2015 BNP Paribas Open…ATP 1000...Indian Wells, California USA

[don_budge]

Suspicious behaviour…the combo announcer/coach

I'll say this if no one else will. Tennis Channel decided to have three of its prominent announcers, Justin Gimelstob, Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport coach three prominent players, John Isner, Agniezka Radawanska, and Madison Keys. Result: the three players lost prominent matches that in each case they should have won. (Am talking Davis Cup in the case of Isner.)

How could this happen? Easily. Coaching like conception should take place in the dark.

The three coaches stayed prominent as announcers. That meant they were prominent as announcers and coaches at the same time.

Any one of them probably would have been a more successful coach if he or she had maintained a lower profile. Pity the players for biting on this ridiculous scheme. Tennis Channel should learn the lesson of this. Especially since Paul Annacone and Sloane Stephens had the exact same experience last year.

The high profile coaching thing is debatable. Combining coaching and announcing is rather suspicious and in some ways a conflict of interest. Stotty's comments about the coaching profession are well founded. Your observations are interesting as well.

It is an art. As well as psychology, philosophy and metaphysics. The coaching was hijacked long ago and what is left is this "new" breed where one size fits all and you have every single one of these guys playing exactly the same way. It's more control of the masses…in a subtle and insidious way.

It's all about the cult of celebrity. The marginally famous are trying to become even more famous by wearing the different hats. It begins more and more to look like big time wrestling. Tennis Channel is trying to cash in with this bit of self promotion. These people are marginal announcers…I'm sure that they make much better coaches. Aren't they?

Announcing tennis matches is an art as well. There are very few announcers that I can say I genuinely appreciate. Ironically my favourites are an old doubles team. Can you guess who they are? John McEnroe and Peter Fleming. Most of the time I can just as well mute the sound and let myself watch the match without the hyperbole and feigned excitement. The announcers very carefully tiptoe within the bounds of political correctness when talking about anything from technique to the players.

[don_budge]

Roger Federer vs. Tomas Berdych... Seppi Vengeance.

But in the end this tournament is all about one man…at least in the don_budge Gold Mine. It's all about Roger. He has sealed a date with Andreas Seppi and I wonder…how many opponents have beaten Roger twice in a row? Can Seppi add his name to that list?

It is all about Roger Federer. There is no denying it. Can the tennis world exist without this man? Without this last surviving link? Of course it can. It will survive in some shape or mold. But can it ever be the same? Not for me. I sense that I am reaching the end of the line.

The other morning I woke up as if on cue at four o'clock out here in nowheresville Sweden. I returned upstairs and ducked into my little office instead of moseying into my room to return to sleep. I knew I couldn't sleep…Roger was scheduled to play at four-thirty.

I didn't make it through the first set though before I went back to hit the hay and to be honest I didn't think that Roger needed me against Andreas Seppi who he had routinely whipped, smashed and treated like a red-haired, left-handed, freckle-faced and unwanted stepchild. Seppi had only won one measly, meaningless set to Federer in those ten pastings. One losey set!

When I woke up it was two sets to one to Seppi. Seppi had won the first two sets and Federer had managed to struggle the third one home. Uh oh…I thought to myself…another Gael Monfils fiasco in the making.

Roger Federer played like crap. I didn't say he pussy-footed around but he did play like crap and like vcr10s observed the shot between the legs was rather a typical example on the day. Seppi was returning hard and deep down the middle and Roger seemed to be having a hard time getting out of the way of the ball all day long. So many times this happened…I don't ever recall this happening.

Perhaps he didn't sleep very well for whatever reason the night before. Lord knows he has a lot of things on his mind. Who knows? But he played as if he hadn't slept very well…it can effect the vision and the concentration. Playing into that hot sun seemed terribly difficult for him. Everything was a struggle for him. He didn't execute his game plan. He couldn't attack behind his serve because he was serving like shit (for Roger Federer) that is. He couldn't make the journey to the net. He couldn't coax the short ball out of his opponent as if he seemed to lacked the strength to do it. Once at the net…he was tentative. He could not maintain pressure on his opponent…rule number one in the Bill Tilden book of tennis tactics.

He was poised to take the fourth set in the tie-breaker and he was up the mini-break early on. But he was serving into the sun…which is terribly hard to do when you haven't slept well. He double faulted when he could have been consolidating his mini break. He could have been changing ends at 4-2 up instead of tied at 3-3. It was a lot of things…it was everything. It was if some little old mob guy came into the locker room and said to him…"this ain't your night Kid". In the end it was a rather lucky pass by Andreas Seppi that got it done. Roger approached the net as aggressively as he had all day. He knifed as good of an approach volley deep into the forehand as he had all day. But Seppi…who was rock solid all day…ran it down and sort of floated it high and deep perfectly down the line and into the corner and it was over. It was all over…except for the crying.

Once again I woke up in the middle of the night and lifted myself up from the bed with a start! Roger was playing. Knowing that once I am awake the chances of falling back asleep get lesser and lesser as the minutes tick by…I headed for the computer. To watch Roger…and to check on tennisplayer.net.

Federer lost to Andreas Seppi the last time that they played. Being the big time tennis warrior that he is…that sour taste had yet to dissipate in his mouth but now he breathed easier and slept better last night. He avenged his loss.

Between the Australian Open loss to Seppi and the match the other night was the Dubai Open where he put on an absolutely scintillating performance in a straight set win over Novak Djokovic in the final. He's always preparing these days it seems. The preparation strings along…like a series of three little dots. On and on it goes. Without break or let up. Even when he takes a break he is measuring his steps until his next performance. He had Andreas in his sights the moment he saw the draw.

The results were rather methodical. Up a break and serving for the first set Roger quickly fell behind 0-30. He did what he did so well against Djokovic in the Dubai Final. He served "from behind" and evened the score to deuce and put it away without much ado.

The second set was a foregone conclusion as by now he had Seppi feeling like a fish out of water…Roger had him so off balance with the variety of his attack that he started throw in some of the bells and whistles. He chipped and charged and ran the table with an assortment of fancy play that leaves you feeling inspired…yet sad. It's only a matter of time. Like all good things…that come to an end.

Next up…Tomas Berdych. Very interesting. A match that klacr will have a difficult time picking a favorite. Roger isn't taking Berdych lightly that is for certain. Although he is 12-6 head to head…Berdych has taken five of the last nine meetings. This is a match that just might inspire another inspirational performance out of the "old man". Even though Rafael Nadal is lurking in the adjacent quarterfinal, Roger has tunnel vision. He has blinders on. He knows that Berdych stands between him and Nadal and to get there he is going to have to take care of some rather formidable business.

The new racquet changes things. This match with Tomas Berdych is going to be an excellent barometer. Those last nine meetings between the two have been played with some equipment discrepancies…this time it is even steven. Federer seems to still be adapting to his new and larger racquet frame. He apparently served very well by even his own opinion last night against Jack Sock. When he is holding his serve routinely…and even not so routinely…he is one tough hombre.

One part of his game that has apparently been fortified by the new racquet is his ability to serve himself out of a jam. Actually every single aspect of his game has been fortified and we witness the results in his resurgence. Over the course of three sets this has been a huge equalizer an levelled the playing field. Even against his younger and more energetic opponents. The proof is in the pudding…as in teaching paradigms. Living proof…connect the dots.

[klacr]

ok don_budge. We have it.

Federer vs. Berdych.

Prediction?

I love both players and quite sad they are in same quarter of draw as one has to leave the desert oasis early.

Assuming Nadal wins his quarterfinal match, the storyline would be interesting. Fed vs. Nadal once more or a rematch of the Aussie Open quarter of Nadal and Berdych where Tberd exercised some demons.

I love Federer, not so much his strokes (although they are great) but what he represents in tennis. But Berdych is Berdych. He is my boy. I'm loyal, to a fault. I'm the band leader on the titanic. I'm going down with the ship! Berdych over Federer 6-3, 7-5. Fed is my favorite player....unless he plays Berdych. Sorry don_budge.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

Fed won't lose to the berd. It will be roast chicken, and another choke job.

[klacr]

Fed won't lose to the berd. It will be roast chicken, and another choke job.

Time will tell.

Berdych has won five of their last nine meetings.
Berdych looking to become the first player on tour this season with 20 wins. His current record is 19-4. Both Ferrer and Tomic have 19 wins but exited early. Berdych is bidding to reach his 17th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 SF (16-16 in QFs). All four of Berdych’s losses this season have come against Top 10 opponents.

Those are the facts. May the best player win.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

Sorry Kyle, for obvious reasons I am for Roger...

[don_budge]

Speculation...

Time will tell.

Berdych has won five of their last nine meetings.
Berdych looking to become the first player on tour this season with 20 wins. His current record is 19-4. Both Ferrer and Tomic have 19 wins but exited early. Berdych is bidding to reach his 17th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 SF (16-16 in QFs). All four of Berdych’s losses this season have come against Top 10 opponents.

Those are the facts. May the best player win.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

That's right klacr...they are going to play the match anyways. It's a big match for both players. They both will give it everything they have.

I'm going to race home from the club to once more witness this amazing tennis professional. I'm with you...may the best man win. I hope it's Federer...because I so want to see him kick some Spanish butt!

[don_budge]

The Flight Home...

That's right klacr...they are going to play the match anyways. It's a big match for both players. They both will give it everything they have.

I'm going to race home from the club to once more witness this amazing tennis professional. I'm with you...may the best man win. I hope it's Federer...because I so want to see him kick some Spanish butt!

I flew home…I'm in position. Hoping for a great performance. But I wonder…how bad does Roger Federer want to play Rafael Nadal in his preparation for the Slams later on in the summer. Is he ready for that?

We'll see. That's why they play these things out.

[klacr]

Sorry Kyle, for obvious reasons I am for Roger...

I don't blame you. I'm in the minority. But gotta have my player's back.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[gzhpcu]

I don't blame you. I'm in the minority. But gotta have my player's back.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Sorry to ask, but why Berdych? Do you know him? Particularly like his game?

Was sorry to see Roger dismantle Berdych 6-0 in the second set. Think Berdych has a mental problem when playing the big 4...

[klacr]

Sorry to ask, but why Berdych? Do you know him? Particularly like his game?

Was sorry to see Roger dismantle Berdych 6-0 in the second set. Think Berdych has a mental problem when playing the big 4...

Good question, I can't give you a sufficient answer. I don't know myself. It's odd. I just like him. Forehand is a beautiful stroke.

Yeah, that match was a bummer.

Mental problem with big 4? Crushed Nadal at Aussie Open. No mental issue there

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Roger Federer vs. Tomas Berdych…The Living Proof

I flew home…I'm in position. Hoping for a great performance. But I wonder…how bad does Roger Federer want to play Rafael Nadal in his preparation for the Slams later on in the summer. Is he ready for that?

We'll see. That's why they play these things out.

Well…they played it out. The results? A little hard to believe. It was that good. A mere continuation of the Dubai debacle. It's been some tournament so far for Roger and at this point he is undoubtably measuring his steps to the championship. Sure…he still has the big lug from Canada in his way to the final but Milos has to be just a tad tired after his marathon with Rafael Nadal yesterday. Maybe a half a step slow in the third set should he be fortunate to get to a third against the Fed Express which is running on full tilt. But that being said…there was a similar scenario earlier in the year down in Brisbane, Australia where Federer had Raonic sized up and Milos didn't go down without a fight.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/share/event-draws.aspx?year=2015&eventid=339&draw=ms

Let's back up a bit. To beat a player of Tomas Berdych's stature 6-4, 6-0 at this stage in such a big prestigious tournament like the 2015 BNP Paribas Open is a humongous feat. No two ways about it. This would have been a huge feather in the cap of Berdych so you know that he went into this match with everything to win and nothing to lose. Or so he thought. What happened was a huge setback…if only in his personal head to head with Federer. This defeat is going to stick in his mind should he play Roger in any of the Slams in the future…there goes the confidence.

As for Roger…it is only about the racquet. The resurgence and the racquet…there wasn't going to be one without the other. The Living Proof has proved me right about everything that I have ever written or felt about tennis. The "evolution" that was really only "engineering". I know…I was there. With Connors, Borg, McEnroe and Lendl. That was a whole lot of cheating and it will never be called to task for what it was. Much like the decimation of the Native American Nation. A huge crime that was merely swept under the rug.

Every single tiny facet of Roger's game last night was approximately 10% better than it was before he switched racquets. 10%…that is the extra amount he has in the face of his racquet. What happens when all of those 10% increments are added up…they multiply exponentially. What you saw is the result. Just as in Dubai. Over the course of a two out of three tennis match the switcheroo of the tennis racquets has suddenly levelled the playing field.

Talk about tiny facets…it's incredible how at the right times Roger pulls out the slice backhand to neutralize points. Big points. His slice is that much more effective now when taken in context with all of the other improvements in his game. Has anyone noticed how effective his backhand volley has become? Change enough of the little pictures and suddenly you find that you have changed the big picture.

Roger was ready for Nadal yesterday. He emphatically showed that he was ready. He dispatched his opponents in absolutely "no muss, no fuss" mode and he is fresh, geared and fit to fight. How I would have loved a match against Nadal tomorrow if he had won. Particularly if Raonic had taken him to the brink and he was a bit tired. That would have been precious. As it is…there is no other tennis player that can hold a candle to Federer now as the ticket office shudders in anticipation of his leaving the game. The fact that there is no other player to fill his void also supports my other bone of contention with the modern game…it is a pseudo game. What you are left with…is what you see. A one dimensionality that you have never witnessed in the game since day one of its inception.

The Living Proof…he is validating every word that I have ever written. But in saying so I know that this is only subjective and it may not have any relevance for anybody else. Maybe not a single solitary soul save for me. I know everyone has their very own teaching paradigm…it's only that I have never heard anybody else state theirs. Roger confirms the paradigm…Bill Tilden is the book….dot, dot, dot…and Roger Federer is the Living Proof.

[don_budge]

Milos Raonic vs. Rafael Nadal…Match Point Raonic

“At the moments when I was playing those match points, it didn't really feel like match points,” said Raonic. “It was just like another point that I was trying to get through… [I was] just sort of going through the paces at that moment of what do I need to do now, not really signifying it as a match point.”

The scoring system in tennis is one of the wonderful aspect of this glorious game that sets it apart from the rest of the sports world. Except maybe save for golf.

It's not over until it's over. If you want to really delve into how powerful the scoring system is read Bill Tilden's "How to Play Better Tennis: a complete guide to technique and tactics". Go directly to Chapter 16 "Maintaining Pressure on your Opponent" for an eye opener. For some white light.

Milos has arrived to another level based on his statement above. He knows the score…each point has it's own significance and they are all important and should be played accordingly to their individual significance. Once you learn this then playing from behind…playing with a lead…or even playing facing match point against is put into perspective. I was very impress with his attitude when he faced match point.

If Raonic had not intervened we would have had another semifinals of "The Big Four". Those days may be a thing of the past now. Some of the upstarts are getting the feeling that these guys are not invincible. But it will be hard for me to believe that Milos will be able to bounce back physically and emotionally to handle a high flying, sky high Federer tonight.

Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray? Remember the last time these two met? Murray was bageled in the last set. This is why you claw and fight to avoid that bagel in the last set. In any set for that matter. That set will be weighing on Murray's mind to remind him who is boss. It also give Novak a lot of confidence going into the match. They are still going to have to play it though…there are no foregone conclusions when it comes to match play…and the spin of the ball.

Speaking of bagels…that one is going to hang around Berdych's neck like a huge albatross.

[don_budge]

"Sweet Serena"…Withdraws

Ironically…she withdrew in a similar fashion when her sister withdrew to her 14 years ago. A beautiful picture of the demure and serene Serena…don't you think so?

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/03/federer-rolls-past-berdych-to-reach-indian-wells-semifinals/54395/#.VQ0-2d6u38s

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/03/serena-williams-indian-wells-injury-14-years-withdraw

There is always something really fishy about her. I'm going out on a limb here…I can't quite put my finger on it.

[gzhpcu]

Roger tames Raonic! Way to go! Roger is much complete as a player than Raonic. To think 1-2 years ago people were saying he should retire!