Talk About Tennis 2.0

If body mass (let's call it that) resulted directly in players hitting the ball harder, Iga would not be #1, Pavs would have broken records, and Sharapova would have never made it past the challenger circuit.
I think that idea needs to be thought all over again.

If I compare Townsend to Ostapenko, I find to Taylor to be more athletic.

Owendonovan wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 3:48 am If I compare Townsend to Ostapenko, I find to Taylor to be more athletic.

No question. But that doesn't settle anything

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 3:06 am If body mass (let's call it that) resulted directly in players hitting the ball harder, Iga would not be #1, Pavs would have broken records, and Sharapova would have never made it past the challenger circuit.
I think that idea needs to be thought all over again.

Obviously this is not that straightforward. But in certain situations (i.e. the player is not rushed and has enough time to set up) the extra body mass may result in generating more power. This is a question of balancing the power vs mobility/endurance.

I wonder how much this tournament will tell us about the French Open..from the YouTube videos, the rain seems to have made the clay settle a bit, making it less slippery, more like a hard court..the likes of Medvedev and Rybakina will thrive on it...

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 7:55 am I wonder how much this tournament will tell us about the French Open..from the YouTube videos, the rain seems to have made the clay settle a bit, making it less slippery, more like a hard court..the likes of Medvedev and Rybakina will thrive on it...

The movement even on wet clay is still drastically different from hardcourt. Also there is no guarantee that it will be dry in Paris. Therefore Rome again is more relevant to RG results than Madrid.

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 7:55 am I wonder how much this tournament will tell us about the French Open..from the YouTube videos, the rain seems to have made the clay settle a bit, making it less slippery, more like a hard court..the likes of Medvedev and Rybakina will thrive on it...

Also I'm quite curious what common ground did you find in Medvedev and Rybakina. IMO they are very different. Rybakina is attacking-minded, Medvedev is defensive-minded. The only thing that they seem to have similar is great serve.

mick1303 wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 7:50 am ...

Obviously this is not that straightforward. But in certain situations (i.e. the player is not rushed and has enough time to set up) the extra body mass may result in generating more power. This is a question of balancing the power vs mobility/endurance.

I say that the final speed and power of any shot is given by how fast, and how far forward, that racquet head is moving.
Roger and Nivak are great examples. It never mattered if they were falling backwards, or sideways, or in any other possible direction (I wonder what those would be, but I am hedging here). Their leading hand was always moving forward.
Anyway, Ostapenko has never been in top shape and I don't think that is one of her priorities. She just likes to belt the ball.

mick1303 wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 1:00 pm

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 7:55 am I wonder how much this tournament will tell us about the French Open..from the YouTube videos, the rain seems to have made the clay settle a bit, making it less slippery, more like a hard court..the likes of Medvedev and Rybakina will thrive on it...

Also I'm quite curious what common ground did you find in Medvedev and Rybakina. IMO they are very different. Rybakina is attacking-minded, Medvedev is defensive-minded. The only thing that they seem to have similar is great serve.

Oh, just the fact that they move better on hard courts than on clay

By now, Rybakina has made a joke out of my idea that her foot work is not good. She won Wimby, and on grass, poor movers go down, not much anywhere else. Finalist at the Aussie and winner of IW. And she has now reached the finals of a major clay court event.
I have to change my tune and say her foot work is deceptive.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 3:37 pm By now, Rybakina has made a joke out of my idea that her foot work is not good. She won Wimby, and on grass, poor movers go down, not much anywhere else. Finalist at the Aussie and winner of IW. And she has now reached the finals of a major clay court event.
I have to change my tune and say her foot work is deceptive.

Or maybe it WAS her weakness, but not anymore.

Rune 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2 over Ruud.

Medvedev and Stefanos at 4 all first set in a rain delay.

ti-amie wrote: ↑Sat May 20, 2023 4:37 pm Rune 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2 over Ruud.

In a match that Ruud had totally in control. He led 4-2 in the second, had BP (won by Rune on a FH that clipped the line) and then everything vanished.