Tennis Random, Random (On Court)

[ponchi101]

I don't like the "weak era" narrative era, but it is not always linear improvement. Look at that small window there in 2001-2002. Hewitt was #1 but it was just Sampras finally coming down and Roger not arriving yet (he was playing but was not "Roger" still).
And, in sports, there are limits. Notice how nobody has come close to Usain Bolt's records (I believe they are here to stay). And in our sport, there are some things that are measurable that are not improving. The HUGE servers are gone; perhaps the biggest server is Shelton and he does not dominate with his serve. And the great volleyers are a thing of the past. The one guy that is really good there is Alcaraz (he has the touch) but there is nobody else with a winning lunging-BH-volley (Mac, Edberg, Pete) or a definite high forehand volley (the same trio plus Boris and Goran).
I still say: it is not a weak era. But it is not a golden era. We need a couple of extra guys in the mix.

(And. Totally agree on your assessment that the concept is used when fans want to downgrade the achievements of a player they do not like.

[Fastbackss]

[ponchi101]

That is an insane stat. Specially seeing how Carlos is 10-6.

[mick1303]

That is an insane stat. Specially seeing how Carlos is 10-6.

No wonder. In two of his wins he accumulated less points than the loser, a-la Djokovic vs Federer in W2019.

[dryrunguy]

Sidebar: I remember when JT Continental announced on TAT (the old one?) that Marcel Granollers, then still an active singles player, had "dropped the Pujol" from his name.

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

I know that I have said that he at times dials out. This year at Wimby and at the WTF.
But is there any doubt that he is a superb competitor? So, he was going to be dialed up for that Aussie even if he had won it already.
Given the proper rest he is getting right now, I see him as the favorite.

[ashkor87]

isnt it astonishing how Alcaraz and Sinner have both changed their service motions, this year.. while Coco hasnt been ablt to change her forehand?
Alcaraz had more of aa half-serve, where he would bring his right arm up from a stationary position, and then slap the ball. effective but ba for him inf the long run, as I had commented last year.. now he has a full take-back motion, much better for him and more consistent. Sinner used to toss the ball too far in front of him, and too low.. now he has corrected it. Coco's forehand is a footwork issue, she gets too close to the ball.. no improvement at all in two years.

[ponchi101]

I don't see her FH as a liability. Her serve is what is still puzzling.
They have to get an outside advisor. Hey, get Roddick. Get Craig Raerdon, who worked with Martina.
The FH is still a good weapon, but with that grip, it will always be weaker on courts with a low bounce. But changing that grip at this stage is impossible. So, maybe what you say. Don't get so close, so you don't have to scoop it.
OTOH. She will ask us to show her our two Slam trophies...

[ashkor87]

On the serve - dfs are usually in the mind...no technical fix..but i do think she hits the ball a bit too late, as it is on the way down...easy to fix.

[ponchi101]

Mind games.
Sabalenka got her yips corrected because her coach told her the issue was biomechanics. Which I thought was brilliant. It is easier to correct biomechanics than psycho-mechanics.
Yes. Part of her issues are mental; she simply does not trust her serve. But if you tell her it was just a simple mechanical fix, maybe the psycho part goes away too,

[ashkor87]

Double faults are like missing a free throw in basketball...how can a seasoned professional player miss a free throw?! Yet they do it, all the time ..clearly mental

[ashkor87]

interesting comment on Roddick's podcast - Alcaraz is a combination of Federer, Nadal and Murray - Sinnner is just Djokovic 2.0..would you agree?
Gilbert said Sinner is a combination of Federer and Agassi..
I think Djokovic is much stronger mentally than Sinner is.. he could always raise his game, as he did repeatedly against Federer at W and the USO.. I dont see that in Sinner yet...

[mick1303]

It is in generic human nature - to seek familiar patterns. But after a while we'll get used to them and consider them for what they are (I mean Sinner and Alcaraz). And in the next generation someone will be deemed Sinner 2.0 ))

[ponchi101]

Double faults are like missing a free throw in basketball...how can a seasoned professional player miss a free throw?! Yet they do it, all the time ..clearly mental

I think it is a bit different. In BB, if you miss the free throw, you just don't get the point. But in tennis, the ultimate zero-sum scoring system, if you hit a weak second serve, your opponent creams the return and you lose the point.
And in both, it is a lot of biomechanics. Take, for example, Shaq. To me, the most overrated BB player ever, because precisely he was terrible shooting free throws (when he was almost shooting them horizontally). Shaq was simply a huge human being, but his shooting woes told me he really was not that good a "pure" BB player. Because his biomechanics on the shot were so poor.
The mental thing was when, for example, Kawhi missed TWO free throws, when all he needed was one to ice the game and the championship. And Kawhi is a very good FT shooter.