2016 Australian Open Tennis Championships

[stotty]

Kerber...

Amazing win for Kerber. A number pundits have put Serena's loss to her unforced errors. I didn't see the match live as I had to work but, watching the replay, I think Kerber played really well. She was aggressive but also defended extremely well. She stuck to her tactics throughout - a must when playing someone with superior firepower.

I think Serena did make some terrible errors. But the occasion got to her. I know it is going to sound ridiculous but I really don't think she is a great match player. She wins most of the time because she is streets ahead of everyone else. But if someone can muster the game to keep things tight, and have belief, this is what can happen on the really big occasions. Serena gets really, really tight.

A nerveless performance from Kerber...thoroughly deserved to win.

[lobndropshot]

Kurber a player who was able to practice in almost total solitude a couple of weeks ago (only my wife and I were watching. Is about to have a lot change. Well done Angelique!

[don_budge]

There is a God...

Serena loses.

[don_budge]

Amen...

My cursory observations:

Roger's strategy to start the match was: Grind.

What separates Novak from Roger is the depth of his shots.

Roger needs to stop running around so many backhands. His forehand is not big anymore and his backhand is way steadier than it used to be.

The only thing that seemed to work a little is the slice backhand wide and short to get him off the court, and also just the slice in general.

Novak loves it when Roger gives him pace. Fed should slice at least 50% of backhands.

Roger needs to stop donating return points by running into the alley to slap forehand errors on the ad side (second serves).

A little more serve and volley would have been nice.

Very good. At least 50%.

[don_budge]

Barely a word about the "Women"...

Watching Serena against Angelique Kerber. It's a hideous display on a number of levels. They've split sets. Two apiece in the third.

[don_budge]

Sympathy?

Cmon, Stotty. Just a little sympathy for the Canadian. Don't you remember what it is like to try to play with a pulled groin?!

don

There is very little room for sympathy in the game of tennis. At least that used to be the case. Now there are potty breaks, injury timeouts…stalling between points. Incessant towelling off. Prolonged rest periods on the changeover. All kinds of "sympathy" built into the fiasco.

The fact of the matter just might be that one of Milos' biggest weaknesses is his inability to stay uninjured. This may be due to his body type. Moving that big lug of a frame around trying to play like a labrador retriever has taken it's toll. He will be much better off pursuing the serve and volley and getting to the net at the first opportunity.

Think about the hips…you as a chiropractor should be able to expound upon this aspect of his "physicality". I don't like that word.

Murray beat him up…as well as the cumulative effect of the pounding that he took from Wawrinka and company. He couldn't sustain it over the course of a fortnight three out of five.

Sympathy? Not much.

[don_budge]

The Legs…the Racquet go hand in hand

Another interesting thing watching the Djokovic/Federer replay, which they are showing all the time now, is when they trade heavy hitting forehand to forehand blows, Djokovic is quicker to prepare and gets into a stronger stance more often than Federer, who became increasingly more open-stanced under the barrage. Djokovic preparation is so quick and clean. You would think Djokovic style of take back would take fractionally longer, but this didn't seem to be the case.

This is only due to the fact that there is a six year age difference in the legs. Federer has lost that explosion and he relies on intuition. As the rallies get longer…as they get deeper past the third set Federer finds himself struggling to stay up with his younger opponent.

Novak Djokovic is uncanny in his own right of course. He is the best baseline player in the game today. But as Fred Stolle noted…I would dearly love to see Novak outfitted with a wooden racquet. Novak himself tried one and wondered where his forehand went.

All of this post Federer prime time revelation begs the question about why he didn't switch equipment about five years earlier. More Bjorn Borg syndrome?

[klacr]

Novak is very comfortable in his own skin these days. No wonder, with such a wonderful wife and family...not to mention his tennis support team. Becker knows all about stadium situations and how to deal with stuff....this may have been Becker's biggest contribution: big match tennis.

Another interesting thing watching the Djokovic/Federer replay, which they are showing all the time now, is when they trade heavy hitting forehand to forehand blows, Djokovic is quicker to prepare and gets into a stronger stance more often than Federer, who became increasingly more open-stanced under the barrage. Djokovic preparation is so quick and clean. You would think Djokovic style of take back would take fractionally longer, but this didn't seem to be the case.

I'm glad someone mentioned Becker. In my opinion, one of the most overlooked factors in Djokovic's rise to dominance is his coach, Boris Becker. I know many people don't look too highly on Becker due to his personal issues as well as what many people consider his arrogance and ego. But Becker was able to give Djokovic a champions mentality and make him believe he's the best.

Djokovic walks around much like Becker did, larger than life, shoulders back and chest puffed out. Becker is a tennis legend and one of my idols growing up, not to mention, a highly intelligent and articulate human being. I highly recommend his autobiography "Boris Becker: The Player". Wisely written, candid, fascinating, thought-provoking. I have two copies, one in english and one in german (Don't ask why I ordered a German version. Ich bin nicht fließend Deutsch...notch )

Becker has given Djokovic a mental edge. Now when Djokovic starts serving and volleying at Wimbledon like Boom Boom did, I'll be delighted. But I won't hold my breath for that. Djokovic seems to be doing just fine with his game right now.

Props to BB for his incredible work.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Anyone heard from lobndropshot? He's gone quiet.

I'm concerned he may have gone for a swim somewhere in Melbourne and been eaten by a shark....

[stroke]

Novak is very comfortable in his own skin these days. No wonder, with such a wonderful wife and family...not to mention his tennis support team. Becker knows all about stadium situations and how to deal with stuff....this may have been Becker's biggest contribution: big match tennis.

Another interesting thing watching the Djokovic/Federer replay, which they are showing all the time now, is when they trade heavy hitting forehand to forehand blows, Djokovic is quicker to prepare and gets into a stronger stance more often than Federer, who became increasingly more open-stanced under the barrage. Djokovic preparation is so quick and clean. You would think Djokovic style of take back would take fractionally longer, but this didn't seem to be the case.

I think you are correct about the forehand to forehand exchanges. No surprise, I much prefer Roger's forehand technique wise, but Novak's positioning, footwork, core movement, is about as good as it gets.

[stotty]

This is so true. Roger has played the biggest part in taking Novaks game to its current unprecedented level. What Novak did to Roger out there was, one could sense the constant rush Roger was feeling. It was much different than what Nadal did to Roger in Nadals win vs him. I think to that Boris has played a big part in shaping Novaks attitude out there on the court vs Roger. I used to get the sense that the overwhelming crowd love for Roger really bothered Novak, and he would get surly out there in periods of the match when things were not going his way. No more, seems to be totally comfortable with what is coming when he plays Roger.

Novak is very comfortable in his own skin these days. No wonder, with such a wonderful wife and family...not to mention his tennis support team. Becker knows all about stadium situations and how to deal with stuff....this may have been Becker's biggest contribution: big match tennis.

Another interesting thing watching the Djokovic/Federer replay, which they are showing all the time now, is when they trade heavy hitting forehand to forehand blows, Djokovic is quicker to prepare and gets into a stronger stance more often than Federer, who became increasingly more open-stanced under the barrage. Djokovic preparation is so quick and clean. You would think Djokovic style of take back would take fractionally longer, but this didn't seem to be the case.

[klacr]

Credit to Raonic for embracing the net, hitting volleys and not being disheartened by passing shots or misses.
Neither player really excites me but Murray's defense is solid and Raonic's newfound confidence and technique up at net is respectable.

I was drifting in and out of sleep during this match. The result was inevitable. Murray just more solid. Wonder what his game plan will be against The buzzsaw of Djokovic. Sadly, not a lot of net play in the finals between these two...unless Murray wants to make an impact

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[tennis_chiro]

Very high standard from Murray in the fifth. He's missing almost nothing. Meanwhile Raonic's whole game is collapsing....

4-0 Murray....

Cmon, Stotty. Just a little sympathy for the Canadian. Don't you remember what it is like to try to play with a pulled groin?!

don

[stotty]

Very high standard from Murray in the fifth. He's missing almost nothing. Meanwhile Raonic's whole game is collapsing....

4-0 Murray....

[stroke]

Yes, Raonic is dealing with some kind of leg injury