ATP 1000: Indian Wells

I think I should play very relaxed this year, not just
here, not just in Miami, not just in Dubai, wherever I'm
going to go. I really hope I can play with this lightness,
this freshness throughout, because I worked so hard to
get to 18 the last five years. It's not always been easy,
especially with injuries.
And losing some tough matches, but I did have good
moments, too, you know (From Wimby 2012 till AO 17). I won a lot of tournaments,
beat a lot of the top guys, basically all of them. But
then basically won the Davis Cup, which is big for us,
for me.
So it wasn't all bad, you know, like maybe people make
it sound like there was this huge lull or a bad stretch. It
wasn't. It was just one that I couldn't get a slam
because of Novak, mostly. So I'm happy I finally got it

Tenez wrote:Great tennis this eve. However 5pm is late. Is that 12pm our time? If so I will watch it. Well the first set for sure.

Tenez wrote:Fed:

I think I should play very relaxed this year, not just
here, not just in Miami, not just in Dubai, wherever I'm
going to go. I really hope I can play with this lightness,
this freshness throughout, because I worked so hard to
get to 18 the last five years. It's not always been easy,
especially with injuries.
And losing some tough matches, but I did have good
moments, too, you know (From Wimby 2012 till AO 17). I won a lot of tournaments,
beat a lot of the top guys, basically all of them. But
then basically won the Davis Cup, which is big for us,
for me.
So it wasn't all bad, you know, like maybe people make
it sound like there was this huge lull or a bad stretch. It
wasn't. It was just one that I couldn't get a slam
because of Novak, mostly. So I'm happy I finally got it

... wrote:I came across this paragraph about BH slice which gave an interesting and almost cute perspective on all basic tennis shots, I paricularly liked SBH being described as a "genius youngest child"...so true!

"Consider each groundstroke as a sibling. The forehand is the oldest – powerful and assertive; even sometimes, a bully. The two-handed backhand is the middle child, the steady glue that holds the family together, but when necessary, able to flex its muscle. And then there’s the one-handed drive, the special youngest child who might well be the most brilliant of them all if he can hold it together.
What about the slice backhand? Once upon a time it had been the glue, nimble in rallies and service returns, adept at changes in pace, owner of the drop shot and the Swiss Army knife for striking that once all-important stroke, the approach shot.
But the ascent of the two-handed backhand in the ‘70s, led by Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert and Bjorn Borg, soon enough purged the slice from the family estate. Though Steffi Graf deployed it superbly to set up her massive forehand, she was able to pull that off largely due to her incredible foot speed. Mats Wilander also added one to his arsenal, a move that helped him become number one in the world. But Graf and Wilander were treated as outliers. Instead, coaches in recent years have increasingly spoken of the slice backhand largely as a defensive tool, less sibling than that awkward cousin with the eyeglasses who’d occasionally surface at a family reunion, get tipsy and make a clumsy toast."

Tenez wrote:

... wrote:

Tenez wrote:It's a really good match. fed is playing really well...yet he can't make an impact on Johnson's serve.

I only  saw the highlights...sublime!...was too tired from playing last night (and the spinning class before)

Saw a few games of Kyrgios-Zverev in which Kyrgios was repulsive.

He yelled out : Bullshit! as Zverev hit a winner, and caused him to double fault the next point.
He was previously arguing with the umpire.

I hope Nole decks his princess ego tonight!

Awful character.

I only saw the MP.

So we have another Fed Nadal.

I woudl fancy Fed if he had a day rest but 2 matches in 2 days is going to be tough. Even if the rallies were short last night it's as many games as typical 3 setter.

Tenez wrote:
The sliced BH became a bad shot the day those new strings came up. It just became a slow shot most could turn around to attack with a FH....unless perfectly executed.

TMF wrote: get the excuses in early eh?

If an elite athlete can't play another match 24 hours after a match with short rallies that lasted less than 2 hours.. what are you smoking? Must be the same stuff ... is on.

Jahu wrote:BS, he took that match as a joke, then could not hold the power he was getting from other side.

Think Fed expected as AO champ to have the other guy melt from fear or something.

Jahu wrote:

Eating herbs and stuff, kills you.

Jahu wrote:Down pic how he used to be, before his wife pushed him down the well on Herbs, berries and crap and with that Love Guru and tree fuker, he has turned into a malnourished guy.

TMF wrote:

Tenez wrote:

... wrote:

Tenez wrote:It's a really good match. fed is playing really well...yet he can't make an impact on Johnson's serve.

I only  saw the highlights...sublime!...was too tired from playing last night (and the spinning class before)

Saw a few games of Kyrgios-Zverev in which Kyrgios was repulsive.

He yelled out : Bullshit! as Zverev hit a winner, and caused him to double fault the next point.
He was previously arguing with the umpire.

I hope Nole decks his princess ego tonight!

Awful character.

I only saw the MP.

So we have another Fed Nadal.

I woudl fancy Fed if he had a day rest but 2 matches in 2 days is going to be tough. Even if the rallies were short last night it's as many games as typical 3 setter.

Lol get the excuses in early eh?

If an elite athlete can't play another match 24 hours after a match with short rallies that lasted less than 2 hours.. what are you smoking? Must be the same stuff ... is on.

Veejay wrote:

Jahu wrote:

Eating herbs and stuff, kills you.

i guess that he has gone off his gluten free diet...in fact it looks like he is on no diet at all

Tenez wrote:yes. I think Djoko hits teh ball quite hard actually but not so much compared to Kyrgios.

... wrote:

Tenez wrote:yes. I think Djoko hits teh ball quite hard actually but not so much compared to Kyrgios.

Hard to imagine he was unbeatable this time last year...

Tenez wrote:

... wrote:

Tenez wrote:yes. I think Djoko hits teh ball quite hard actually but not so much compared to Kyrgios.

Hard to imagine he was unbeatable this time last year...

To be fair, I never found Djoko unbeatable. He always looked beatable to me but was just very tough to be over the distance. It might happen again today like it happened yesterday.

But then again, who was playing at Kyrgios current level last year? The game is constantly evolving.

The commentator was just saying that back then Sampras very rarely served a 115mph second serve. Kyrgios 2nd serve can cloack at over 120mph.

... wrote:If Kyrgios wore a paper bag over that head, he'd be almost watchable.

... wrote:yes. but what was Sampras' racquet size?
not to mention the height difference.

Tenez wrote:

... wrote:yes. but what was Sampras' racquet size?
not to mention the height difference.

Sampras height is not today's players' problem. The fact is that they are dealing with better servers, movers, spinners, etc...

Jahu wrote:Will Korgis somehow deformed back give him troubles in next few years?

Daniel wrote:

... wrote:If Kyrgios wore a paper bag over that head, he'd be almost watchable.

Best get used to watching him, since he will be a multi slam winner

... wrote:

Daniel wrote:

... wrote:If Kyrgios wore a paper bag over that head, he'd be almost watchable.

Best get used to watching him, since he will be a multi slam winner

He needs to grow up first.
It's actually Nole's terrible play today that's making Kyrgios look better than he is.
Nadal or Murray would have won that first set.

Daniel wrote:Totally desperate stuff from Novak trying to gee the crowd into cheering for his shot.