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Tennis - General Discussion

D

Deadman

Member
Federer won his match so the Davis cup final will be Switzerland vs France, in France.

I assume that due to the time of year (november) it will be held indoors and not on clay, which should be better for Switzerland.
 
P

perfectchaos007

Member
I swear I played MIMIC in the finals of a tournament yesterday. Physically he was tall (6'2"ish), thin build but muscular, African American, late 20's. His game was fairly big, but his weapon was his speed. I could hit a beautiful drop shot at the net while he was behind the baseline and he would get to it and make me hit one more shot. His forehand was his favored shot, so much so that he would step around almost every backhand to hit a forehand. His backhand was a one handed slap shot and he just used it to get the ball back in play, deep. I wasn't pushing, but I just didn't have enough power to get the ball past him because of his speed, which led to long rallies almost every point. We began the match at noon, and he ended up winning the match at 3:05pm. The final blow for me was when I was serving 5 all in the 3rd set, my strings broke, and I had to switch to another racket. He broke me, then held to win the final set 7-5. Congrats MIMIC, I'll get you next time.
 
N

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
Should've just said "hey, Gulbis sucks!" The rage would've overcome him and you would've won easily.
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
perfectchaos007 said:
I swear I played MIMIC in the finals of a tournament yesterday. Physically he was tall (6'2"ish), thin build but muscular, African American, late 20's. His game was fairly big, but his weapon was his speed. I could hit a beautiful drop shot at the net while he was behind the baseline and he would get to it and make me hit one more shot. His forehand was his favored shot, so much so that he would step around almost every backhand to hit a forehand. His backhand was a one handed slap shot and he just used it to get the ball back in play, deep. I wasn't pushing, but I just didn't have enough power to get the ball past him because of his speed, which led to long rallies almost every point. We began the match at noon, and he ended up winning the match at 3:05pm. The final blow for me was when I was serving 5 all in the 3rd set, my strings broke, and I had to switch to another racket. He broke me, then held to win the final set 7-5. Congrats MIMIC, I'll get you next time.
Click to expand...

LMAO. You described me masterfully. Speed KILLS ^_^ Guess I have a doppelganger out there somewhere. But I've abandoned that BH "slap shot"; I noticed that I have a tendency to kind of "let go" of the racquet after I swing, which makes the follow-through a slap. Keeping a tighter grip makes it substantially cleaner and a more natural follow-through.

And I played 5 sets today (all doubles).

1st set: 9-7. We decided to play it out. I was downright AWFUL in the first few games. My FH was miserable....and we were playing just an OK team: one guy is an excellent net player and the other guy is just OK. But my teammate and I as a pair are definitely better. We were down several times but we managed to keep clawing back. Near the end, my FH came back to life; I was easily hitting scorching winners off of short balls at this point.

2nd set: 6-0. I got my act together :)

3rd set: 6-1. Same team. We kept the momentum going.

4th set: 6-6. Playing a different team; the guys we were playing were like 10x better (as a pair) than the other team. This was an extremely high-quality set. Everyone was mostly hitting winners or forcing errors. One guy on the other team is an EXCELLENT volleyer and kept picking at my return of serve....so whenever I was returning on the deuce side and didn't hit a good enough cross-court FH, he would put it away every time. So I had to hit a sharper angle or go up the line. I went up the line a few times but mostly just made the angle sharper.

There were several breaks in this set. It reminded me of the Monfils-Djokovic match in Paris last year: although they kept breaking each other, the return game was top notch.

They served for the set twice: 5*-4 and 6*-5. My teammate saved a set point with a beautiful lob that hit the line. My heart skipped a beat when he hit it.

After we broke back to make it 6-6, my teammate got hurt and had to quit so he subbed out. I got a new teammate and instead of finishing this set, we played a new one.

5th set: 6-4. My new teammate is basically the Fabrice Santoro of volleyers: not powerful but VERY flashy, very deceptive and very effective. His lobs are always perfectly placed and he has a great reaction volley. We were down 1*-4 but managed to come back. When I was serving at 1*-4, I was really pissed off for losing my serve. I fucking double faulted twice in a row: once at 30-30 and then again at 30-40 to lose the game. I can't even remember the last time I hit two double faults in a row. This game, I not only went after my first serve but also my 2nd serve. I held 40-15.

We broke back and held to make it 4-4. We broke again, and then it was all on me. 0-0: First serve in was unreturned. 15-0: First serve in also unreturned. 30-0: Ace. 40-0: I double faulted, lol. 40-15: My amazing partner missed a smash that he makes 99% of the time, lol. 40-30: after a short rally, one of their shots sailed long.

Long ass morning.....

EDIT: Oh yeah...when we broke at 4-4: I'm usually very reserved and never VOCALLY celebrate--I usually just fist pump or something--but I hit this amazing shot where he tried to drop shot me from the baseline and I tracked it down and flicked it with an AMAZING angle that went by both of them. I screamed "YES!!" so loudly, lol. Hitting a great shot off of a drop shot is an incredibly hard thing to do.....something that Federer does so flawlessly sometimes. I got one off and it just feels so good to do something like that...especially when it's on a break point ^_^

During the shot, my head was below the level of the net so I was just looking through the holes in the net as my shot went by them. Never had that kind of perspective before :)
 
L

LuuKyK

Member
So apparently Nicole Vaidisova is back to playing tennis? She just won a match in a 75K in Albuquerque. lol Didn't see that coming.

You can watch the replay here.
 
P

perfectchaos007

Member
Milchmann said:
Chinese media report that Li Na will announce her retirement tomorrow.
Click to expand...

If I were to venture a guess, the retirement would be effective after the WTA championships in Singapore. It would be fitting to end her career in Asia imo.

Also, what nationality will Andy Murray choose if Scotland splits form the UK!?
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
Finally got around to uploading the video of me practicing my serve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOQUZhyP6o4

Any tips? Comments?:)

This was the first time seeing myself serve. I haven't made any changes based on what I've seen. But between when this vid was shot (last month) and now, I've increased my ball toss slightly. Gives me more time to prep my racquet for more power (or at least it feels that way).

Milchmann said:
Chinese media report that Li Na will announce her retirement tomorrow.
Click to expand...

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa????
 
L

LuuKyK

Member
Its official. Very emotional goodbye from Li Na. I wish her all the best. Always a very classy and fair player.

LETTER FROM LI NA:

My dear friends,

For close to fifteen years, we’ve been a part of each other’s lives. As a tennis player representing China on the global stage, I’ve trekked around the world playing hundreds of matches on the WTA tour, for China’s Fed Cup team, at the National Games and at several Olympic Games. You’ve always been there for me, supporting me, cheering me on, and encouraging me to reach my potential.

Representing China on the tennis court was an extraordinary privilege and a true honor. Having the unique opportunity to effectively bring more attention to the sport of tennis in China and all over Asia is something I will cherish forever. But in sport, just like in life, all great things must come to an end.

2014 has become one of the most significant years in my career and my life. This year was full of amazing highlights, which included winning my second Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open and sharing the extraordinary experience with my country, my team, my husband and my fans. It was also a year filled with difficult moments, such as having to deal with the inevitable - making the decision to end my professional tennis career.

The amazing moment in Australia was filled with joy, happiness and extraordinary sense of accomplishment. The task of finally making a decision to hang up my racquet felt a lot more difficult than winning seven matches in a row in the Australian heat. It took me several agonizing months to finally come to the decision that my chronic injuries will never again let me be the tennis player that I can be. Walking away from the sport, effective immediately, is the right decision for me and my family.

Most people in the tennis world know that my career has been marked by my troubled right knee. The black brace I wear over it when I step on the court has become my tennis birth mark. And while the brace completes my tennis look, the knee problems have at times overtaken my life.

After four knee surgeries and hundreds of shots injected into my knee weekly to alleviate swelling and pain, my body is begging me to stop the pounding. My previous three surgeries were on my right knee. My most recent knee surgery took place this July and was on my left knee. After a few weeks of post-surgery recovery, I tried to go through all the necessary steps to get back on the court.

While I’ve come back from surgery in the past, this time it felt different. One of my goals was to recover as fast as I could in order to be ready for the first WTA tournament in my hometown of Wuhan. As hard as I tried to get back to being 100%, my body kept telling me that, at 32, I will not be able to compete at the top level ever again. The sport is just too competitive, too good, to not be 100%.

Winning a Grand Slam title this year and achieving a ranking of World No.2 is the way I would like to leave competitive tennis. As hard as it’s been to come to this decision, I am at peace with it. I have no regrets. I was not supposed to be here in the first place, remember? Not many people believed in my talent and my abilities, yet I found a way to persevere, to prove them (and sometimes myself!) wrong.

I’ve succeeded on the global stage in a sport that a few years ago was in its infancy in China. What I’ve accomplished for myself is beyond my wildest dreams. What I accomplished for my country is one of my most proud achievements.

In 2008, there were two professional women’s tennis tournaments in China. Today, there are 10, one of them in Wuhan, my hometown. That to me is extraordinary! Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams – with thirty Grand Slam singles titles among them - are coming to my hometown to play tennis for the fans of China! Just as I didn’t think I could ever be a Grand Slam champion, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that some of the best female athletes in the world could play tennis in Wuhan, in my backyard.

My contributions to the growth of the sport in China are very special to me. But I don’t want to stop here. Together with IMG, my management company, we are putting together various plans on how we will continue to grow the sport of tennis in China. These plans include opening the Li Na Tennis Academy, which will provide scholarships for the future generation of Chinese tennis stars. I will also stay involved in the Right to Play, an organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children overcome challenges through sport. My philanthropic work will expand in scope as I continue to dedicate myself to helping those in need. What was once just a dream in China today is a reality.

On a personal side, I look forward to starting a new chapter of my life, hopefully having a family and reconnecting with those I did not have the luxury of spending a lot of time with while playing. I can’t wait to revisit all the amazing places I played tennis in and see the world through a new set of eyes. I look forward to slowing down and living my life at a new, slower, relaxed pace.

Tennis is an individual sport and as players, our job is to spend a lot of time focusing on ourselves. But no player can ever become a champion alone and nobody knows this better than me. There isn’t enough space here to thank everyone who has travelled on my journey with me and contributed to my success. But I must thank those that have stuck with me through the highs and the lows and have helped me become the person that I am today.

THANK YOU TO:
• My mother – for your never-ending support. Through the laughs and the tears, you’ve always been there for me.
• My father – you were taken away from me way too early and I haven’t been the same since. You’ve remained the sunshine in my life and I am who I am because of you.
• Jiang Shan – you’ve been by my side for 20 years. You are my everything and I am grateful to have shared my life with you.
• My first coaches Ms. Xia Xiyao and Ms. Yu Liqiao - for putting me on the tennis path.
• Madame Sun and the Chinese Tennis Association - thank you for being trailblazers for tennis in China.
• Mr. Hu Dechun and the Hubei Sports Bureau – for understanding me and supporting me through the years.
• Women’s Tennis Association – for your passion for women’s tennis and hard work growing it around the world.
• Mr. Chan Hongchang – for supporting me when I first decided to become a professional tennis player in 2008. You helped me make up my mind.
• Thomas Hogstedt – for introducing me to professional tennis.
• Michael Mortenson – for helping me win my first Grand Slam.
• Carlos Rodriguez – for pushing me beyond the limits I thought I could reach.
• Alex Stober – for taking care of me all of these years and pulling me together when I was falling apart.
• Erich Rembeck and Johannes Wieber – for finding a way to make me pain free, over and over again.
• Fred Zhang and the Nike team – you’ve been my guiding light, my support system and my biggest cheerleader. I will never forget it.
• To my agent Max Eisenbud and the entire IMG Team - for being the best management company in the world and for taking care of me every day.
• To all the sponsors that have supported me through every stage of my career.
• To my relatives, friends, and everyone who has helped me throughout my career – for always being there for me and for your never-ending support.
• To my fellow tennis players – for being a part of my journey all of these years. I have so much respect for all of you.
• To everyone in the media who’s covered my career and helped the growth of tennis in China and around the world.
• To the amazing tennis fans around the world – for your unyielding support of our sport and for playing every tennis match along with me.
• And lastly, to tennis fans in China – for getting on the bandwagon and staying on it! I am grateful to each and every one of you for pushing me to be my best, embracing me and loving me unconditionally. There is no limit to how far we can take the sport of tennis in China, together.

When I started playing tennis, I was just a neighborhood kid with an after-school hobby, not realizing what magical journey lay ahead of me. If I only knew what a vehicle the sport of tennis, along with my success, would become for my beloved China. While my journey hasn’t been easy, it has been rewarding. I’ve seen change happening in front of my eyes, young girls picking up tennis racquets, setting goals, following their hearts and believing in themselves. I hope that I’ve had the opportunity to inspire young women all over China to believe in themselves, to set their goals high and pursue them with vengeance and self-belief.

Whether you want to be a tennis player, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher or a business leader, I urge you to believe in yourself and follow your dream. If I could do it, you can too! Be the bird that sticks out. With hard work, your dreams will come true.

LI NA
Click to expand...
 
N

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
Very sad. She'll definitely be missed. Class act to the end. Wish her the best with whatever she does next in life.
 
L

LuuKyK

Member
Also, Genie marry me please. *in love*

10471956_706120566130465_1893555567_n.jpg
 
D

Diamond

Member
Deadman said:
Federer won his match so the Davis cup final will be Switzerland vs France, in France.

I assume that due to the time of year (november) it will be held indoors and not on clay, which should be better for Switzerland.
Click to expand...

Don't bet on it. It'll be indoor, sure, but everybody here in France already want it to be on clay. It'll probably be temporary courts in Lille (North of France).

MIMIC said:
Finally got around to uploading the video of me practicing my serve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOQUZhyP6o4

Any tips? Comments?:)

This was the first time seeing myself serve. I haven't made any changes based on what I've seen. But between when this vid was shot (last month) and now, I've increased my ball toss slightly. Gives me more time to prep my racquet for more power (or at least it feels that way).
Click to expand...

You're a little far to judge accurately, but there are two things I'd point out.

- You can probably use your legs more. You use them already, but if you bend your knees more, you'll be able to generate more power.
- You can bring the racquet behind your back more during your swing. Like the legs, you kind of do it already, but not every time. It could be as far back and down as this (top right image) :
uia61234568787.jpg


You already generate speed nicely so it'd be interesting to see the result if you just exaggerate your gestures more. You should record a match !

Also what the hell with all these North American tennis clubs where there are no separation between the courts ? Don't you spend a lot of time searching for the balls ? Here in France we always have fences that prevent balls to roll everywhere.
 
P

perfectchaos007

Member
MIMIC said:
Finally got around to uploading the video of me practicing my serve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOQUZhyP6o4

Any tips? Comments?:)

This was the first time seeing myself serve. I haven't made any changes based on what I've seen. But between when this vid was shot (last month) and now, I've increased my ball toss slightly. Gives me more time to prep my racquet for more power (or at least it feels that way).



whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa????
Click to expand...

Your serve has a nice natural kick to it. I can't tell if that's due to the spin you put on it or your height but I can see how it can be very effective in your matches!
 
L

LuuKyK

Member
After what felt like a hundred years, I am finally hitting the ball again. Went through some serious surgery on my knee. Feels amazing to be back. Its not the same, but still. Just hope they dont fail me again. Wish me luck. :p
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
^Luck! :)

And thanks for the tips. I tested out bending my knees more. Gonna have to work more on that. It was effective, but felt weird. It helped my 2nd serve a lot, too.

Also, played tennis today and finally bageled my friend *mischievous face* The thing is: I almost bageled him in the first set (was serving 5*-0, 40-30)....and CHOKED MY TITS OFF. He broke me and won the next 2 games....and thank God, he finally choked while serving at 5-3*. lol

Concentrating on bageling your opponent is NOT something I would ever advise...just concentrate on each point. When I didn't serve it out, I got completely distracted. :(

We played another set, and I just so happened to bagel him this time. I forced myself to forget about the score, and soon enough, it was 6-0.
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
Another thing about the 1HBH: 90% of the shot is all in the footwork. That little "ballet" move where your right foot is in front and your left foot is behind you and you're on your toes (during the follow-through)

YNTtvkO.jpg
oMOLttK.jpg
0LQuEwK.jpg


At the club level, I NEVER see this. The only people I see doing it are the people who are already really, really good.

And for some damn reason, I always forget about the footwork. And then when I remember, it becomes a lethal weapon. I'd say it's the one shot where most of the shot control comes from the legs. I think so many club level players don't attempt this because it's so unnatural. "On your tippy-toes hitting a shot? WAT?" Like with me: I know to do it, but because it's a rather unnatural position to be in, you sometimes forget. But it's a VERY easy position to slip into and involves very little thinking (coordination-wise); it's just about remembering to do it. At least that's how I feel about it.
 
N

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
LuuKyK said:
After what felt like a hundred years, I am finally hitting the ball again. Went through some serious surgery on my knee. Feels amazing to be back. Its not the same, but still. Just hope they dont fail me again. Wish me luck. :p
Click to expand...

Best wishes man.
 
D

Diamond

Member
perfectchaos007 said:
Ugh, I dread the day my knees fail. It seems to happen to almost every tennis player at some point.
Click to expand...

Back injuries too. I had serious low back pain for the first time after a training the other day (getting old probably). After that, something as trivial as putting on my socks was a chore during two weeks. Felt like Louis CK. Tennis can be a pretty destructive sport.

LuuKyK said:
After what felt like a hundred years, I am finally hitting the ball again. Went through some serious surgery on my knee. Feels amazing to be back. Its not the same, but still. Just hope they dont fail me again. Wish me luck. :p
Click to expand...

Nice to hear, go for it !
 
M

MIMIC

Banned
perfectchaos007 said:
Haha. Jumping over a tennis net is like playing with fire. It can end badly for some. Fortunately for Jarmere Jenkins he was okay. He ended up winning the match and the tournament!
Click to expand...

I jump over the net all the time; I clear it by a good 4-5 inches....but I'm running. What THIS fool did was a standing jump, which is obviously dangerous. He's lucky he didn't break his neck.

But good for him for winning the match/tournament.

EDIT: MTF thread title for the final:

Costa Mesa Pro Classic F25 Final - Faceplanting Jenkins [2] def. Novikov [5] 6-4, 6-2

agrajag said:
MIMIC, you play 1hbh but hate Federer and love Djokovic/Gulbis? I don't get it.
Click to expand...

Weird, huh? =p

Come to think of it, the only players with a 1HBH that I root for are Youzhny, Gasquet and Blake (before he retired). But Blake was a mess so it was kinda hard to root for him anyway, lol
 
N

Nemo

Will Eat Your Children
Li Na retired? Ughhhhhhhhhhhh. Sad to see my favorite WTA player of all time going, wish her the best!

@MIMIC, I agree with Diamond on your serve, getting the racket behind/below more will do really well for you, you seem pretty strong already so getting the racket upside down and then swinging up in acceleration will prove wonders. To help do this you can try experimenting by having either a higher ball toss so you have more time to get the racket head lower or have a more relaxed ball toss by moving your tossing arm and ball straightened in a slower but still fluid motion letting go when your arm reaches 90 degrees with your shoulder. Try experimenting to achieve a longer trophy pose than you currently have

A closer video (where we can see you from the side perhaps?) will work a lot better in looking at what you can improve on, you might already be doing a bunch of these things I mentioned but I couldn't look precise enough

Peru said:
MIMIC..? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyOxaSeTXWs
Click to expand...
Okay, that was hilarious :lol
 
N

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
Cornet beats Serena once again for the third time this year
technically. Serena retired from the match while up a break at 6-5
 
R

Ricker

Member
Bouchard won but it sounds like she had a hard time of it again...got broke 6 times and so on...oh well,after 3 weeks off I guess it's a slow start but she won at least anyway lol...
 
L

LuuKyK

Member
Ricker said:
Bouchard won but it sounds like she had a hard time of it again...got broke 6 times and so on...oh well,after 3 weeks off I guess it's a slow start but she won at least anyway lol...
Click to expand...

Barthel was playing way above her normal leval though. Genie fought hard and stayed in the match. Barthel even saced five MP.

Still, Genie needs to raise her level if she wants to go far here. Even with Serena out, she possibly has Cornet, Maria/Caro and Kvitova en route to the title, so its still a tough road ahead.
 
D

Dispatch

Member
So, I have a regular group I play doubles with on Tuesday nights at an indoor facility near me. Tonight, I played well. I served well, volleyed well, and minimized my mistakes.

I still lost the two full sets we ended up playing in our hour and a half on court, which is how long we rent the court. It was very frustrating. I, and my partner (we rotate so all four guys on the schedule) just couldn't close out games.

Ah, well, maybe I'll get them next week.
 
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