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Tennis - General Discussion
- Thread starter Peru
- Start date
Does not compute. The first three rounds of a slam are my favorite period in the tennis calendar year, 10+ matches going on at the same time for 10 hours a day, you always have at least one very interesting match to follow. (that is as a TV spectator, I've only ever been in Paris and got a ground ticket for the middle Saturday and Sunday back in 2010 which was also a fantastic experience)
Best of 3.
Used to be best of 5 until 2006 (?)Best of 3.
Yeah '06.
Sax Russel
Banned
=)
perfectchaos007
Member
He did it! Djokovic wins, but Nadal finishes the year #1. Congrats to both players.
Next stop Australia
Next stop Australia
Is it just me or does Rafa look like a completely different person when he is playing to after a match when it becomes speech time? During a match he is very intimidating and mean looking, after a match he just looks awkward and almost nice.
Anyways, congrats to Novak! Amazing win!
Anyways, congrats to Novak! Amazing win!
Will Murray be back by then?
Yes. But Djokovic will win anyway
Very nice win for Novak, Nadal wasn't in a good day but even then, his playstyle is definitely not suited for indoor.
He always seemed like a good person to me. I think quite a few people don't like his attitude on court but he wouldn't win nearly as much if he wasn't like this.
He's planning to play at an exhibition later this month so he should be able to play the Australian Open. I doubt he'll be at full potential though.
Unrelated but I always appreciate Andy's comments regarding doping. Just saw this article when searching for his schedule. He doesn't avoid the subject like many other guys and seems very responsible about it.
He always seemed like a good person to me. I think quite a few people don't like his attitude on court but he wouldn't win nearly as much if he wasn't like this.
He's planning to play at an exhibition later this month so he should be able to play the Australian Open. I doubt he'll be at full potential though.
Unrelated but I always appreciate Andy's comments regarding doping. Just saw this article when searching for his schedule. He doesn't avoid the subject like many other guys and seems very responsible about it.
Gasquet's coach Ricardo Piatti dumped him mid-tournament last week and is going to coach Raonic next (remember Raonic was in London last week and even did a commentating gig for the Federer-Djokovic match for SkySports). What a shitty situation, I hope Gasquet will promptly beat Raonic in their next meeting.
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
Yeah Raonic is all hype. He doesn't have a warrior's heart.
I thought Ljubicic was coaching Milos?
So who missed my daily grip updates? =p
I'll keep it short.
I found my backhand ^_^. I hit a 1HBH winner! Not a forced error. A winner! A la Gasquet/Wawrinka/Federer Almagro (lol)
Played this guy last week. Was up 4-1.....and lost the fucking match 6-4, 6-4.
Played him again today and was down 0-3 (double break)....and won 7-5, 7-5. lol My comeback in the first set was inexplicable. I really didn't do anything and just stopped trying to go for so many hard shots (I don't know why I always do that). He served for the set at 5-2 and I won the next 5 games.
Second set, I went up 5*-2.....and the same fucking shit happened -_____________- He tied it up at 5-5. I managed to hold to go up 6-5 and I said "Fuck this" and put all kinds of pressure on him. I was NOT going to play a tiebreak. I managed to break his serve at love for the match.
But I'm so glad that I can stow away my BH slice and actually hit a normal 1HBH now.
I'll keep it short.
I found my backhand ^_^. I hit a 1HBH winner! Not a forced error. A winner! A la Gasquet/Wawrinka/
Played this guy last week. Was up 4-1.....and lost the fucking match 6-4, 6-4.
Played him again today and was down 0-3 (double break)....and won 7-5, 7-5. lol My comeback in the first set was inexplicable. I really didn't do anything and just stopped trying to go for so many hard shots (I don't know why I always do that). He served for the set at 5-2 and I won the next 5 games.
Second set, I went up 5*-2.....and the same fucking shit happened -_____________- He tied it up at 5-5. I managed to hold to go up 6-5 and I said "Fuck this" and put all kinds of pressure on him. I was NOT going to play a tiebreak. I managed to break his serve at love for the match.
But I'm so glad that I can stow away my BH slice and actually hit a normal 1HBH now.
perfectchaos007
Member
Glad you were able to solve your backhand issues. I have a 2 hander, save for when I slice of course, but I have had a few 1hbh lessons from a couple friends who use 1 handers. The trick is to make your strike point well out in front of you. With a 2 hander you almost let the ball get parallel to your waist, but with a 1 hander your strike point should be outside and in front of you by a couple feet. It's tough to get used to after using a 2 hander for so long. I was able to get in long rallies with it in practice but I found it tough to direct the ball. I'm sure one handers trying to switch to a 2 hander experience the same issues. It's all because of the contact point variation.
Congrats on pulling out that match btw!
OH yes. I tried hitting against the wall with a 2-hander. I bet I looked like the dumbest person in the park. lol
After a bunch of whiffs, I actually got the hang of it. Then I went back to whiffing/shanking
So I played this guy again today. My backhand was really clicking (for the most part). I even hit some return winners with my backhand (returning in the ad court, I hit a winner down the line).
He won the first set 7-6(3). I'll spare you the details and just let you know that I was really, really sleepy. I asked him who served first (blah blah blah) and midway in our conversation, he tells me that he's "just trying to explain the rules of tennis" to me. YES. I, AVID TENNIS WATCHER DON'T, KNOW THE RULES OF TENNIS. I tell him I know the rules but was just a little bit out of it (because I was low on sleep) and he says, "If you knew the rules of tennis, you wouldn't have asked that."
That was an insult, IMO. I am fucking livid at this point. I don't show it, but I am determined to win. I take my bottle of water, pour it out over my head. That cold water was the jolt I needed. I am electric at this point.
I ended up winning the next two sets 6-4, 6-1.
After match point, I should have went, "I don't know the rules of tennis. Have I won yet?" But I didn't say a word, because I'm not a trash talker. I let my game do all the talking.
EDIT: Upon reflection, I think I took that way too seriously. lol Well at least it helped me win
He won the first set 7-6(3). I'll spare you the details and just let you know that I was really, really sleepy. I asked him who served first (blah blah blah) and midway in our conversation, he tells me that he's "just trying to explain the rules of tennis" to me. YES. I, AVID TENNIS WATCHER DON'T, KNOW THE RULES OF TENNIS. I tell him I know the rules but was just a little bit out of it (because I was low on sleep) and he says, "If you knew the rules of tennis, you wouldn't have asked that."
That was an insult, IMO. I am fucking livid at this point. I don't show it, but I am determined to win. I take my bottle of water, pour it out over my head. That cold water was the jolt I needed. I am electric at this point.
I ended up winning the next two sets 6-4, 6-1.
After match point, I should have went, "I don't know the rules of tennis. Have I won yet?" But I didn't say a word, because I'm not a trash talker. I let my game do all the talking.
EDIT: Upon reflection, I think I took that way too seriously. lol Well at least it helped me win
Shanghai: Delpo - Nadal & Delpo - Nole
lol no kidding.
I hate to be that guy but I'm starting to feel less interested in watching pro tennis without Roger's prominent (or rather dominant) involvement, is he still committed playing up until the Brazil Olympics?
He dropped Vajda?
I think he's still with him, but as an assistant.
perfectchaos007
Member
The new tennis season starts tomorrow in Brisbane. I love how the off-season in tennis is only like 1 month. The players hate it though, of course.
And he will be using the bigger racquet again too.
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
When is that airing???
Guyz, guyz....I went back to my thumb grip. lol (that's what I'm gonna call it since my thumb is sticking up while I'm holding the racket)
I was having some doubts after I lost a match to that same guy yesterday. I lost 6-3, 6-4. The match was a LOT less close than that. I was just awful. I was down 1-4* in the first, managed to get one break back, then.....whatever.
So I was hitting the wall again and just to experiment some more and I went back to my thumb grip. I tried some target practice: some shots with my thumb grip and some shots with a continental grip. My thumb grip had pretty much a 90% success rate and my continental grip, while it was very powerful, was WAYYYY off....something around 30% or something. So my success on court is obvious: I can hit harder, but aiming with precision is difficult with a continental grip. But it's not like I can't smack it with my thumb grip.
And I've always felt that my control with my thumb grip was superior to that of my continental grip. So after some additional experimenting, I found that I'll use my thumb grips for ground strokes and a continental grip for everything else (volleys, smashes, drive volleys, etc).
So my match today:
First set: I won 6-4. Pretty straight forward.
Second set: I lost 6-2. The guy was definitely pissed that I won the first set. He was cursing and going on and everything...so he was super motivated. But it took me a while to realize that he is just like everyone else I've ever played: a pusher -_______-
My smashes were sucking today (because I kept forgetting to switch to a continental grip) so every time I came to the net, he would lob me in hopes that I would fuck up.
Third set: I won 6-4
I had to tell myself to commit to my shots and remember that he is a pusher. Every time I kept him pinned behind the baseline, he would basically just lob (even when I wasn't at the net). His net clearance is absolutely ridiculous; he would put Nadal to shame. MY net clearance is dangerously low, something I need to work on...because I would hit the tape a lot (but I was pretty on today...even though my balls were barely clearing the net, something I intended). Whenever he had a chance to put the ball away, he would hit a slice forehand (I'm just now noticing that he never hits a proper forehand). So I really tried to keep the ball deep. I broke at love, 1-0
Then he broke me back, to make it 1-1. Then I broke him back to make it 2*-1. Then he broke me back to make it 2-2. Then he held to make it 3-2*. And then he broke me to lead 4*-2. So now I'm like it's now or never. I keep him behind the baseline and didn't let him hit any of those slice forehands. He came to the net and I hit a really good cross court running forehand and he missed the volley (because of how hard/good I hit it) and he threw his racket (LMAO!) So now I know that I'm in his head. I eventually break back to make it 4-3*. Then I hold (4-4), break (5-4), then hold (6-4) to win the third set.
With my continental grip, I have a lot of power, but no where near as much control with my thumb grip. I was hitting specific spots on the court to keep him behind the baseline. I don't think I would have been as confident swinging as freely with a continental grip....and since he's a really good player (a pusher who you can rarely ace, has good volleys, and gets basically everything back), I figure that maybe I shouldn't have abandoned my thumb grip so quickly.
And my backhand is amazing, too. I can hit a flat return up the line at will. It looks kinda weird, too...but if it works, hey.....whatever! I gave up on the Gasquet technique because I don't naturally take the racket back (as much as he does) when I go for a backhand...and copying him is just too much for me. I can't really think of anyone who hits the BH like I do. It's almost like a one-handed drive BH volley stroke, I guess. lol
I guess the only shots that I hit with traditional strokes (or that at least LOOK traditional to any on-looker) are my serve and my backhand slice.
edit: I love Gulbis, but Jesus Christ....mine looks like a classic stroke compared to this:
I was having some doubts after I lost a match to that same guy yesterday. I lost 6-3, 6-4. The match was a LOT less close than that. I was just awful. I was down 1-4* in the first, managed to get one break back, then.....whatever.
So I was hitting the wall again and just to experiment some more and I went back to my thumb grip. I tried some target practice: some shots with my thumb grip and some shots with a continental grip. My thumb grip had pretty much a 90% success rate and my continental grip, while it was very powerful, was WAYYYY off....something around 30% or something. So my success on court is obvious: I can hit harder, but aiming with precision is difficult with a continental grip. But it's not like I can't smack it with my thumb grip.
And I've always felt that my control with my thumb grip was superior to that of my continental grip. So after some additional experimenting, I found that I'll use my thumb grips for ground strokes and a continental grip for everything else (volleys, smashes, drive volleys, etc).
So my match today:
First set: I won 6-4. Pretty straight forward.
Second set: I lost 6-2. The guy was definitely pissed that I won the first set. He was cursing and going on and everything...so he was super motivated. But it took me a while to realize that he is just like everyone else I've ever played: a pusher -_______-
My smashes were sucking today (because I kept forgetting to switch to a continental grip) so every time I came to the net, he would lob me in hopes that I would fuck up.
Third set: I won 6-4
I had to tell myself to commit to my shots and remember that he is a pusher. Every time I kept him pinned behind the baseline, he would basically just lob (even when I wasn't at the net). His net clearance is absolutely ridiculous; he would put Nadal to shame. MY net clearance is dangerously low, something I need to work on...because I would hit the tape a lot (but I was pretty on today...even though my balls were barely clearing the net, something I intended). Whenever he had a chance to put the ball away, he would hit a slice forehand (I'm just now noticing that he never hits a proper forehand). So I really tried to keep the ball deep. I broke at love, 1-0
Then he broke me back, to make it 1-1. Then I broke him back to make it 2*-1. Then he broke me back to make it 2-2. Then he held to make it 3-2*. And then he broke me to lead 4*-2. So now I'm like it's now or never. I keep him behind the baseline and didn't let him hit any of those slice forehands. He came to the net and I hit a really good cross court running forehand and he missed the volley (because of how hard/good I hit it) and he threw his racket (LMAO!) So now I know that I'm in his head. I eventually break back to make it 4-3*. Then I hold (4-4), break (5-4), then hold (6-4) to win the third set.
With my continental grip, I have a lot of power, but no where near as much control with my thumb grip. I was hitting specific spots on the court to keep him behind the baseline. I don't think I would have been as confident swinging as freely with a continental grip....and since he's a really good player (a pusher who you can rarely ace, has good volleys, and gets basically everything back), I figure that maybe I shouldn't have abandoned my thumb grip so quickly.
And my backhand is amazing, too. I can hit a flat return up the line at will. It looks kinda weird, too...but if it works, hey.....whatever!
I gave up on the Gasquet technique because I don't naturally take the racket back (as much as he does) when I go for a backhand...and copying him is just too much for me. I can't really think of anyone who hits the BH like I do. It's almost like a one-handed drive BH volley stroke, I guess. lolI guess the only shots that I hit with traditional strokes (or that at least LOOK traditional to any on-looker) are my serve and my backhand slice.
edit: I love Gulbis, but Jesus Christ....mine looks like a classic stroke compared to this:
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
Sucks that Lauren lost to Jamie Hampton that Jamie retires before her next match. Uuuggghhhhh.
perfectchaos007
Member
All these years later, Venus is still feared. Jamie didn't want none of that.
Australian Open has been doing a ton of promotional activity about how much faster the courts are this year. The court in Brisbane is supposed to have identical spec, here's a sample match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpjxnUTbrpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpjxnUTbrpo
perfectchaos007
Member
Now that the big serving Americans are either retired or irrelevant they decide to make the courts fast again. fml