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The 2016 Australian Open |OT| 18th January - 31st January
- Thread starter LuuKyK
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Kotetsu534
Member
Bouchard's backhand was on fire at the start and took her up 4-2. Aga redirected more of her shots to her forehand, cut out the backhand errors, and suddenly the errors started flying from Bouchard. Aga had a pretty dire service game at 5-4, missing virtually every first serve but still got it done in the end with a ripped forehand winner cross-court. When it got tight, more physical (what a rally that was at the start of the second set, the one ended by the line judge), Aga's anticipation seemed to kick in while Bouchard started going for too much. Still though, if her backhand fires like that for the rest of 2016, she'll be going back up the rankings. For Aga, the chance to go deep here beckons.
Very interesting graphs and articles. It's a great subject. I think height is - of course - essential in pro tennis today (more so in ATP than WTA, but it'll probably be more and more important in female tennis too), however very tall players will always have the weight problem. They have to stay light to be quick around the court, but at the same time, if you have low muscle mass, your joints are not as protected and you are less explosive. They'll always have problems on long matches, will struggle to be consistent, change rythm, etc. One day we'll maybe see a physical phenomenon like Usain Bolt, which is tall but doesn't seem to have any of the limitations inherent to it, but right now the ideal height really seems to be between 6'0 and 6'3. Funny thing is Murray is a great example of a guy tall and quick around the court, but his game doesn't take full advantage of his height. He has the game of someone 10cm smaller.
Another point is tall players need to be more creative. They have big serves and groundstrokes, but a lot of them lack variety. That's why top players like Berdych or Raonic aren't slam winners. Guys like Paire or Tomic might be good examples but they struggle mentally so it's hard to see what a player like that could do at full capacity.
The improvement in your serve and the fatigue after several points is probably caused by the increased weight too.
I've experimented with lead tape a few times and, while I was hitting good shots (great serves, some massive passing-shots), in the long run my efficiency diminished.
You can get used to it, it'll take some time but having more weight in the racquet brings a lot of good things on paper, IF and only IF you manage to wield it correctly. Maybe try a lighter model to see if it suits you better ?
Kotetsu534
Member
I've always thought how ridiculous Murray would be if he had a dangerous, consistent first serve and a proper 2nd serve. He's learned to generate good power on his forehand over the years, but he has a bad serve for someone of his height and ability. There's definitely potential for a supreme player to come along at Murray's height.
I wonder if taller players have so much success when they're young they come to rely a bit much on their power (most juniors can't deal with big serve/forehand combinations at all, judging by what I've seen at Wimbledon). Might be wise to make sure bigger young players play against opponents that can defend their shots, even if they're older.
This Gavrilova/Kvitova match is feisty. The crowd has been very vocal, and Kvitova answered back with some cat-like screams. Gavrilova just crushed a put away right on to Kvitova's leg to go up for 5-4.
Of course it was close as the result was as predictable as it gets (my assumption was that Radwanska would serve first, hence the difference).
Puig won 9-7 in the third against the less accomplished Pliskova, saving 3 match points in the second set and 2 match points in the third. Talk about a tight contest.
I agree, I think having a tremendous serve and forehand can get you very high in the rankings (they are the main shots in tennis so it's only logical), and helps in juniors to break through, where nobody is at full physical capacity yet, but once you have Federers or Djokovics to beat, you need that little sparkle in your game, and if you didn't need to work on it before, you aren't gonna magically have it against them either.
Admittedly it's something you need to be the VERY best so it's something difficult to program at the beginning of a career.
Yep...she is already playing much better then last year,just needs to stop the UE...she was leading 40-0 in that last game and just wasted 2 chances on easy points by trying to smash the ball hard on a completly open part of the court and easy returns in the net...she will go down around 70 or so in the rankings now I think though...oh well.
Kvitova lost her R2 also...
Only Raonic left for us Canucks to cheer...
Diprosalic
Banned
Bencic will shock the world people that care about the WTA by taking out Sharapova and Williams b2b.
This is getting a little ridiculous now : Djokovic is suspected to have voluntarily lost against Santoro at the Paris M1000 in 2007. I mean even if he lost voluntarily, that doesn't mean anything if there weren't shady bets on the match.
Height is only advantagious in certain situations not all, serve being the most important (flat that is), and of course the increase in power, although shorter folks can generate power as well depending on their body type. Higher balls might a problem in the beginning but unless you are under 1.70m I don't see it as a permanent block
People often forget how important speed is when you are in the game, taller folks are much slower when it comes to acceleration, baby steps needed to dance on the court and make small adjustments, it's a mircale Fed dances on the court the way he does at 1.85. Guy must've had some serious ballet lessons if you ask me.
If you are 1.60 with a single handed backhand, sure, succes might not always come, but tennis is a skillful mind and training game rather than a body sport
People often forget how important speed is when you are in the game, taller folks are much slower when it comes to acceleration, baby steps needed to dance on the court and make small adjustments, it's a mircale Fed dances on the court the way he does at 1.85. Guy must've had some serious ballet lessons if you ask me.
If you are 1.60 with a single handed backhand, sure, succes might not always come, but tennis is a skillful mind and training game rather than a body sport
Diprosalic
Banned
it does, but i struggle to care one bit about it.
i seriously doubt any important matches are fixed and i don't think any real good players are involved.
even if, let's say, djokovic really did tank an unimportant match as a teenager i wouldn't care much.
it's obviously wrong and those involved should get punished.
So basically every italian tennis player. Sounds legit.
I bet the doubles champ they referring to is Melzer. Our players are pretty good at fixing matches. Odesnik-Melzer in Wimbledon 2009 for instance
Edit: just saw it's an old list doubt much changed though since most of them are still playing.
YoshiStrife
Member
Caught Aga's match. Did well to deal with hard-hitting Bouchard, but lot of UEs from the latter. Little shaky in parts for Aga, and again, other players would have punished her gifting a 0-40 scenario, but did amazingly well to hold that game. An improvement over her first match, though. Some really nice play and read Bouchard well the more the match went on. Damn shame the line judge had to ruin the best point of the match. Still expect Aga to go right through to the semis for a tough Serena or Pova encounter - more so with Kvitova out now.
perfectchaos007
Member
Wasn't it Odesnik that got kicked off the tour for juicing? He could be the biggest cheater of all time if he was juicing and fixing
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
That's a disgusting cover. Can't believe people are allowed to publish such damaging drivel....Makes this more silly:
(lol Woz)
YoshiStrife
Member
edit: lol nvm
Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
I especially like the colour treatment, doesn't look like mugshots at all
Nadal's headshot looks vilian-esque, LOL
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
Damn. Muguruza looks like she has been taking advantage of that Adidas doping program.
perfectchaos007
Member
Azarenka has dropped 3 games in 4 sets. She loses less than 1 game per set. That's pretty good
IISANDERII
Member
Yup, I don't believe there's been any player taller than 6'2" who's been a year's #1 player.
Rafa=FedKilla
Banned
Bunch of lame matchups so far....
Yeah, agreed.
Brutalitops
Banned
I'd feel terrible too if I was a serve babby.
perfectchaos007
Member
No kidding. Still 5 second round matches left, & 17 of the 32 womens seeds are out
perfectchaos007
Member
Lopez v. Pella may never end. 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-7, ?-?
perfectchaos007
Member
You would love college tennis then
Kotetsu534
Member
Looking at the results, I see Muguruza and Azarenka marched on with ease. Wonder if Naomi Osaka, in her break out tournament, can win more than five games against Vika in R3. That'd be more than any player has taken off her this year, and they were taken by lucky loser Ysaline Bonaventure in Brisbane.
Beck has taken out Bacsinszky, following Siegemund dispatching Jankovic, so Kerber will never have an easier route to the QFs, making a meal of her R1 aside. Shuai Zhang with her consecutive upsets has fashioned herself an amazing chance to the second week of a Slam (and for a journeywomen type player with absolutely no success at this level, take home a huge pay cheque). She has Lepchenko in R3.
Kuznetsov v Sela is an R3 match. Nadal, Anderson, Chardy, Verdasco were all in their part of the draw. Rosol has taken out Jack Sock, winning two TBs in sets 1 and 2. That should ease Wawrinka's path through.
Beck has taken out Bacsinszky, following Siegemund dispatching Jankovic, so Kerber will never have an easier route to the QFs, making a meal of her R1 aside. Shuai Zhang with her consecutive upsets has fashioned herself an amazing chance to the second week of a Slam (and for a journeywomen type player with absolutely no success at this level, take home a huge pay cheque). She has Lepchenko in R3.
Kuznetsov v Sela is an R3 match. Nadal, Anderson, Chardy, Verdasco were all in their part of the draw. Rosol has taken out Jack Sock, winning two TBs in sets 1 and 2. That should ease Wawrinka's path through.
Yes, but it works the other way around too : find me the last slam winners who were under 6'0. Being quick around the court is important, but being tall is too, big time. You can hold your own if you have an average height, but it'll be hard to win big titles. At a certain point, if you are not over 5'9, you'll be handicapped.
I'm not saying tennis is not a technical sport vs body, physical sport, we have top players of a wide variety of height and that's great, but it's a fact that a lot of things become easier when you're 6'0 and over. The best are those who manage to take advantage of their height and be good runners. And with the evolution of fitness I guess we'll see taller players who can move like Federer or Nadal. Again, look at the movement of Murray who is 6'3.
Heresy ! No let, maybe, no deuce, never.
Diprosalic
Banned
i didnt know the seniors tournament started already.
Wawrinka in next round.
(almost at the same time Bacsinszky out
Shame for Timea. I really hope she can sustain her success in 2016
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