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

[stroke]

An extraordinary video clip of the Tomas Berdych and Denis Shapovalov match. What do you think of the court level perspective?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18kJO9EdKh4

I watched the Shapovalov-Berdych match and was very impressed with his total game, particularly his serve. It seemed to be about as good as I have seen for a guy about 6 feet tall or so. And I really liked his attitude/personality out there.

[don_budge]

Yes it's a good view. It's not that I don't like a more elevated view but it would be nice to get more variety going on.

Peter Fleming, in a discussion prompted by a commentatoe, was asked to compare Roscoe Tanner's serve with John McEnroe's. Tanner's, said Fleming, was far quicker than McEnroe's, but the key feature of McEnroe's serve was placement and variety. His body serve was a major weapon. Key, also, was how fast McEnroe came in behind it.

Fleming also commentated that back in the days when men were men, players played in the rain, even on grass, and this before grass court shoes were invented.

Asked to compare Borg's serve with those of today, Fleming said that Borg was before radar guns but he guessed his first serve was around 125mph and very heavy. Like McEnroe, Fleming said, Borg had great placement and gained many free points from his first delivery. He also commentated that before 1976 Borg didn't really have much of a serve but then, out of the blue, it suddenly developed.

During the Roger Federer versus Karen Khachanov (strange spelling, well it is Russian afterall) they were showing the replays of points from the opposite side of the court and from court level. It was great because the actual stream wasn't so great and I couldn't see the ball all of the time. I loved the change of perspective and different angle.

Peter Fleming is a thoughtful and insightful commentator and probably the least prone to the fake gushing over the modern game. He seems to be rather skeptical in fact with regards to the way the game is currently being played. It would be funny to hear him in the booth for the upcoming "Next Generation" tournament. I would say the same thing about Federer's serve...it is more about his placement and the variety. His tactics are completely different from his opponents normally. This Karen fellow was the typical modern prototype server...big blast and then a rather predictable second serve. Even Federer's second serve is effectively tactical and normally with excellent placement. Nobody seems to abuse his second serve on a consistent basis.

Federer's match was surgically precise. He tagged along with the play until it was time to get down to brass tacks. He broke late in the first and then managed to serve it out...although with less precision than normal. I feel that he has been short of match play and it shows a bit. He is playing well but certainly at less than full machine. He is just so much better than the competition that he can more or less wing it and figure it out on the run.

Björn Borg did have a really heavy ball on his serve and the serve did come out of nowhere. One year he was serving up patty cakes for second serves and the next it was a thunder ball. Once again it was more about placement and tactics.

[don_budge]

I watched the Shapovalov-Berdych match and was very impressed with his total game, particularly his serve. It seemed to be about as good as I have seen for a guy about 6 feet tall or so. And I really liked his attitude/personality out there.

Good observation on the serve. It looks like the kind of delivery and motion that will develop further and it will be a real weapon in the future. The guy really has a court presence and he has the game to match it. The backhand is really impressive...really, really impressive at this stage of his development. The forehand is also a tremendous weapon and the whole package is amplified by his being left handed. He moves to the net at every opportunity which makes him much less predictable than the stereotypical "Next Generation" players. If they speed up the court even incrementally it will be advantage Denis Shapovalov.

[don_budge]

Federer's match was surgically precise. He tagged along with the play until it was time to get down to brass tacks. He broke late in the first and then managed to serve it out...although with less precision than normal. I feel that he has been short of match play and it shows a bit. He is playing well but certainly at less than full machine. He is just so much better than the competition that he can more or less wing it and figure it out on the run.

Roger failed to serve out the second set and instead became embroiled in a tie-break. The tie-break was less than scintillating as he first got up the mini break then gave it back, got behind and then came from behind. He played good enough to win...end of transmission. Does he want this title? He plays yet another Russian tomorrow...the "Next Generation" glamor boy Alexander Zverev. He has already beaten the older brother in this tournament.

[stotty]

I watched the Shapovalov-Berdych match and was very impressed with his total game, particularly his serve. It seemed to be about as good as I have seen for a guy about 6 feet tall or so.

Good observation on the serve. It looks like the kind of delivery and motion that will develop further and it will be a real weapon in the future.....

Yes the serve is a good one. I love the way he can swing it wide to the ad box. It would be interesting to see how Roger deals with a serve like that. I would like to see Shapovalov frequently alter the position he serves from along the baseline. This is something McEnroe did wonderfully. It's an essential trick every good left-hander should acquire...many don't.

[don_budge]

Yes the serve is a good one. I love the way he can swing it wide to the ad box. It would be interesting to see how Roger deals with a serve like that. I would like to see Shapovalov frequently alter the position he serves from along the baseline. This is something McEnroe did wonderfully. It's an essential trick every good left-hander should acquire...many don't.

Absolutely. By moving and changing your position on the baseline when serving you create more permutations and combinations. Combined with a variety of spin and placement you can create more possibilities. You keep your opponent guessing and therefore off balance. Combined with the lesser experience of returning the left handed spin...voila. There you have it. The genius of John McEnroe.

[don_budge]

Returning To The Scene Of The Crime...Alexander Zverev

How often is it that the criminal returns to the scene of the crime? Alexander either stole this match from Roger Federer last year or Roger was in a generous mood and it was a giveaway.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/fedex-head-2-head/roger-federer-vs-alexander-zverev/F324/Z355

I remember thinking that it was a pretty lackluster performance by Federer in a tournament that may not mean so much to him. To throw the kids a bone at this point in his career...there's probably no harm in it for him. A bit earlier in the month before his loss to Zverev he threw one to Thiem. Who knows...just to instill some confidence in them. One for the tour. The tour needs some help these days.

Today...in just a minute we see Alexander return to the scene of the crime and waiting for him with revenge as motivation is the ultimate tennis assassin in the modern game. Federer already has sent "Big Brother" packing...although it appears that he has stuck around as a witness to the further proceedings. I think Roger wants to make a statement to the kid this time. If he played him a bit soft last year I hope to God that he is hard on him today. Let him know who's boss just in case they should meet at Wimbledon.

As Federer serves so he shall play. These days his whole deal depends upon his service game. If he knocks his opponent off balance with the first blow he has him tied up in knots. He has options. Perhaps the most interesting thing to watch today is how does Roger play his backhand. So far he has been rather defensive with it in the matches leading up to this one. Good solid defense that is. He will get some good looks at balls to drive against this kid as Alexander likes to drive it cross court into the Federer backhand. How will Zverev serve? Yes he has the perfunctory big one for the first but the second can be a bit predictable as the stats show him in a pattern of serving to the backhand. Here we go. First blood to Federer...0-15!

[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.

[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.

[stotty]

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

[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]

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]

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

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

[don_budge]

That's my boy...

[stotty]

That's my boy...

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