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Tennis - General Discussion

Nice playing by Eugenie. Now the Williams sisters can take a couple months off before returning for the final French Open warm up tournament in Strasbourg
 

Reyne

Member
Hope Stan gets his shit together soon. Can't keep losing to mugs like this. Does he need Nadal or Djokovic at other side of the net to play some decent tennis?
 

Faith

Member
And that's the difference between real champions and players like Wawrinka. He is a good guy, I like him like Delpo...but he was just an one-hit wonder.
 
And that's the difference between real champions and players like Wawrinka. He is a good guy, I like him like Delpo...but he was just an one-hit wonder.
You can't say that about both those brahs. Both them have lion hearts. Strange stuff just happens jn Davis Xup.
 

LuuKyK

Member
Belinda Bencic just turned 17 last month and she's in the quarters too.

True! Big chance for her too, even bigger I would say because she faces Errani on the quarter finals, who lately has been a walking BYE. lol impressive run for such a young player anyway. About time these girls would start playing well. At least Genie is making up for Sloanes awful attitude.
 
True! Big chance for her too, even bigger I would say because she faces Errani on the quarter finals, who lately has been a walking BYE. lol impressive run for such a young player anyway. About time these girls would start playing well. At least Genie is making up for Sloanes awful attitude.
She got that entitled attitude like the other American players. She is finally being humbled. Has she fired her coach yet?
 

LuuKyK

Member
She got that entitled attitude like the other American players. She is finally being humbled. Has she fired her coach yet?

I dont think so. But honestly if I were him I would fire myself. In that match against wozniacki he came over and gave her a lot of advice and she bately payed attention/changed her game. Unless she is paying a lot of money I dont ser why he would keep coaching her.
 

Milchmann

Member
Huge win for Gojowczyk against Tsonga. He had a leg cramp in the fifth set and still won 8-6.
Now Germany's second-string team leads surprisingly 2-0 against France.
 

MIMIC

Banned
So I'm starting my match and I'm completely on fire:

0-0: unreturned serve
15-0: ACE
30-0: FH winner DTL
40-0: unforced error
40-15: ACE

In his service game, I get to 15-40 (two break points), and manage to completely fuck them up.

THEN somehow, I get completely exhausted and feel kinda sick. I could barely move. I end up losing the match 6-2, 6-4, lol. I think I started to get a migraine. There's an area near the courts that I'm apparently allergic to (the concrete racquetball/tennis wall) and a lot of people were over there banging on them. I'm assuming the dust crept over to my court and just took me out. And it was probably that AND this Florida humidity. When I lived in Ohio, I could play in "hot" weather all day. But this tropical shit is killer. lol

I think I have to stick to night matches from now on. I felt like I was going to pass out.
 
So I'm starting my match and I'm completely on fire:

0-0: unreturned serve
15-0: ACE
30-0: FH winner DTL
40-0: unforced error
40-15: ACE

In his service game, I get to 15-40 (two break points), and manage to completely fuck them up.

THEN somehow, I get completely exhausted and feel kinda sick. I could barely move. I end up losing the match 6-2, 6-4, lol. I think I started to get a migraine. There's an area near the courts that I'm apparently allergic to (the concrete racquetball/tennis wall) and a lot of people were over there banging on them. I'm assuming the dust crept over to my court and just took me out. And it was probably that AND this Florida humidity. When I lived in Ohio, I could play in "hot" weather all day. But this tropical shit is killer. lol

I think I have to stick to night matches from now on. I felt like I was going to pass out.

Haha just wait until summer hits. I live in the Houston area and we have comparable conditions to florida in the summer time ( 90% humidity, 110 degree heat index ) and it is hell. The humidity is a lot more difficult on my body than the heat. I found that out when I went to play a tournament last summer in Austin. The actual temperature during my 2.5 hour match was 103 degrees, but the humidity was low...like 20%. Anyways I was completely fine playing in those conditions....I could have gone on for longer. I would take 103 degree heat with low humidity over 95 degrees and high humidity any day of the week.

Back to your match, you must have a big serve. I average 1-2 aces per match, and you had 2 in your first game. Do you hit your serves big and flat or do you tail them away from your opponent with spin?
 

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
Guess Federer and Stan will both have to win their singles matches if they want to move on now.
 

Peru

Member
Lots of ifs and buts and whats and where nows in this cepelova - bencic, two young players deep in a tournament -- bencic a bit of a 'personality', cepelova no coach, no team, no hitting partner, now in a final.
 

LuuKyK

Member
I can't believe Genie lost to Petkovic after that first set. She was so impressive and sure of what to do. Why couldn't she keep doing that/maintain that level? :( Gutted for her.

Edit: and Bencic lost too. Wtf. -_- At least both matches were long and close, so thats something I guess.
 

Diamond

Member
And that's the difference between real champions and players like Wawrinka. He is a good guy, I like him like Delpo...but he was just an one-hit wonder.

???

The guy just achieved one of the most enormous perfomances in the recent history of the sport, two months later he's not a "real champion" ? I know it's common on GAF to write harsh posts, but sometimes I swear I don't understand the logic behind some messages I read...

Speaking of the Davis Cup, like Switzerland we (France) are in a tense situation. Everybody here already spoke of the semi-final because of Haas' and Kohlschreiber's injuries, but as a result the germans played their two singles matches completely free of any pressure and won against all odds, playing some spectacular tennis. We won the double but it was VERY close. I really hope Tsonga will get his shit together for tomorrow, and I suspect Monfils will play the last match. He's not in the best of forms but he likes this kind of matches, so I think we have good chances.
 

Milchmann

Member
I'm really happy for Petkovic, after her injuries in the last years. Bouchard will titles in the future anyway.
And two 20-year-olds and a 17-year-old in the semifinals of a premier tournament. Suddenly WTA future doesn't look that bleak anymore. :lol:

Speaking of the Davis Cup, like Switzerland we (France) are in a tense situation. Everybody here already spoke of the semi-final because of Haas' and Kohlschreiber's injuries, but as a result the germans played their two singles matches completely free of any pressure and won against all odds, playing some spectacular tennis. We won the double but it was VERY close. I really hope Tsonga will get his shit together for tomorrow, and I suspect Monfils will play the last match. He's not in the best of forms but he likes this kind of matches, so I think we have good chances.

Nobody in Germany expected anything from this Davis Cup team and everything apart from a 5-0 loss would have been considered a success before the tie.
 

MIMIC

Banned
Haha just wait until summer hits. I live in the Houston area and we have comparable conditions to florida in the summer time ( 90% humidity, 110 degree heat index ) and it is hell. The humidity is a lot more difficult on my body than the heat. I found that out when I went to play a tournament last summer in Austin. The actual temperature during my 2.5 hour match was 103 degrees, but the humidity was low...like 20%. Anyways I was completely fine playing in those conditions....I could have gone on for longer. I would take 103 degree heat with low humidity over 95 degrees and high humidity any day of the week.

Back to your match, you must have a big serve. I average 1-2 aces per match, and you had 2 in your first game. Do you hit your serves big and flat or do you tail them away from your opponent with spin?

Yeah, the humidity is killer for me. I was super shocked when I started playing tennis here last year and got exhausted near the end of the first set. I was like "WTF...I've never gotten tired playing before!"

As for my serve, I'd say it's mostly flat. I never "intentionally" put spin on my serves, but sometimes it happens and it spins away from my opponent.

But the only reason my serve is getting better is because I'm starting to use the tips from those Tennis Channel "minute clinic" commercials. The one that really helped me was the one where the young girl "keeps her racquet moving in the air" before making contact with the ball. When I think about it, it's almost like winding up to his a forehand, but as a serve.
 

LuuKyK

Member
I knew she would win it after that match against Genie. It would take a lot of effort to beat her because she was playing lights out. Congrats to Andrea she totally deserved it.
 
Ryan Harrison must have partied at midtown last night. He lost to Dolan Young 6-0, 6-1. lol

#2 seeded Sloane Stephens bounced in the first round in Copa Claro to an unknown player
 

MIMIC

Banned
Fed accepts Monte Carlo wild card. So Nadal, Djoker AND Fed will be there apparently (I'm just assuming for Nadal and Djokovic)

Also, I played a night match. Still got my ass kicked, but I wasn't exhausted ^_^

And another thing....I just realized one of my problems: I....am sort of a ball basher, lol (or at the very least, I have no patience). My pure instincts is to go for the winner (which is usually the FH UTL). Games with me will end SOOOO quickly because rallies will last maybe 2 or 3 shots. It'll either be a really good game, or a really bad game. And it makes no sense because most of my shots are incredibly penetrating and I can back my opponent way behind the baseline and BUILD the point instead of randomly deciding to win it. When I DO decide to "play" the point, I usually win it. But I get so bored and sometimes just pull the trigger too early.

But I will ALWAYS go for a good return of serve. I win a lot of free points with my awesome FH return =p
 

LuuKyK

Member
Sloane losing to a player whose last win was on wimbledon 2013. (!) lmao

There are no words. And there is no saving this girl.
 
Sloane losing to a player whose last win was on wimbledon 2013. (!) lmao

There are no words. And there is no saving this girl.

Her current coach is a pushover though. I wouldn't blame her for dropping him for a coach she actually respects. That could make a world of difference because right now Sloanes struggles are mostly mental, and her current coach is too tentative with her.
 

MIMIC

Banned
There's this really awesome tennis shop up the road from my apartment. I got my racquet restrung.....and the guy said he would do it in 40 minutes! I didn't even need it until tomorrow. So, I picked it up on my way to class.

Last time I had to go to Dick's and it took around a week :(

And the guy was super knowledgeable, too. I told him up front that I had no idea what tension/strings to use, so he asked me a few questions to get a gauge as to what he thought I should use.
 

IISANDERII

Member
There's this really awesome tennis shop up the road from my apartment. I got my racquet restrung.....and the guy said he would do it in 40 minutes! I didn't even need it until tomorrow. So, I picked it up on my way to class.

Last time I had to go to Dick's and it took around a week :(

And the guy was super knowledgeable, too. I told him up front that I had no idea what tension/strings to use, so he asked me a few questions to get a gauge as to what he thought I should use.
If you value your racquet, do not take it to a general sporting goods store. Unless you know for certain the person stringing your racquet is a certified USRSA stringer and not passing the workload off to somebody who just learned how to string half assed. Your racquet could be damaged in a way that's invisible but will result in your racquet losing its rigidity, resulting in loss of power, control, stability, durability and sweetspot.
 

Nemo

Will Eat Your Children
If you value your racquet, do not take it to a general sporting goods store. Unless you know for certain the person stringing your racquet is a certified USRSA stringer and not passing the workload off to somebody who just learned how to string half assed. Your racquet could be damaged in a way that's invisible but will result in your racquet losing its rigidity, resulting in loss of power, control, stability, durability and sweetspot.
QFT, I'm usually not one to say this but when it comes to this always make sure you have "a guy" for stringing, you seem pretty in to playing tho Mimic, why not try stringing yourself with a good manual second hand stringing machine?
 

MIMIC

Banned
If you value your racquet, do not take it to a general sporting goods store. Unless you know for certain the person stringing your racquet is a certified USRSA stringer and not passing the workload off to somebody who just learned how to string half assed. Your racquet could be damaged in a way that's invisible but will result in your racquet losing its rigidity, resulting in loss of power, control, stability, durability and sweetspot.

Here's the store's website: http://alstennisshop.com/stringing/

And it looks like he's a USRSA stringer (or at least heavily implied it, lol):
The right string can make all the difference and having your racquet strung by a USRSA Certified Stringer assures that “quality” and “care” are provided.

Also, I beat my hitting partner 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. lol. I was determined to win after he had the nerve to criticize my backhand the last time we played. He said 1) I slice too much and if someone went after my backhand, I'd lose terribly, and 2) even when I do hit a backhand, it's a "slapshot" and not an actual backhand.

So then I told him that it's not necessary to follow some "blueprint" in order to play tennis and that there are DOZENS of pro players with unorthodox shots. I don't necessarily think my shots/strokes are unorthodox. but my grip certainly is.

(But I kinda get where he's coming from: he says that my forehand is excellent, that I have excellent hand-eye coordination, that I'm super fast/athletic, but that my backand is the only thing holding me back. And I disagree, because I don't think it's holding me back at all).

Anyway, when we started the match, he ended up breaking me, but I eventually broke back, broke again, and won the set. I took my own advice: don't go for the winner too early. I can't tell you how many times I was tempted to go for a crazy winner, but didn't. I could tell that my controlled aggression was frustrating him.

I don't know how he won the 2nd set. lol

Third set, I was down a break again, and managed to come back....by not going for the immediate winner (but I WILL kill a ball if I'm returning).

So then I asked if he wanted to play best of 5, so we commenced the 4th set....and I went up 3-0. He managed to get one of the breaks back, but after that, I never faced a break point. I broke him again to win the match at 3*-5.

He started to go after my backhand a lot to prove his point, but if I had enough time, I either sent it past him or hit a great lob. And another thing I noticed was that HE started trying to attack the ball more, since he saw that I wasn't going for winners early in the rally; no free points for him. It's hilarious to see a counter-puncher/pusher try to play aggressively when frustrated (like Murray). They usually miss.

Another thing about this guy is that unlike Murray, he'll get an impossibly good serve back in play, but nothing will be on it. I'm always amazed at how he gets some of my serves back (but then again, he's probably amazed when I get HIS serves back). But when he returns, they're always floaters. I return like Murray/Djokovic: they're hit with authority.

I will always maintain that at least against THIS guy, the match is always on MY racquet (I sound like Serena, lol)

I wanted to gloat to badly >_< He was completely silent after I won....but had SOOOOO much to say when he won the other day.
 
MIMIC you have cool friends if they are usually down for a best of 5 set match. If I split sets with some of the guys I play, they're content with ending it there. If we play a 3rd set at all, its usually a super tiebreaker. And don't you love kicking the ass of opponents that lecture you on how "wrong" your form is? So many armchair coaches still hold the belief that there is only one correct way to hold a racket, hit a certain shot, serve etc. which as you know is simply not true. Next time you play him, since you won the last match, you should teach and insist upon him switching to your form just to annoy him. lol
 

MIMIC

Banned
MIMIC you have cool friends if they are usually down for a best of 5 set match. If I split sets with some of the guys I play, they're content with ending it there. If we play a 3rd set at all, its usually a super tiebreaker. And don't you love kicking the ass of opponents that lecture you on how "wrong" your form is? So many armchair coaches still hold the belief that there is only one correct way to hold a racket, hit a certain shot, serve etc. which as you know is simply not true. Next time you play him, since you won the last match, you should teach and insist upon him switching to your form just to annoy him. lol

"Armchair coaches" is the PERFECT description.

Today is my first tournament, in exactly 5 hours. I'm nervous xD

Don't screw up. All of tennis GAF is counting on you! =p
 

Faith

Member
Lost the second match, he won 7:5 6:4 :(

It was 4:1 in the first set for me, but my serve got completely lost. I was totally dominating the rallies and we had a lot of them, some really good points. He sad after the match "if you would have a better serve I wouldn't have a chance". His 1st serve in percentage was around 75%. And I had around 15-20 double faults. It was my only weakness, everything else was perfect. Eventough it was a 2 set match, it was longer than the first (1.5 hours) with 2 hours.

But I'm satisfied with my play. Really awesome forehand, a lot of winners down the line. Even a good backhand. Now I have to train my serve.
 
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