in our area to have their courts resurfaced by them. It seems to me that I remember them mentioning some of the tournaments around Europe they were involved in.
Magnus Gustavsson was my contact for this meeting. I got to hit balls with both of these guys. Magnus was really kind and said that I had a great old style game…this was after my fifteen year layoff from the game. Emilio was really cool too…he hit with me with a lesser racquet, something that he just picked up that turn out to be underweight which sort of evened the playing field…if you know what I mean. Both wonderful players and quite a thrill for me.
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Judging from the results...
Judging from the results so far the courts must be playing exasperatingly slow. The only player with an outside chance of competing with the grinder and ultimate defensive player is Roger Federer on account of his multi tactical accommodation of technique. He is certified to play both defense and offence…the all court game.
Novak Djokovic absolutely mowed down the number three seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-0. Tomas Berdych bulldozed Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1. These kind of numbers are not very entertaining for an audience that has paid top dollar for a seat in the O2. I question the sense of paying for a ticket or traveling any amount of distance to go and see such an event. I wouldn't go to the end of my driveway which is only 400 meters long to see this debacle of a spectacle.
Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray…Here is a match on paper that should be very close with a favored Roger Federer threatened by upset by underdog and hometown favorite Andy Murray. Does it make any difference to Londoners if Andy voted yes or no? Murray certainly has the defensive game to withstand the onslaught of Federer on a sandy laden court but does he have what it takes in the intestinal fortitude variable? Another question is how important is this match to Federer…he can play it soft too when the results don't seem to matter as much.
Federer is giving us a clinic on preparation these last months. Somehow jockeying his relatively ancient body through the paces of trying to land in the number one position on the tour at the end of the year. It certainly has been a valiant effort win or lose and isn't that what it is all about in the end? Doing your best? I think so. Let the game come to you. That is exactly what he has done. He sprints and fights when he has too then he lets off of the reigns when it makes sense to grab a breath of air and pace himself. So here he is at the pinnacle…against Andy Murray in front of Murray's "hometown" crowd. It would have been "interesting" if the vote had gone to the "yes'"…would Andy still technically have had a hometown crowd. Anyone else thinking along those lines?
It's ok isn't it? This is a forum?
Good matches have been none existent so far at this venue at the O2. There could be two good ones tonight.
Last edited by don_budge; 11-13-2014, 02:12 AM.Comment
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