TENNIS PLAYERS (Off-Court Shenanigans)

[Deuce]

...
If Kei had balls that big, he'd be a permanent member of the top 10.
It's frustrating that he lacks the self-confidence and 'killer instinct' on court - that's the only thing that's been holding him back from a regular spot in the top 10.

Penguins don't have killer instincts.
I say it is the size. He is an inline 6 in a world of V8's. There is a limit to how much you can get out of that.

Diego, Ferrer, Henin, Coetzer, and several others are smaller than Nishikori.
'It's not the size of the person in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the person.'

.

[Suliso]

Diego is not going to win any Slams either and neither did Ferrer.

[ponchi101]

...
Diego, Ferrer, Henin, Coetzer, and several others are smaller than Nishikori.
'It's not the size of the person in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the person.'

.

Serious question: you think Ferrer did not have a killer instinct? 27 titles, one Slam final, all of them in the era of the three monsters?
An incredible career, I think we can all agree to that, yet, he was never able to win a big one. And this was a man that basically had to be told the match was over before he would stop trying.
Size is so important. It cuts both ways: being under 6 feet makes it very difficult. Being over 6'6" too.

[meganfernandez]

...
Diego, Ferrer, Henin, Coetzer, and several others are smaller than Nishikori.
'It's not the size of the person in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the person.'

.

Serious question: you think Ferrer did not have a killer instinct? 27 titles, one Slam final, all of them in the era of the three monsters?
An incredible career, I think we can all agree to that, yet, he was never able to win a big one. And this was a man that basically had to be told the match was over before he would stop trying.
Size is so important. It cuts both ways: being under 6 feet makes it very difficult. Being over 6'6" too.

I don’t think a killer instinct differentiates anyone in the top 10, 20… maybe 100. If someone gets that far, they have enough killer instinct and competitive fire. Ferrer didn’t have a weapon to beat the guys ahead of him, IMO. Probably not a big-enough serve. He had a great career, though. Great player. Just not quite as good as the others ahead of him. Ever.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Deuce]

Diego is not going to win any Slams either and neither did Ferrer.

I never mentioned winning Majors - so I have no idea where that comes from.
Both Shwartzman and Ferrer have/had better careers than Nishikori, even though both are smaller than Nishikori. And so, as I said - when you have the physical talent (as Nishikori obviously has) it's not about size or physical strength - it's about confidence, determination, 'killer instinct', etc. These are the elements (all very related to one another) that Nishikori lacks. If he had them, he'd be a regular top 10 player.

...
Diego, Ferrer, Henin, Coetzer, and several others are smaller than Nishikori.
'It's not the size of the person in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the person.'

.

Serious question: you think Ferrer did not have a killer instinct? 27 titles, one Slam final, all of them in the era of the three monsters?
An incredible career, I think we can all agree to that, yet, he was never able to win a big one. And this was a man that basically had to be told the match was over before he would stop trying.
Size is so important. It cuts both ways: being under 6 feet makes it very difficult. Being over 6'6" too.

Umm... I thought it was pretty clear that what I'm saying is that the physically small players I mentioned (including Ferrer) obviously have/had more confidence and 'killer instinct' than Nishikori has - and that's exactly why they've had better careers than Nishikori.

[Deuce]

I don’t think a killer instinct differentiates anyone in the top 10, 20… maybe 100. If someone gets that far, they have enough killer instinct and competitive fire.

I think that confidence, determination, focus, concentration, desire are exactly the elements which set players in the top 50 or 100 apart from each other. They all have a very similar level of physical ability (perhaps not the in the exact same areas - one's backhand could be better or worse than another's, etc., but the overall level of physical talent is very similar). What distinguishes them from one another is their mental strengths and weaknesses. Players themselves have been saying this for decades.

Take a look at how Nadal and Djokovic still can come back after being down in a match vs. a top player. This confidence and determination is what sets the top 3 or 4 or 5 apart from the rest of the pack. The same can be said for different 'sections' throughout the top 50, at least - it's mental strengths/weaknesses that make the difference the majority of the time.
There are varying degrees of confidence, determination, drive, killer instinct, etc. Among the top 50 - maybe even top 100 -, the higher the degree of these elements a given player possesses, the more success he/she will have.

[Liamvalid]

I always thought Nishikori’s problem came from his physical health-he always seemed to build up a head of steam but them get injured and take time out. That could stem from his size I guess but I’ve never followed him enough to take much note. I did see the odd match where he appeared to play like a potential slam winner so the talent is obviously there.

Nishikori has won 12 titles to Diego’s 4, won 24m dollars to Diego’s 10m and has been higher ranked, so I disagree that Diego has had a better career. To me Diego also has been in positions where he is on a good run, looks like he might take a slam or reach a final, but then take a bad unexpected loss to someone

[meganfernandez]

I don’t think a killer instinct differentiates anyone in the top 10, 20… maybe 100. If someone gets that far, they have enough killer instinct and competitive fire.

I think that confidence, determination, focus, concentration, desire are exactly the elements which set players in the top 50 or 100 apart from each other. They all have a very similar level of physical ability (perhaps not the in the exact same areas - one's backhand could be better or worse than another's, etc., but the overall level of physical talent is very similar). What distinguishes them from one another is their mental strengths and weaknesses. Players themselves have been saying this for decades.

Take a look at how Nadal and Djokovic still can come back after being down in a match vs. a top player. This confidence and determination is what sets the top 3 or 4 or 5 apart from the rest of the pack. The same can be said for different 'sections' throughout the top 50, at least - it's mental strengths/weaknesses that make the difference the majority of the time.
There are varying degrees of confidence, determination, drive, killer instinct, etc. Among the top 50 - maybe even top 100 -, the higher the degree of these elements a given player possesses, the more success he/she will have.

I think we're talking about the same thing. When I hear killer instinct, I think of bloodlust motivating someone more than anything, like a boxer. Wanting to beat someone down. I don't think tennis players think like that. They try to play their best game and don't want to lose, but they aren't motivated by destroying someone else. I don't think you can play your best game if that's your focus. Maybe some people can.

I do think aspects of technique can separate people at that level, not just mental stuff. The serve in particular. And also experience. For instance, I think Isner is mentally strong and has big-match experience, but he just doesn't have the ground game (or maybe the stamina?) to break serve enough, don't you think?

[Deuce]

I think we're talking about the same thing. When I hear killer instinct, I think of bloodlust motivating someone more than anything, like a boxer. Wanting to beat someone down. I don't think tennis players think like that. They try to play their best game and don't want to lose, but they aren't motivated by destroying someone else. I don't think you can play your best game if that's your focus. Maybe some people can.

I view 'killer instinct' as not wanting to necessarily destroy an opponent, but as digging down deep and finding that extra level when you need it.
Back in the 80s, though, the rivalries were such that several players definitely wanted to destroy their opponents. Fortunately for fans, the parity among the top players was such that it rarely produced one-sided matches.
The rivalries today are much, much friendlier than they were back then - there is no comparison.

I do think aspects of technique can separate people at that level, not just mental stuff. The serve in particular. And also experience. For instance, I think Isner is mentally strong and has big-match experience, but he just doesn't have the ground game (or maybe the stamina?) to break serve enough, don't you think?

There are obviously differences in technique, or physical ability - as I mentioned previously in saying that one player's backhand may be better than another's, etc. But the overall ability of the top 50 players is pretty similar (with the exception of the Nadal/Djokovic/Federer trio). Isner, for example, relies more on his serve than, say, someone like Dimitrov... but Dimitrov relies more on his groundstroke abilities than does Isner. I believe that the various (and different) physical abilities of the players in the top 50 or so pretty much balance out, and that the main difference between them is in their psychological approach - which includes confidence, determination, concentration, how they deal with the wind and sun, how they handle pressure, etc., etc.
You mention experience... I classify that as a psychological element, as well - how well a player uses his experience is to me a psychological factor more than it is a physical one.

[3mlm]

I always thought Nishikori’s problem came from his physical health-he always seemed to build up a head of steam but them get injured and take time out. That could stem from his size I guess but I’ve never followed him enough to take much note. I did see the odd match where he appeared to play like a potential slam winner so the talent is obviously there.

Nishikori has won 12 titles to Diego’s 4, won 24m dollars to Diego’s 10m and has been higher ranked, so I disagree that Diego has had a better career. To me Diego also has been in positions where he is on a good run, looks like he might take a slam or reach a final, but then take a bad unexpected loss to someone

Nishikori was in the top 10 continuously from 9/8/14 to 8/19/17 and then again from 11/4/18 to 10/24/19. That seems like being a regular top 10 player in the prime of his career. Schwartzman didn't become a top 10 player until this year at age 28 so hardly qualifies as being a regular top 10 player.

[Deuce]

Nishikori was in the top 10 continuously from 9/8/14 to 8/19/17 and then again from 11/4/18 to 10/24/19. That seems like being a regular top 10 player in the prime of his career.

Seriously?!
Wow... I didn't know he was top 10 for that length of time. That had to be the most inconspicuous top 10 run in the history of the game.
I maintain that he doesn't have enough drive, determination, killer instinct - whatever one wishes to call it - if he had more of that, he'd have had a better career. He's always been kind of the wallflower type - not a 'take the bull by the horns' type - and I believe that has had an effect on his career.
Maybe the pressure he felt being the one that all of Japan pinned their hopes on affected him and made it more difficult for him to come out of his shell, so to speak.

Schwartzman didn't become a top 10 player until this year at age 28 so hardly qualifies as being a regular top 10 player.

Touché. It seems that Diego has been around the top 10 (let's say top 20) for a while, though. I suppose I'm guilty of comparing him to Nishikori in present times, where Diego is well ahead.

[Suliso]

Daria Kasatkina

[ponchi101]

I have always thought she is a cutie. Lovely picture.

[ptmcmahon]

Is it just me or does she look about 12 in that picture?

[meganfernandez]

Is it just me or does she look about 12 in that picture?

Except for the tiki drink


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk