2016 Australian Open Tennis Championships

[curiosity]

Ferrer over Isner in straight sets. Just wow.

[don_budge]

To the Net!

Raonic took out Wawrinka in 5 sets. A bit surprising but Raonic has looked quite good in 2016. Has a new coach, Carlos Moya in his corner, Playing purposeful and dictating tennis. Wish he got to the net even more.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Did you see the match? He was consistently serving and volleying on the first serve. He looked quite good doing it and it took Wawrinka out of his rhythm. It's funny watching him do it now. I remember years ago John posted Raonic's serve and I was advocating that he serve and volley. But then I have been advocating this sort of play from day one.

The logical thing to do for Wawrinka would be to counter with serve and volley tactics of his own…but he hasn't even considered this as a consistent tactic. He only uses it on match point.

[klacr]

Raonic took out Wawrinka in 5 sets. A bit surprising but Raonic has looked quite good in 2016. Has a new coach, Carlos Moya in his corner, Playing purposeful and dictating tennis. Wish he got to the net even more.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Interesting post above from don_budge...more on this later.

Murray 3-2 up in the first. Murray has exposed Tomic's movement already but Tomic has responded quite well. Tomic pushes the ball around with very little pace. It's quite fascinating to watch this going on live.

You just feel the game has become all about movement these days...and Tomic is well behind Murray in this department.

Hopefully I will get the first set in before going to work...

[don_budge]

Ken Rosewall…Classic Tennis Player

Read a bit about Ken Rosewall in this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/sports/tennis/roger-federer-is-aging-gracefully-but-australian-ken-rosewall-set-the-standard.html?WT.mc_id=2016-JANUARY-OTB-INTL_AUD_DEV-0101-0131&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=IntlAudDev&_r=0

A couple of comments from the veterans about the modern game compared to the classic game.

"The differences are a matter of technology — wooden rackets with smaller heads versus today’s highly evolved models — as well as a matter of playing surface.

“Muscles to this day couldn’t hit a topspin backhand,” Stolle said, adding: “All the guys in our generation were brought up on grass courts, so that made us all what we called in those days low-ball hitters. As a low-ball hitter, you got down there, and the topspin just wasn’t there. But you know full well, the boys today, if they were going to use those wooden rackets, they wouldn’t be able to flick the ball around like that. Someone like Rafa Nadal couldn’t play that way.”"

From Rosewall to stroke…

"Rosewall believes the player whose game might translate the best is the young Australian Bernard Tomic, a talented iconoclast with remarkable touch who is not averse to hitting sliced forehands if the occasion warrants it."

The professionals these days wouldn't get away with their "modern" technique under the prehistoric conditions. I say prehistoric because of the massive drive to eliminate the history of the past in order to glamorize the present. Don't think it's happening? Notice how the article slips in the word "evolved" instead of the word "engineered". It's subtle…but the bogey is in play at all times.

[don_budge]

Roger Federer versus Thomas Berdych…2016 Australian Open quarterfinals

No apologies necessary. Federer is my 2nd favorite. Being a Berdych fan, I'm used to being the lone wolf. It's easy to root for Roger. No hard feelings there. Trust me, I get it.

May the best player win.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

I'm not sorry a bit…but you knew that. For you klacr it's a win/win. Berdych has a shot…it's no foregone conclusion. Trust me…Federer is not treating it as such. Roger versus Thomas has it at 15 to 6 head to head. But the devil is in the details.

Federer has won the last four but the last time that Berdych won was on a outdoor hard court in Dubai 2013. The meeting before that Berdych prevailed at the U. S. Open quarterfinals on outdoor hard courts in four sets. Berdych beat him one other time outdoors on hard courts besides his win over Federer in 2010 at Wimbledon. He can get it done on the big stage against the Swiss Maestro as well.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/fedex-head-2-head/tomas-berdych-vs-roger-federer/BA47/F324

These guys have a history. Roger Federer may have the hotter hand but once the coin toss is called and they begin to warmup they are going to play it out. Technically it's anybodies game. I like Federer's chances but if I was him I would nail up Berdych's coffin one nail at a time and not get too far ahead of myself. I know Federer isn't. He remembers what it is like to be on the losing end to Berdych and he doesn't like it one little bit.

I hope Roger mows him down and it isn't because I don't like Berdych. It's only because Federer is the last remaining link to tennis as it should be played and Berdych isn't.

[klacr]

Do you realize what time it is? I believe that it is 3:30 in Miami. Here listen to this while your are watching Berdych…he looks like he is going the distance
tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs8y3kneqrs

The great news regarding the Simon/Djokovic deal is Novak is wasting precious energy and hopefully it soften him up for Nishikori in the next round. Nishikori fresh off of a straight shellacking of the "Baby Bull" of France…Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But that doesn't phase Djokovic…he has all of the tricks of the trade. He may just be sandbagging against Simon for the exercise. He's a wily cat.

It looks to me as if your boy might have his work cut out for him. Hopefully he pulls it out. Destiny calls…a quarterfinal appearance against the Swiss Maestro?

Now it is Simon's turn…the bell tolls for him. One last chance to break the Djokovic serve to stay in the match at 5-3 in the fifth.

Not to be…Djokovic serves it out at love. Djokovic was heard to say in the locker room…"the news of my death were vastly premature".

I was up at 3am. Had to get ready for early day at work. No big deal. I'm a morning person so it's not an issue, ever.

Not a huge Pearl Jam fan, but I can appreciate it. Rolling Stones, The Police and those boys from Basildon Depeche Mode are at the top of my list.

You'll be happy to know that Berdych made his way to the net 40+ times in the match. He may not have the most ideal transition game or technically perfect volleys, but he is willing to come in and well, that's a start. He won 34 forays to the net out of 46 attempts. That's 74 %. What was also interesting is that this match was a Simpson's paradox. Bautista Agut actually won more points than Berdych, but still lost. 144 to 140.

Djokovic match...what can I say. He's stubborn. The best way to beat a player like Simon is court positioning. Djokovic was content to stay back and rally. Not step into baseline or step through on that backhand. Know where your strengths lie. Court positioning is something Djokovic does better than anyone else, that is his biggest strength, but he was content playing with Simon, not dictating and exploiting. If Djokovic played that way against Murray or Nadal, he would have lost.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Djokovic, Simon...and Courier

When I came downstairs this morning and switched on the TV, Djokovic was 2-1 up and 0-40 in the fifth with Simon serving. Ten minutes later Djokovic was 5-1. I went out and made breakfast and when I returned Djokovic was 5-3 and 40 love up. It all looked like business as usual.

I did later see the highlights however. Simon is a tricky customer. As Klacr says he has often taken the best right to the brink. I noticed watching the highlights, Simon just hit incessantly to a length down the middle. He doesn’t have much pace for Djokovic to feed off so it ended up a real rallying affair, with Simon relying on consistency and good court coverage. Simon must have been getting tired at the end. He did a lot of running.

Djokovic’s forehand just wasn’t firing in the middle of that match. He even started opting for backhands on central balls.

Simon’s tactics were boring as hell, but he did frustrate Djokovic. I have seen Simon in the past at Wimbledon. He is considerably underpowered compared to most on the tour. He relies on consistency and movement. I also found physically disadvantaged in a way. He is so skinny, with a physique more like an adolescent than a man. Still, he has succeeded in making a fine living from tennis.

I have decided I dislike Jim Courier. I wonder if he is a nasty piece of work. His post match interviews are uncomfortable to watch at times. He likes to trip players up with his questions and looks for chances to embarrass players. Federer often looks uneasy when being interviewed by him. I am not sure what Courier is all about with his interviewing technique and why he likes seeing players dangling on a string and feeling uneasy.

[don_budge]

Roger Federer vs. David Goffin

Roger Federer in straight sets. A surgical strike leaving nothing to doubt. David Goffin looked very ordinary…he was bullied around the court. It was over before it started. It was a quick match. 6-2, 6-1, 6-4. The less time spent on the court the better.

Going forwards…he is staring down Thomas Berdych. Maybe he can make quick work of Berdych too. One more win then it is the match of the tournament.

What can Ivan Ljubicic bring to the mix? I'll tell you one thing…he's gone down the line with his backhand more than I've seen ever. I've been suggesting as much since the last loss to Fafa Nadal in the French Open. He has driven it down the line very effectively. Roger also came in on a couple of exquisite down the line slices and then had only to look for the down the line pass. It's by the book Roger…and you know what the book is. That's right…it's Tilden.

[don_budge]

Carla Suarez Navarro…

I like Carla Suarez Navarro. She plays a sweet looking one handed backhand and seamlessly switches between underspin and topspin…whatever the situation calls for. She defeated a game little fighter from down under…Darla Gavrilova. Darla had Carla down a set and then some but Navarro never lost sight of the prize and merely switched from "A" game to "B" game. She started hitting the angles and drawing the feisty little Aussie off of the court and finishing the points very efficiently. She never lost her nerve or her poise.

Next for Carla is Agnieszka Radwanska. Come on Carla! You can do it!

[don_budge]

Wake Up and Go to Sleep...

Djokovic up 4-1 in fifth set. Simon with uncanny ability to play at level of opponent and gives players issues. Djokovic does not seem himself tonight, but credit to the wily Gilles Simon for forcing it.

Berdych up two sets to one but down a break in the 4th set to Bautista Agut. Maybe going 5 in that one.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Do you realize what time it is? I believe that it is 3:30 in Miami. Here listen to this while your are watching Berdych…he looks like he is going the distance
tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs8y3kneqrs

The great news regarding the Simon/Djokovic deal is Novak is wasting precious energy and hopefully it soften him up for Nishikori in the next round. Nishikori fresh off of a straight shellacking of the "Baby Bull" of France…Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But that doesn't phase Djokovic…he has all of the tricks of the trade. He may just be sandbagging against Simon for the exercise. He's a wily cat.

It looks to me as if your boy might have his work cut out for him. Hopefully he pulls it out. Destiny calls…a quarterfinal appearance against the Swiss Maestro?

Now it is Simon's turn…the bell tolls for him. One last chance to break the Djokovic serve to stay in the match at 5-3 in the fifth.

Not to be…Djokovic serves it out at love. Djokovic was heard to say in the locker room…"the news of my death were vastly premature".

[klacr]

Djokovic up 4-1 in fifth set. Simon with uncanny ability to play at level of opponent and gives players issues. Djokovic does not seem himself tonight, but credit to the wily Gilles Simon for forcing it.

Berdych up two sets to one but down a break in the 4th set to Bautista Agut. Maybe going 5 in that one.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

The Routine...

Here's the latest draw:

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/ms/msdraw.pdf

Gilles Simon has just taken the second set from Novak Djokovic to even up the match. Novak doesn't look like himself…is he not feeling well today? The announcers are already writing his epitaph but haven't we seen this before from Djokovic. Many times. Five set matches have their ebb and flow and Djokovic may just be giving him the lame routine. If history is any indication…Djokovic prevails.

[stroke]

As McEnroe once said, Milos has the best serve in tennis, and it is getting better.

[stroke]

Here's the latest draw:

http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/draws/ms/msdraw.pdf

Tsonga and Nishikori could been interesting.

I am looking forward to Tomic and Murray most. Tomic has little to lose at this stage in the contest and will have the home crowd behind him. If Tomic is ever going to justify himself and come of age, this is the match to do it.

I am hoping Stan can take care of Raonic. Raonic is the biggest lumberjack out there and dead dull to watch. He needs to go.

Federer has had the easiest draw and Goffin ought to a formality.

John Isner has a decent chance to make the quarters if he can muster a good performance.

lobndropshot, you have gone all quiet. What matches have you seen? What's the latest lowdown?

So true about Tomic, but as Kyle pointed out about Berdych and Nick, it is way more than a few spectacular shots. See Fed, the gold standArd. As Lc, I am really looking forward to Tomic and Murray. I much prefer Murray's movement, as does all, but Tomic is technically better.