Gerry Weber Open...Halle, Germany & Aegon Championships...London, England (ATP 500's)

[stotty]

Zverev was completely humiliated today. He was visibly embarrassed. It wasn't that Roger meant to do it, it was just that he was in sublime mode and everything comes so easy to him. That sliced forehand angled drop shot he hit towards the end of the match had the feel of Nastase about it, it was that good.

But let's not be too hard on Zverez. At just turned 20 Roger was barely on the map himself. The kid has much to learn but he is very likely to get there. If he is intelligent, which I think he is, he would have learnt a lot today. He's going to be fine.

[klacr]

two forecourt patrolling, net play accepting, one handed backhand players won today. It's not often, but always glad when the tennis gods make things right and allow it to happen. The Lopez-Cilic match was really superb. That 3rd set tiebreak was epic and neither player deserved to lose. Real good stuff from both men. Rooting for both at SW19.

Note: With Lopez winning Queen's, it marks the 5th tournament this year that Berdych has lost to the eventual champion. Also, the 2nd tournament in which that player was down match point. (Lopez-Queen's, Federer-Miami).

Federer provided a clinic to Das Wunderkind. Less than an hour to dispatch the next generation's best and brightest. Nuff' said.

On a different note, I know we don't discuss women's tennis that much on here but I would be remiss if I didn't mention Petra Kvitova. Petra is probably my favorite female player (yes, I follow women's tennis as well. What is it with me and the Czech's?). She won in Birmingham today. After the horrifying robbery/knife attack on her in December, and in just her 2nd tournament back, she holds the champions trophy. Fantastic heart. She is one of the favorites for Wimbledon, she has already won it twice, why not a hat trick?

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Roger Federer versus Anybody...

Two grass court tournaments...one with Roger Federer and one without. Advantage Halle...Gerry Weber Open. That being said there seems to be a lot more activity at the net and this is a good thing. The long mind numbing baseline rallies aren't going to cut it on the lawn. My only hope is that the lawn is not playing like velcro this year and our boy Roger has the advantage in that case.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/score...ndon/311/draws

Match of the day at The Aegon...Kyle Edmund versus Denis Shapovalov. I've had my eye on this kid now for a while. He's got the look.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/score...alle/500/draws

Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Kei Nishikori and Alexander Zverev are the top four seeds at the Gerry Webber Open. I watched Zverev lose to Gilles Muller the other day and he wasn't that impressive on grass. It will be interesting to see how he reacts. He may be on the fast track learning curve as one cannot argue against the talent. He looked as if he wanted to bust his racquet a number of times but he appeared to resist. But then again it was only a highlight video so if he did bust a move it probably didn't make the highlight reel.

If Roger Federer and Mischa Zverev both win their first rounds they are going to meet in the second round. That could get interesting. I wonder how deep Roger is planning on going in this tournament.

Today it was Alexander Zverev in the finals at Halle, Germany. But it really doesn't matter...throughout the whole tournament...the whole week for that matter it was who is Roger playing against. There were two tournaments to chose from. High ranking players in both. It was nice to watch Denis Shapovalov play. But he is not Roger Federer. Know what I mean? But Alexander showed some real deficiencies on the moss. Roger had him on a string...bringing him forwards or slashing him from side to side. On Roger's side of the net he has yet to fully display his real grass court talent which would be a full on onslaught of the net. Instead he seemed to be rather content to mix it up and bring it to the net as a change up...a change of pace.

I love the full on campaign to make this Zverev kid the Crown Jewel of the "Next Generation" class. This class has a lot to learn. If a 35 year old veteran can make a rookie look that much like a rookie there is a huge gap and it isn't necessarily one of age or experience. It is one of savvy and fundamentals. I love to see Roger get his feet set on his forehand...back toe in line with the front heel. Just like I teach it. Sure he hits it semi-open, open, wrong foot...but this is his default footwork and he beats his opponents to the drop time and time again. Because of his preparation. Preparation for a shot, for a point, for a game, for a set...for an entire match. He is beating them in the off season which for him has become entire swaths of the regular season. He prepares and then he arrives...he has done his homework. The mantra of a tennis player...preparaton, preparation...preparation. In the preparation for today's match Roger noticed a chink in the armor of the new "Prince of Tennis" and that was his inability to play in the forecourt and to handle low slicing balls at his feet. Thus...the Federer Featherer. That was one of my favorite posts of all time. Synched with "A Brilliant Disguise" by Bruce Springsteen.

"Well talk about lovely tennis shots. This little feathery is a stroke of genius and it's brilliance is in it's disguise. The initial manipulation of the racquet head with the shoulder turn allows The Swiss Maestro to perform two radically different motions, he can pound it into the corners or he can soothe it and smooth it trickling over the net...how beautiful is that? It hurts when you realize what is coming...you've been fooled!"



http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin...liant+disguise

What's the name of that Springsteen tune...Brilliant Disguise?

Brilliant Disguise....Bruce Springsteen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idnJnjV_8rg

I hold you in my arms
As the band plays
What are those words whispered baby
Just as you turn away
I saw you last night
Out on the edge of town
I wanna read your mind
To know just what I've got in this new thing I've found
So tell me what I see
When I look in your eyes
Is that you baby
Or just a brilliant disguise

I heard somebody call your name
From underneath our willow
I saw something tucked in shame
Underneath your pillow
Well I've tried so hard baby
But I just can't see
What a woman like you
Is doing with me
So tell me who I see
When I look in your eyes
Is that you baby
Or just a brilliant disguise

Now look at me baby
Struggling to do everything right
And then it all falls apart
When out go the lights
I'm just a lonely pilgrim
I walk this world in wealth
I want to know if it's you I don't trust
'Cause I damn sure don't trust myself

Now you play the loving woman
I'll play the faithful man
But just don't look too close
Into the palm of my hand
We stood at the alter
The gypsy swore our future was right
But come the wee wee hours
Well maybe baby the gypsy lied
So when you look at me
You better look hard and look twice
Is that me baby
Or just a brilliant disguise

Tonight our bed is cold
I'm lost in the darkness of our love
God have mercy on the man
Who doubts what he's sure of

[don_budge]

God have mercy on the man...who doubts what he's sure of. I love that line.

Game...set...and match. A message to the "Li'l Bro"...that was the real Federer. How many times did Federer catch him looking with the "Federer Feathery"?

[stotty]

It's all over...

[don_budge]

Anticipating Roger's Thunder...then faced with a Federfore Featherer.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/bulletin...liant+disguise

What's the name of that Springsteen tune...Brilliant Disguise?

Brilliant Disguise....Bruce Springsteen

I hold you in my arms
As the band plays
What are those words whispered baby
Just as you turn away
I saw you last night
Out on the edge of town
I wanna read your mind
To know just what I've got in
This new thing I've found
So tell me what I see
When I look in your eyes
Is that you baby
Or just a brilliant disguise

Now you play the loving woman
I'll play the faithful man
But just don't look too close
Into the palm of my hand
We stood at the altar
The gypsy swore our future was right
But come the wee wee hours
Well maybe baby the gypsy lied
So when you look at me
You better look hard and look twice
Is that me baby
Or just a brilliant disguise

Tonight our bed is cold
I'm lost in the darkness of our love
God have mercy on the man
Who doubts what he's sure of

Well talk about lovely tennis shots. This little feathery is a stroke of genius and it's brilliance is in it's disguise. The initial manipulation of the racquet head with the shoulder turn allows The Swiss Maestro to perform two radically different motions, he can pound it into the corners or he can soothe it and smooth it trickling over the net...how beautiful is that? It hurts when you realize what is coming...you've been fooled!

With his racquet head in proper position...where the racquet head is higher than his hand and just as importantly the head of the racquet is just barely behind his hand so that he has maintained the subtle flex in his wrist, he is in position to make this soft caress on the ball with his strings moving subtly down and across the back of the ball. It's basically a forehand volley stroke. Notice he is not accomplishing this motion with just his hand...or just his arm...or just anything for that matter. His entire being is into this shot...every bit as much as it is behind his Federfore forehand blast or his biggest serves. The whole being of Roger Federer is into his softest shot...with just the right proportion of forward movement necessary to accomplish such a soft placement. Voila...the Federfore Featherer.

The subtle forward movement as he is making contact with the ball is the key. Many try to slide the racquet under the ball with the wrist or try to absorb the ball into the racquet with an almost backwards movement which are both very risky tries on this type of shot...in fact they don't make any sense statistically speaking. Look at his eyes and the position of his head. No head fakes. No no-lookies. The racquet head must be accelerating through the ball on contact or else you can kiss all semblance of control goodbye. Knowing Roger Federer...knowing what a control freak he is, this is going to be the last thing he is going to surrender on such a tender shot...control.

The most difficult aspect of making short putts in golf is the realization that you must accelerate the putter face through the ball. You have got to swing the putter. For you golfer/tennis players out there try visualizing swinging through to the point of the ball that is closest to the hole or rather closest to the net. Trying to push the ball into the hole or trying to wish it into the hole creates a large degree of uncertainty or doubt even on short putts or shots. That is the last thing you want to be feeling on such a delicate shot or stroke...it's the kiss of death. The same thing applies here...you have to swing the racquet. Even the shortest of shots share some of the most fundamental characteristics as the bigger shots...turn the body away from the ball and move the body through the ball. Weight forward on the front foot and accelerate the racquet head through the ball...it's virtually the same recipe for making short putts.

This tennis player is an artist and you could say that he is "poetry in motion".
Would it be possible to see this shot from the other side of his body so that we can fully appreciate the disguise of his backswing? It's one thing to hit brilliantly disguised backhand drop shots and quite another to deliver the feathery touch off the forehand side...as in the Federfore Featherer.

God have mercy on the man...who doubts what he's sure of.

[stotty]

6-1 5-2 and I have only just started my fruit salad...

[stotty]

6-1 4-2 and I haven't started on my fruit salad yet.....

[stotty]

That's my boy...

At this rate I will get to see the whole match in my lunch break.....

[don_budge]

That's my boy...

[don_budge]

5-1...maintaining pressure on the opponent. Making him play to his tempo.

6-1...first set 22 minutes. Serving with surgical precision.

[stotty]

I see the roof is closed. Roger loves that. Put a roof over his head and he's still the best player in the world...5-1

[don_budge]

Yes 4-0 and rising as I walk in the room....

5-1...maintaining pressure on the opponent. Making him play to his tempo.

[stotty]

Yes 4-0 and rising as I walk in the room....

[don_budge]

Incoming...

An early update...Federer up a double break in the first. My suggestion to Roger is don't let up and pound this kid into next week.

4-0...moving rather quickly.