2016 Australian Open Tennis Championships

[don_budge]

The Decision...

Federer elected to receive when he won the toss. This is coming back to haunt him. Instead of being in front he is always chasing.

[don_budge]

The Main Squeeze...

Love this game...this sport called tennis. Been up whole night. Not slowing down. Keep in coming Baby. Aussie Open, Time zones don't matter if you know where the passion lies.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKucFpkq5T4

Yeah…the only thing missing is the main squeeze. I remember watching the 1980 Wimbledon final with old girlfriend of mine.

[klacr]

That 3rd set was inspiring. But that hole has been dug deep. The stoppage of play to close roof is absurd. Momentum is everything, and that killed it. Djokovic will probably start faster out of gate. Fed needs to manage his own service games and pressure Djokovic late into set, hoping Novak feels pressure.

Love this game...this sport called tennis. Been up whole night. Not slowing down. Keep in coming Baby. Aussie Open, Time zones don't matter if you know where the passion lies.

Fed showed great use of that short slice. A Tumbling Slice...or tumbling dice?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U8JlcB_BzA

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Novak's serve…Control

If only Novak's serve would fall off just a tad. He is so darned good at placing it and controlling his service game. His control of his service game is maybe one of the most underrated or not talked about strengths of his game. He takes good care of his service game.

His serve may not be the fastest or the most powerful. But then again…what is power? Control is power. Hmmm...

[don_budge]

Federer takes the third set...

But at what price. The set was 45 plus minutes long. He may be past his threshold. Djokovic came back to earth…just a little. Look to Novak to come out swinging for the seats now. Can Federer make a stand? Or are his legs beginning to wobble?

Terrible serving from Federer. Contrast with the Gonzalez…when Gonzalez needed the first serve it was a given. Roger couldn't seem to buy a first serve. Roger taking a bathroom break now…trying to steady himself. Maybe a shot of whiskey.

Actually they are closing the roof.

[stroke]

Novak so impressive. I thought his US Open win over Fed, with the overwhelming, unprecedented crowd support for Fed the entire match, was as good and impressive as he could play. Novak has hit a new level here so far, 2 sets in. It is one thing to know it is coming, but to deal with it in the moment is something.

[klacr]

Good Night Irene!

Good news for Fed...it's not over...yet. Djokovic playing best I've ever seen him. Has not missed a ball.

This is as close to God like as you can play.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

PMA…positive mental attitude

Djokovic is way too good right now. No way Federer can win slugging it out like this...what's he doing!

Set down 6-1...Stotty is getting really worried here.

At least he hasn't expended much energy…try to be positive! It's uphill however from here on out.

[stotty]

Djokovic is way too good right now. No way Federer can win slugging it out like this...what's he doing!

Set down 6-1...Stotty is getting really worried here.

[klacr]

Press the issue indeed. Disrupt the Djokovic rhythm and create a pressure and urgency in Djokovic's mind. We all know Roger has ability to attack better than anyone. We also know Djokovic has ability to defend better than anyone. Who will step up, be committed and purposeful, execute their game plan? Djokovic is not afraid of Fed...from the baseline. But when the net is embraced, the dynamic can change and voices of doubt and frustration can manifest itself.

Truly great players, the greatest of all time in fact, understand that you can make a respectful living from the baseline, but you can make your legend in the forecourt.

Let's see if Roger's legend holds up.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic…2016 Australian Open semi-finals

If it were a long five setter, it would be taxing for Federer if he got through, plus it's an evening match so recovery is shorter if the match finished in the early hours.

Greg Rusedski made an interesting point today. He said he thought Federer is playing as well if not better than ever, and that he is still moving really well. The problem is, Greg says, is that once you are well into your 30s, no matter who you are, you are going to physically drop off towards the latter stages of set 4 onwards. I think Greg might be right. It could be one of the reasons why Roger has been unable to beat Djokovic in a five set match.

It can happen. Roger has to be sublime and Djokovic slightly off. There is hope. As they say in Italy....'hope is the last thing to die'.

I've been making the point that the only difference between Djokovic and Federer is six years of wear and tear on the legs. Djokovic's legs are six years younger. Other than that Federer has it all over Djokovic…now that the racquets are the same size. Even in two out of three sets I have Roger at even money. Djokovic also has the advantage that all of the engineering that has taken place in the last thirty some years is to his advantage as well. He is the prototype modern day tennis player.

It may all well be a mute point anyways…in all likelihood Djokovic is going to prevail. But if somehow the conditions are suitable it is possible that Federer could take him out in four or even three. Five is highly unlikely. But if it did go five sets your point is probably on the money and certainly valid. It might be tough for Federer to bounce back in 36 hours for another prime time match.

But if he were to get to the finals I wouldn't count him out. He can still summon the dragon. The old adrenaline and victory over either Murray or Raonic would not be an impossibility.

Roger has to serve extremely well here against Djokovic. If there is one thing to key on this is it. He has been dominating his service game so far. An extraordinary performance really. Against Thomas Berdych he was really approaching the zenith. Now he must peak at just the right moments and have enough pressure on the Djokovic service game to rattle him just a bit. Djokovic is extremely tough to rattle at this point. He must be feeling nearly invincible. Federer is smart though and he is conceding nothing as indicated in some comments he made to the press during the tournament. Should Djokovic stumble just a bit Federer must be ready to seize control of any given opportunities and not waste any.

Milos Raonic is starting to talk like this too. As boring of an oaf he may appear to be he is realzing that he is dawning on the precipice of the big time tennis players. He has gotten himself into position to take down one of the big names in tennis and he has referred to this as an opportunity on a number of occasions. He got the monkey off of his back against Monfils as he had never defeated Monfils before. By the way…I personally like Monfils more than many of the modern players. What an all court player he would have made if he had been trained in that mold.

Besides the serve of Federer he is going to have to press the issue at some point and go down the line with his backhand into the Djokovic Forehand. It looks to me that he has been trying to key into this during the course of the tournament. It's tough as this is not his natural inclination. He has to get Djokovic to respect that part of the court so that he cannot just camp out on the backhand side. Federer must at least move Djokovic effectively on to that side of the court to try and get at the backhand. When Djokovic is camped out on the backhand he is like an impenetrable wall…maybe if he has to move and struggle a bit to get into position he is slightly more vulnerable. Also is extremely important that Roger be patient and stick with the slice backhand when it is working…hitting the mid depth topspin crosscourt into Djokovic's backhand is tantamount to hitting into the teeth of Rafael Nadal's forehand.

Roger has a lot on his plate. Doubts about his endurance are foremost. He knows that to go five sets with Djokovic is suicide. He has to serve like a demon and press the issue at every opportunity. At this point in his career it is now or never and he knows it. This helps him to play without reservation and it helps him to process the possibility of losing.

[stotty]

What's the problem with that…doesn't Federer have an extra day of rest? It's too much to ask for though isn't it? Or is it?

If it were a long five setter, it would be taxing for Federer if he got through, plus it's an evening match so recovery is shorter if the match finished in the early hours.

Greg Rusedski made an interesting point today. He said he thought Federer is playing as well if not better than ever, and that he is still moving really well. The problem is, Greg says, is that once you are well into your 30s, no matter who you are, you are going to physically drop off towards the latter stages of set 4 onwards. I think Greg might be right. It could be one of the reasons why Roger has been unable to beat Djokovic in a five set match.

It can happen. Roger has to be sublime and Djokovic slightly off. There is hope. As they say in Italy....'hope is the last thing to die'.

[don_budge]

Nishikori…nah

Regarding Nishikori: Been saying it for years. I have not bought his stock. Not sure I'm ever going to.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

I've never bought into him either.

[don_budge]

What am I missing?

The problem if Roger were to beat Djokovic is how much it would take out of him to do it...would he have anything left for the final?

What's the problem with that…doesn't Federer have an extra day of rest? It's too much to ask for though isn't it? Or is it?

[klacr]

[QUOTE=licensedcoach;37151] All four players are in with a shout from here. Djokovic is favourite but he hasn't been at his best throughout the tournament in my view. It wasn't that he was so good against Nishikori, rather Nishikori was so poor. That boy is letting me down. He hits the ball so clean and I would like him to win more. We need Chang to turn him into a man. [QUOTE]

Regarding Nishikori: Been saying it for years. I have not bought his stock. Not sure I'm ever going to.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton