Tennis Prose




Feb/15

18

Genius At Work: Observing A Leander Paes Practice Session

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I watched the first set of Karlovic vs. Kokkinakis today at the Delray Beach Open presented by the Venetian Las Vegas, won by Dr. Ivo in a tiebreak. Every point was basically the same, if it was not an ace or service winner, each player hit two or three shots, then either a winner or error. No point went more than five or six shots. It was a good set but I knew the second set would be the same.

So after the set I left the stadium to stretch my legs and who is on the practice court – the one and only Leander Paes.

Paes was working out with his new partner Raven Klassen of South Africa. In just a couple of minutes there was far more action from Paes and Klassen than the Ivo bombardment.

Paes and Klassen pounded away from the baseline moving each other around in synchronicity, high intensity. Fans gathered to watch, between fifteen and twenty, an older man said to his friend, “Who is that?” The reply, “That’s Paes he used to be the partner of Bhupathi. They were like the Bryan Brothers.”

At the first break, Paes and Klassen sat next to each other in silence. Paes always seems to sit on the outside chair. I watched Paes and noticed how he drinks water. He picks the bottle up with his right hand, screws the cap off with the left and uses his left hand to drink water. He then places the bottle down with his right. But he doesn’t just place it down, he clicks the bottle three times to the ground. Everything is perfect.

As they begin to hit again cross court volleys, Paes begins to emerge as the alpha male of the team. He verbally coaches, praises, analyzes, jokes with his partner Klassen, who appears to be Paes student at times.

Paes calls the drill, Klassen behind the service line, Paes at the baseline. “Come running in like it’s the first volley.” Klassen obliges and makes a volley. Paes compliments, “Great target.”

Paes barks out again, “Great target.”

Now Klassen is at the baseline, Paes tells him to “Crack it.”

Now Paes changes it up. “Want to take a few smashes (overheads)? Then I’ll move you around everywhere.”

Klassen hit’s a winner, Paes smiles, “Yeah baby.”

Then Paes coaches again: “Really time that ball. Let it down. Bang.”

Paes likes Klassen’s volley but adds an exclamation point: “Great volley. Really get the outside of the ball for control.”

Klassen has a question or wants to discuss something. They converge at the net and it’s Paes giving all the answers and advice, pointing and directing with arms. Paes knows exactly what to say, Klassen accepts. This is the dynamic of the team.

After the next break, they change sides, after looking over and watching Fyrstenberg and Gonzalez practice. Paes misses his first volley on the new side and makes a funny face. “Now it’s like with the wind for me so it’s all different.”

Paes continues his one liners like a symphony conductor leading his one man orchestra.

“So here, step right up, thank you very much.”

“With backspin. Nice volley. Well done.”

Now Paes is practicing his returns: “It’s amazing how good these (Penn) balls are. I love them so much.”

Klassen hits a lob over Paes but it lands just out. Paes shows Klassen, speaking with his fingers, that the ball was an inch out.

Paes is conducting Klassen again about positioning. “If I play this way, it better be a winner (because) this (the alley) is all open.”

Paes and Klassen are both at the net and Paes nets a backhand volley, then tells himself, “Don’t be silly. Play your game.”

Guillermo Canas and his player Teymuraz Gabashvili take the adjacent court used by Fyrstenberg/Gonzalez, and Canas comes right over to embrace Paes with a big warm smile and even more respect. Gabashvili comes over to shake the hand of Paes and gives him a pat on the back. It’s clear they view Paes as a legendary figure of the sport.

At the next break, a little kid ventures over to Paes to ask for an autograph to which Paes, with water bottle in his hand, replies politely, “After practice.” Paes will not break or improvise his routine.

Everything is about precision and perfection with Paes, now forty-one years old, still going strong, still a major champion – Paes just won the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Martina Hingis.

Klassen, is no slouch himself, he reached the Australian Open mens finals last year with Eric Butorac.

But on the court with Paes, Klassen defers to the master. He is the student to the teacher. The listener to the music maker. The selected partner who now must fulfill the potential the visionary sees in him.

Leander Paes and Raven Klassen will play Lipsky/Huey tomorrow for a spot in the semifinals vs. Tomic/Troicki who defeated A Gonzalez/Bedene today.

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14 comments

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 18, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    Other observations today: There seemed to be some discord among the Bedene/Gonzalez team, which lost to Tomic/Troicki. A witness thought Bedene was annoyed with Alejandro Gonzalez effort levels, that he was more concerned about his singles match tomorrow vs. Donald Young in QF. Both players then practiced their singles right after losing the doubles match, next to each other, still wearing their match purple outfits. It was strange how they practiced with their coaches and not with each other. Steve Johnson dominated young Andrey Rublev who showed more frustration than fighting tiger as he crumbled in the second set, despite his pal and practice partner Dolgopolov watching the entire match. James Cerretani and Gabashvili lost their doubles match 26 67 to JP Smith and Mike Venus. It was a great match. JC served for second set but was broken just two points away from the set. They battled to a tiebreak, Smith/Venus were up 52 but then it was 66, before Gabashvili missed a volley on MP. It seemed every point was a battle, so many shots, so hard to finish a point. Far more varied action compared to singles. I heard some fans say TV doesn’t show enough doubles. Fans really like their doubles. About two minutes after the match, Cerretani came back out of the locker room with his coach to hit again. He had already hit twice earlier in the day before the match. Cerretani is definitely putting in the hard yards to keep his doubles career alive.

  • ASHOKE GANGULI · February 19, 2015 at 9:42 am

    Hi Scoop,
    Played cricket against Leander’s Dad Vece in 1961 to 63.Vece played for St Joseph’s and I played for Bishop Cotton’s in Bangalore.Scoop,I hope you are playing a lot of tournaments and winning as usual.We ran into John Eagleton at the Siesta Courts.Told us lot of great tour stories.He was coaching a kid from Siberia ranked around 700 in the world.Great open stance forehand using John’s Techne tennis.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 19, 2015 at 10:12 am

    The Eagle has landed in Siesta ) John Eagleton is everywhere. Good man, he’s working hard on his new teaching tennis programs Technetennis. Paes is something else. I think it was his dad there during the practice, shaved head, could that be him? Watching Paes practice for an hour has been one of the top 3 memories of the tournament this week, along with the Eric Butorac Biofile I did yesterday, and thrilling Cerretani/Gabashvili vs. Smith/Venus doubles match. Still waiting for that big singles battle. Best regards to you Ashoke.

  • Dan Markowitz · February 19, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    Scoop,

    Delray has taken a downswing this year. The top players, Izzie, KevAnd, QBall are all out, but I guess w/ Tomic, DY and Dolgo still in the draw, it’s taking an interesting turn.

    Who do you like today between Smee and Dolgo?

  • Ryan Balon · February 19, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    Paes won Newport in 1998 which is his only singles title and from what i remember played out of his mind all week beating Neville Godwin easily in the finals.

    I also witnessed Paes beat Sampras in New Haven, CT that same year.

    During his singles prime he was a joy to watch, was able to hit impossible volleys diving every where on the grass courts of the hall of fame.

    Great to see him still out there enjoying every minute of it.

  • Dan Markowitz · February 19, 2015 at 4:07 pm

    By the small crowds at the Delray Beach matches, I wonder how this tournament survives. I mean how many people were at the day matches today even with two Americans playing? Not much and then they go to Marseilles and the stands are packed for a Chardy-Gulbis match. Of course, Chardy won, but it really emphasized the difference between American and French fervor for the game of tennis.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 19, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    Decent crowds Dan but the night match tonight was sparse for Nishioka vs. Matosevic. I mean very sparse, but it’s very cold, in 50s, and there is a record low forecast for tonight – 39. Rumor is Venetian may pull out after this tournament. I was told the Venetian liked the heavy exposure it gets from the Tennis Channel coverage but they are not thrilled with the results and may not sponsor the event next year. I like the event a lot, the old style venue, mom and pop set up. It’s the way pro tennis used to be.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 19, 2015 at 9:17 pm

    Dolgo dominanted Smee, who made the second set close. Nishioka was impressive straight setting Matosevic, he ran the big Aussie ragged. The Japanese is a lil lefty, who plays silent tennis but he moves like a jackrabbit and his form is effortless like Kei. Marinko was doing most of the running and grunting in anguish and suffering, while the lil guy dictated most of the play. After the won, Nishioka ran over to his box and hugged and shook hands with them, like he won a title or major title. Big big win for Nishioka. He made Matosevic looks like a big clumsy clod in comparison to his fleet footed quick as a cat mobility and agility. Tomic looked annoyed and ticked off during his prematch warmup. Very negative body language. Troicki was cool and sharp as he hit with a fourteen year old Polish kid named Tomek Kopzcinski, who has already played Futures. Based on their warmups, Troicki should beat his doubles partner. Man was it COLD at 8. Feels like a November night in New York.

  • Dan Markowitz · February 20, 2015 at 2:21 am

    Scoop, it was so cold in New York last night that it felt like punishment just getting out of the house or getting out of the car. But during the day, although the wind made it tough, Callum and I went sledding and after a couple of runs, it was ok.

    I like your description of Matosevic as looking like a “big clumsy clod” in comparison to lil Nishioka. I haven’t seen this young Japanese player yet, but I was watching some of the Tomic-Troicki match and for big guys, both are very smooth.

    Now as I look at the result, I’m surprised to see Tomic prevailed in the third set, 6-4. What an interesting player he is. For a big guy, he rarely really smacks the ball. There’s the similarity with the Big Cat, Mecir, loping around the court and as Arias said, almost looking like he’s hitting Jimmy Connors’s forehands, with a little side spin on them.

    Can Tomic win big hitting these muted shots for the most part? I doubt it, and he’s a good mover for a big man, but certainly not great. Poor Troicki, though, the guy has a bad forehand. Arias was saying how he muscles the ball, using too much of his forearm to come over it. He’s a beautiful athlete, but he’s like Spadea where the forehand doesn’t win big points for him.

    In contrast, Nadal in Rio last night against the young Spaniard Carreno Busta, is looking fit and boy can that dude move on the clay. And then the forehand is sick, particularly the one he hits running around his backhand and sliding the ball back inside out. Busta is good and traded heavy shots with Rafa, but Rafa nearing 29 is still very formidable.

    I guess you have an intriguing semis in Delray with DY, Tomic, Dolgo and Nishioka. What happened to Stevie Jo? Oops, I’m ahead of myself, you’re only in the quarters with Stevie Jo and Mannarino still lurking. Yes, always an odd matchup you’d think of a Florida tournament and a Las Vegas hotel. I wouldn’t call Delray charming in the sense of a Newport, but yes, there is a Mom and Pops like atmosphere to it, but if you don’t get the Florida weather and at least a couple of legit stars showing up (the way it used to be with Fish, Blake, Haas and in recent years, Cilic and Delpo, and once Roddick and Andre), it’s hard to get a good crowd to come out. Heck, in Boca, back in the 70’s, they used to get Borg, Johnny Mac, Vilas and Jimmy coming down.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 20, 2015 at 8:21 am

    A player driver told me the current ATP players don’t like the fact that the ATP is paying the seniors to be a part of this event, they think the money is a waste, the senior quality of tennis is bad and the money should be spent on the current players or fixing up the venue to modernize it. I always liked Tomic’s game. Unique player, not a great athlete, but he makes his gifts and talent maximize his lack of full natural athleticism. Nice player to watch. A guy next to me watching his warmup on P court said he thinks Tomic needs to be more aggressive and rip some more shots, he never overhits, plays almost too nonchalant. I think Young has the same thing, they could use that fifth or sixth gear to unleash their full firepower now and again.

  • dan markowitz · February 20, 2015 at 8:33 am

    Well, Young is a different matter, Scoop. I think it’s better for the most part that he reins himself in, except on the forehand. Tomic has a much better backhand than DY, but DY’s forehand, I think it was Gimel said it yesterday when DY played Gonzalez, is “Nadal-like.”

    DY’s playing a lot smarter and he’s fitter or more mentally strong. That being said, he’s probably never going deep into a slam or Masters because his serve isn’t anything to write home about and the touch and volleys he was supposed to have, really haven’t materialized much on the pro tour.

    Good point on the seniors. I think when you bring in a Roddick or Rafter or Agassi obviously, it’s worth it to have a seniors event. But when you’re best players are Blake, Ivanisivic and Philly, and doesn’t make sense and can’t be much of a drawing card.

  • Andrew Miller · February 20, 2015 at 9:23 am

    Dy doin all right, the sportstalk is helping him stay focused. Has more fight in him. As far as I can tell needs to keep the physio up. Setting himself up nicely for the Masters events.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 20, 2015 at 10:23 am

    I spoke with DY after the win yesterday about his cautious returns, hitting with McEnroe at age 9, and he also mentioned the biggest forehands he’s faced. Will post later.

  • Andrew Miller · February 20, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    dy is committing to the sport, it’s welcome. He played dubs with jjenkins. If jj moves his game into gear , frankly i would love to see dy and jjenkins as a davis cup team. Or mardy fish and dy . Fish is a great dubs player , they wouod make a good lefty righty combo.

    Interesting Blake sees the davis cup team as isner, bryans and either stevejo or querrey. Stevejo has been the highest ranked and most consistent u.s. player. Will be interesting to see if he gets the chance – he is also a good dubs player .

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