Nadal and Federer could meet in Basel. Star studded field in Basel includes Stan the Man and some intriguing first round matchups: Dimitrov vs. young Zverev, Janowicz vs. Istomin, Coric vs. Gulbis, Raonic vs. Steve Johnson, Goffin vs. Thiem, and Dr. Ivo vs. Rosol.
Isner, Kozlov are in Valencia where Ferrer is number one seed, Berdych is #2. Also in Valencia are Agut, Murray, Fognini, Verdasco, Simon, Dolgopolov, F-Lo and Robredo.
Serena will try to lockdown the WTA number one ranking in Singapore.
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1 2 Next »Scoop Malinowski · October 20, 2014 at 8:59 am
I have a funny feeling Gulbis is going to lose to Coric.
Andrew Miller · October 20, 2014 at 11:33 am
Klizan beats up Kozlov. Like Harold said Kozlov is a kid in a mans sport and called the match correctly, good realoty based pick. Wonder if kid kozlov took the wildcard for main draw money, even if i thought kozlov had a chance reality is he really did not.
In basel nice to see dy beat berlocq again, and berlocq is having a good year. Never forgives the argentine for the 6-0 6-0 beatdown in 06 think that made the u.s. coaches and pundits criticize dy (i think dan was right here about some racism in the sport because harry keeps getting wildcards and encouragement and invites to do exos and dy was basically told “you arent at this level” – maybe the brutal honesty worked in his favor, because wildcards wont do anything helpful for the young atp players other than provide a nice one time payday). Beat him in miami and now here. I like that response, supposedly every time federer played bjorn phau he remembered an earlier loss .
Andrew Miller · October 20, 2014 at 11:35 am
Goffin vs. Thiem should settle the small guys have a tough time out there debate. Enjoy Goffin game, sweet game when it is on!
Andrew Miller · October 20, 2014 at 11:38 am
Serena handled Ivanovic. Too good!
Scoop Malinowski · October 20, 2014 at 12:36 pm
Andrew, DY has been the recipient of a huge number of WCs. A reader did research and the numbers were astonishing. DY earned well into six figures on just WCs alone. DY stopped getting WC favoritism eventually now Harrison could be about to be cut off too.
Scoop Malinowski · October 20, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Losing 3 and 3 isn’t cause for panic. 3 and 3 is respectable for first ATP 500 event against a guy coming off beating Nadal. I can still remember some 63 63 wins in USTA tournaments and they were tough battles. Kozlov is disappointed but today surely was a good learning exp.
Andrew Miller · October 20, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Scoop i am anti wildcard no matter who it is for, dy in the past or zverev now. Wildcard the qualifying tournament fine but not the main draws. Thiem and Vesely received a fraction of wildcards u.s. players get and not surprisingly their comparative results are on the whole superior. Wildcards are like gifts and arent generally merit based unless a player wins say a series or contest like the u.s. open challenger series or the australian open pre qualifying tournament. Or if you are a veteran former champion finalist etc maybe hand one out there.
So on principle i dont like the wildcard and players dont benefit or gain confidence from losing. Too many of those learning experiences are confidence destroyers and players get the wrong signal, such as i could have won that match if…if they were better players.
I am all for players making hard choices about their games and there place in the game. If coric or zverev lose a first round wildcard match no matter the opponent they should get the message that they need to work on their game, not that a few shots here or there made the difference.
That goes for kozlov, be brutally honest. Three and three is a bad result. Getting a tiebreak or a set is a better result. Winning qualifying matches to get the main draw would have been the best result- could have gotten the confidence that goes with winning, because now he has two straight losses to top fifty players.
Scoop Malinowski · October 20, 2014 at 2:22 pm
Andrew, Jose Higueras said years ago that getting a wildcard is like an insult, it means you’re not good enough, you’re not working hard enough. Maybe USTA should make it a bylaw that players can get one or two WCs for their career. That’s it.
Dan Markowitz · October 20, 2014 at 2:40 pm
This young man, Thiem, is quite good. I really haven’t seen him play much, and the only match I’ve really seen him play was against Nadal at the French this year so that was a mismatch, but this guy is good. He reminds me of Gasquet a bit, same kind of build, maybe both were not the fittest or physical specimens, but Thiem has a chance to get more buff, he’s only 21.
But he’s No. 39, the TC announcer says because he has such big swings he has to play more clay court positioning and can’t move in so much. But I love the single-handed backhand and the kids takes rips at the ball. Is he better than Sock? His ranking is. Let me watch more of this match versus Goffin.
Geez, there’s no more than 100 people in the stands in Basel for this one.
Andrew Miller · October 20, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Higueras said something right! Higueras is a real contradiction. On the one hand he was the major difference in getting Ginepri to max his potential in 05 (one of most impressive coaching jobs i can recall !). He was instrumental for Courier too. On the other hand Higueras was fired i think, may not be true, by Federer and Mayotte was really upset with Higueras no respect for any approach but his own when he came to camp Mayotte (then again I think Mayotte missed some major issues with the Harrison game despite Mayotte focus on mechanics ).
Higueras dead correct on the wildcard issue. Hard to understand Higueras’ place in game, if he is collecting a paycheck or reinforcing the u.s. foundation for current and future pros. He has seemed like patmac right hand man over a few years of terrible post Roddick play, with a few lights like isner and now sock but some terrible bets as well and way too many ill advised wildcards. I would guess that Higueras has an old school approach and is true to the game but probably has no answers for pushy, powerful management agencies that shove their way into the u.s. open. Still a mystery to me how Donaldson got a wuldcard, maybe Berger gave it to him. Just made no sense to me, no worthwhile junior slam results just all of the sudden he is playing monfils.
And no offense to donaldson either, i like team dent and think the kid has a sweet backhand, rare for the u.s. and that makes sense given he played a lot in argentina. Just that he didnt earn his wildcard , no way.
Dan Markowitz · October 20, 2014 at 3:53 pm
Geez, I really like this young guy, Goffin. He just routined Thiem 6 and 3. Thiem had trouble returning serve, especially off his forehand side. I don’t know about Thiem, he’s young but he doesn’t seem to have the dominant serve or ability to play up on the baseline like a Nishikori has or even a Wawa to be a slam winner. The serve worries me. He kicks in his first serve an awful lot.
Then, most importantly, he doesn’t have the “dick” factor. I’m not saying you have to be a total dick, say like an Agassi or Rios, to win big in tennis, but you have to have a certain cut throat quality. Even Federer or Djoko who aren’t as cut throat as Murray and Nadal in my book, have that certain arrogant, “I’m so much better than you,” look in their eyes. Thiem’s seems to be more Jack Sock-like in this quality. I think Sock is a bigger jerk than Thiem, but they both have this young-ish, I’m ok not being a world champ feel about them. That kid Coric seems to be more of cut throat character.
Goffin reminds one of Rios. He flies around the court and has a big serve for a 5-11 slight guy, but what has he done in slams? Not much, in fact, very poor. Until this year’s Open where he reached the 3rd Round, he’d lost in the 1st Round of 7 consecutive slams. Can’t take Goffin too seriously, and Thiem, while he has speed of foot and power groundies, might have too many holes in his game to go big.
loreley · October 20, 2014 at 4:40 pm
It’s the end of the season. Thiem was only a shadow of himself. It seems he has nothing left in the tank. That he lost in first round at his home tournament Vienna wasn’t helping.
Gulbis told in Moscow that his body is tired, that everything hurts & that he doesn’t know if he plays Paris.
Just strange that he came to Basel. Gulbis scheduled 6 tournaments in a row, starting in KL. Before Asia he was in Latvia for Davis Cup. Bresnik was upset with him that he didn’t come to Vienna for advanced practise. At least he played (& won) only doubles. But of course Latvia couldn’t win a singles match against Austria. Thiem wasn’t playing.
There will always be some players who take advantage at the end of the season when the most players are worn.
Dan markowitz · October 20, 2014 at 6:47 pm
I think that’s a excuse. Firstly, why is Gulbis scheduling 6 events in a row if he’s tired. Scheduling is a big part if success on tour. Thiem is 21 and maybe he is tired, but Sock’s not even a year older and he looked fresh against Dimitrov last week. I’m sure everyone’s tired at this point in the season, but it’s the players with the heart and developed games who continue to win. Look at Nishikori. Do you see him losing after his finals run at the Open? Cilic is playing back into good form too. The year ending London event should be a lot of fun.
Scoop Malinowski · October 20, 2014 at 7:52 pm
Federer has played a lot more matches than Gulbis, is older and he’s still going strong this year, and he has a lot of work ahead too. I’m not fully buying the tired excuse which is pretty easy to use this time of year. These guys are all super fit. It comes down to heart and desire who wants it the most.
jblitz · October 20, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Scoop – “It comes down to heart and desire who wants it the most.”
Baloney. They all want it very badly. Harrison uses that cliche all the time – ‘no one wants it more than me’. All that wanting has gotten him what?
At this time of year they’re all hurting. Their bodies have taken a lot of punishment and they’ve schlepped themselves around the world across many many time zones. Most of all I think they’re mentally exhausted. These guys aren’t robots and they have lives outside of tennis to cope with as well plus extreme pressure to climb up the rankings or stay at or near the top if they’ve gotten there. They could have all the heart and desire in the world but sometimes they just can’t physically or mentally climb that mountain one more time. They’re only human.
Andrew Miller · October 20, 2014 at 10:10 pm
Like Goffin a lot – thought his first set vs. Dimitrov at the US Open this year was a real gem, he was untouchable and Dimitrov had zero answers. I’m not sure what he can get for himself, I’d like him to go for a Davydenko career, put it all on the table and stay away from betting!
As for Thiem the guy has power and weapons. His improvement year over year has been outstanding. That backhand is a “shot” and up there with Wawrinka’s, better than Federer I think! So much versatility, it’s what one handed backhands should look like, not just style but substance with a capital S.
I’m not so much on the Thiem forehand, way too much spin in my opinion, I’d want to see that shot driven and deep, like Wawrinka. Get that backhand to look more like the forehand, maybe shorten it up a little. Such a wind up it seems. I’d also like the foot-speed up, get a little better in moving around the court (he worked on this in the off season and he can keep up, but he needs to up it so he has a little more time out there – either that or STEP THE HECK IN and take the ball sooner). My other thought is he might want to ask Head for a larger racquet head size – take it from Federer and Sampras, switch sooner, win more and be happier.
Other than that, real nice game. I like Goffin’s game because it’s a shock to see this little guy just pummeling the ball and moving with sweet feet around the court. Thiem’s game is not just nice looking but has heft to it, always impressive. That’s like Stich. His serve is big too, and his drop shots show a lot of range – he can hit that shot any which way, even gets fast players with it. The mark of a nifty shot.
Yeah I like these players, Kyrgios and Thiem. They seem “unafraid” to go up against any player any day. I think Kyrgios needs to study the tape from Robredo and learn how to put some Robredo “thought” into his game so that he can rattle opponents not just with the power of his game but also with the chessmaster skills and strategy – not just strong but smart. On Thiem his game looks great, I have some problems with his forehand falling very short and spinning right into opponents wheel-house.
To me those two guys, Thiem and Kyrgios, are future slam contenders. I think the same thing about Halep and Bouchard, I think they have the “it factor” to win slams.
Andrew Miller · October 20, 2014 at 10:25 pm
Wanting it badly is essential – the desire to win has to be there. Harrison’s wanting “it” didn’t serve him so horribly when he made the top 50 and was, before Thiem, one of the youngest players in the top 100. He was a tennis prodigy.
Harrison’s growing up just like other tennis players did, in the public eye. To some extent he may resent it. He plays with so much passion that it’s too much passion – he has a tough time re-directing it to his benefit. It’s not like McEnroe who used a lot of ruses out there to calm himself down – Harrison blows up and plays WORSE. He could use some sports psychologist who cares enough to help him redirect that excess passion back into the match – who can forget Djokovic when he hits some of those ridiculous shots (maybe some of the most ridiculous shots in recent tennis history?) down match points? I saw him do it on tv also in 2008 vs. Nadal at Queens Club, where he would hit one of the hardest forehands, probably of the tournament, during a game in which he was down – FUMING. Djokovic still has that inner “punk” (like Federer’s inner “punk”) but he puts it to better use during the whole match.
These players really are freaks. Nadal is a freak for running every ball down, every one of them. Federer is a freak for thriving off the feeling of being nervous and enjoying it (that’s weird, sorry – it’s weird!) Djokovic when he’s a maniac on court – Murray used to yell at his box (his mom mostly I guess?) until Lendl said “no more, put that back into your matches” (at least I thought he did it a LOT less when Lendl was in his player’s box).
So the excess passion isn’t awful to have or the desire to win. Just needs re-directing to the more useful purpose of winning matches, they need some rituals to get back to zen mode out there.
I’m sure Thiem’s upset to lose in Vienna, that’s a home loss. It happens though. But Goffin’s a fine player – he can take over any time any where. Not a bad loss.
jblitz · October 21, 2014 at 1:38 am
Of course ‘wanting it badly’ is essential but claiming you ‘want it more’ is stupid. They all ‘want it’ but some of them have more skills or more mental strength or better work habits or whatever.
“I saw him do it on tv also in 2008 vs. Nadal at Queens Club”
You mean in the match he lost to Nadal at Queens? The final that Djokovic lost and Rafa won in straights to win the tourney? Guess Rafa wanted it more.
And lastly, it might be wise for you guys to hold back on touting Kyrgios so highly. Yes, he’s wonderfully talented but he’s a mega head case already at 19 and I’ll bet his head is going to explode before he achieves much of anything. Check out his facebook page. His ego is bigger than the moon and he and his brother are real idiots, and they’re nasty and ugly about their idiocy too.
loreley · October 21, 2014 at 4:22 am
Probably Gulbis felt OK when he made the schedule. He got hurt in Asia & maybe he wasn’t perfect prepared, because he stayed in Latvia instead of practising in Vienna. He said he didn’t practise for a while after USO, because of an injury.
The top players play less tournaments over the season then the other players. Of course they play & win a lot of matches. Gulbis for example played as much matches as Djokovic so far, but at more tournaments.
The most of the players are constant traveling, while the top guys take more & longer rests to be in perfect shape for the next swing. The majority has no other chance as playing many tournaments, because they have to hunt points & money here & there. They can’t be in top form like the guys who can afford the breaks.
Gulbis & Thiem had still goals after USO. Gulbis had the chance to re-enter top-10 & Thiem a chance to get into top-32. So we can’t think that they didn’t want, because their ranking is important for the seeding for AO.
Sometimes players want it too much. Bresnik told in the past that Gulbis wants it almost too much & that this is hindering him.
There are a lot of differences between the players. Their upbringing with pushing parents, sponsors & agencies from a young age, national foundations with money, fan support from home crowds. Also the media who cares only about players who are money generators or future money generators.
Gulbis had nothing of this. He hasn’t even a home tournament. It was/is his own drive. So to say he doesn’t want is stupid.
jblitz · October 21, 2014 at 5:35 am
” Nadal is a freak for running every ball down, every one of them.”
Just have to add – guess you haven’t seen Rafa play in a few years. He doesn’t run every ball down like he did when he was 18. Of course he’s a fabulous defensive player, one of the best ever, but besides having become a better tennis player with experience, he’s gotten smarter.
He has a wonderful attitude about tennis. He tries to work harder than everyone else at his practices and in his preparation but when it comes to the actual match he’s not a ‘want it more’ kind of guy. He feels that if he goes out there and tries his hardest and plays every single point as well as he can, he’ll do well. If the other guy does better, well so be it, they deserve to win on the day. He’ll just go back and practice harder and try to get better. It’s worked pretty well for him for the last twelve years.
Dan Markowitz · October 21, 2014 at 8:06 am
What are you talking about, JBlitz, of course Nadal wants it more than the other guys. That’s how he’s become Nadal as well as ability to compete hard always and his body. Seeing how a player works in practice shows you how much they want it. Fed might go through his practices in a lassez faire fashion, but you can’t practice as hard when you get into your thirties and you’re already a genius.
As far as Gulbis is concerned, he’s an amazing player, but what keeps him down is that he’s got a limited game. His game is one dimensional and of course his forehand gets in the way in big matches.
Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2014 at 8:46 am
Lorely, but Gulbis is suggesting he’s hurt and wounded and the opponent is feeling fresh as a daisy perfect. If Gulbis is tired so is his opponent. If they’re all mentally and physically exhausted it’s still a level playing field and Gulbis still lost. )
Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2014 at 9:00 am
Nadal’s desire is really evident in the majors especially FO, finals vs. Djokovic. Those have been unbelievably hard fought battles. For whatever reasons he does not show the same desire at other events like he does in Paris. It’s almost like he picks his spots now but in Paris he goes ALL OUT. Just how I see it. I play with a strong desire too and a certain top player here in NJ told my friend that my desire “is beyond belief.” In certain situations yes he’s right, you almost become another person. But other times it’s not there. A guy like Nadal surely plays hard all the time, no doubt, but sometimes at FO, he just cranks it into tenth gear and becomes like a rabid obsessed maniac to win. And Djokovic just can’t handle Nadal when he gets crazy-determined like that. You know what I’m talking about. Nadal can hit an intensity level that no other great player ever has. Prime Hewitt came very close. Actually Serena has this freakish desire too. This is why I feel Nadal and Serena are the best of all time, they can take their freakish desire levels up to another level which mere mortals can’t comprehend or deal with.
loreley · October 21, 2014 at 9:54 am
Gulbis isn’t a one-dimensional player. He has amazing hands. I doubt that one can teach that. Berdych is one-dimensional, Isner, Del Potro, but not Gulbis. You don’t watch him often enough. The last matches he played with less power to save his shoulder.
Many are tired & worn at the end of the year, but not everyone at the same level. Some peaked earlier the season, some later.
Goffin for example. He didn’t show anything for the first half of the season. After Wimbledon he became a monster. He won 40 matches since Wimbledon. The most at Challengers. But he won also 2 ATP titles. Kitzbühel & Metz. He saved everyting for the second half of the year.
You guys praised Davydenko so much that I checked some of his matches against Nadal and Djokovic on Youtube. The guy played only from the baseline. No lobs, no dropshots, sometimes he came to the net, but not often. That is one-dimensional tennis & pretty boring to watch. But he did what he did successful.
Nadal is a monster. Now he plays even with appendictis. Who else would that do? He tries to avoid surgery before he is done with tennis this year.
Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2014 at 10:12 am
Lorely, Davydenko definitely was one dimensional but his form and technique were so perfect that it made him a nice player to watch. Plus he was a smaller guy and he could handle the power players and even the likes of Rafa and Fed and Delpo. Amazing player. Gulbis is not one dimensional, he’s just one of those many great players who just can’t solve the puzzle of the top top guys who rule the sport. Mentally and physically Gulbis believes he can be the best but until he can beat Rafa, Fed and/or Djokovic, his status in the ATP will stay where it is.
loreley · October 21, 2014 at 10:46 am
Well, he beat Federer, Djokovic & other top players. But he struggles with journeymen now for too long again.
Top 10 players beaten in 2014:
Federer – 13
Djokovic – 12
Nishikori – 8
Nadal – 6
Wawrinka – 6
Cilic – 5
Gulbis – 5
Tsonga – 4
Dimitrov – 4
Berdych – 4
Murray – 3
Ferrer – 2
Raonic – 1
loreley · October 21, 2014 at 10:56 am
Stats are from last week:
Top 30 players beaten in 2014:
Federer – 29
Djokovic – 27
Cilic – 18
Nadal – 16
Berdych – 16
Nishikori – 15
Murray – 14
Dimitrov – 13
Ferrer – 13
Wawrinka – 12
Tsonga – 12
Gulbis – 11
Raonic – 6
Dan Markowitz · October 21, 2014 at 11:50 am
Lorely,
I try to watch Gulbis as much as I can. I didn’t see him at the Open because he played on Wednesday and I was working at the yoga studio that day. I saw him from the front row against Haider Maurer in 2013 at the Open, and Gulbis tried to blast his way through the Austrian and then when that didn’t work, he did try drop shots and some net forays, but I disagree with you, I don’t think Gulbis has great hands.
He volleys well when the ball is waist height and higher and in front of him, but how many times have you seen him like Fed come up and take a ball at his feet and do well with it? His backhand is solid as is his serve, but the forehand he will never win big with on hard courts or grass because it’s too long and big. And you’re right, he loses on hard courts to a lot of journeyman players.
Andrew Miller · October 21, 2014 at 12:18 pm
Jblitz, hard to argue regarding nadal, i think he is one of the best strategists in the game today who improves everywhere – he has had a nice volley for almost ten years now. His serve pace is helping him win games and he makes some great mid match adjustments. He is a true problem solver.
But he is one of the most competetive players in history. Dont believe for a second that a lost match doesnt matter to him – he remembers probably every minute of his matches. One thing about these guys and Nadal to win like he is has to be extraordinarily conscientious, is they own their wins. Ask Nadal about whether he is a better player than Kyrgios and he will probably say you tell me. But dont think he doesnt know the answer. Sorry Nadal is competitive and that means he wants it. He destroys players out there and has a keen sense of this capability. He owns his wins as if they were cars .
Sorry but on this point Nadal has some of the greatest desire in the sport as well as one of its largest hearts. Dont think he doesnt care who wins a point. One of Nadals models is Sampras, and Sampras was 100% desire.
Harrison is an example of frustrated desire. He takes that passion and misdirects it. As they say, we all play the same game, just at different levels. Nadal is a person – he has the same fundamental need. He just does it with a tennis racquet. These guys are gladiators. To make it through brutal matches you need to want it very badly and be smart enough to know how to put that elemental desire to use.
On that count nadal is tops.
Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Nadal is the greatest competitor I have ever seen in any sport outside boxing. Nuff said. Harrison I would speculate entered the pro ranks with big confidence and big expectations for himself but when he fell short of those expectations, felt and showed his frustration. Not sure if Harrison’s team prepared him mentally and physically for the tour. Not sure if his father really knows what it takes to survive on the tour. Nuff said.
Dan Markowitz · October 21, 2014 at 3:19 pm
Michael Jordan, I can’t say Nadal has better desire/heart/toughness/refuse to lose drive as Air Jordan. Don’t forget, Jordan played till he was 40. He tried playing Double A Minor League baseball when he hadn’t played organized baseball since like JV high school. No, Jordan beat everyone in his way. He never had a Novak Djokovic the way Nadal did for even one year. Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, you name the player of Jordan’s era, MJ conquered him. And he never got hurt the way Nadal has.
I think Harry’s confidence was always at least false bravado. You don’t fall the way Harry has if you really have belief in your game. You can have a drop like a Spadea, but you can’t plummet the way Harry has.
Andrew Miller · October 21, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Dan, why compare spadea. The verdict isn’t completely out on Harrison, you yourself noted the scarce # of young players in the top 100. I am not saying his game doesn’t have some kinks and his attitude a need for a reboot, but i am using the logic of age vs ranking: younger players generally are not doing great on today’s atp tour. The average age of the top fifty is as high as ever. I think Spadea would still be top 30 today at the same age as Harrison because Spadea had a better game and better coaching and emotional control.
Not that this is a good example, but the u.s. player tendency has been to do awesome, slack off, hit a career lpw ranking and reboot with an epic comeback. I. Not sure if it will happen for Harrison but soar, crash, burn and return to glory, then a slump and return etc. is a pretty well established career trajectory for u.s. players – take your pick of player and the pattern is probably there. Not long ago the story was steve johnson’s fall from top 100 to sub 150 – now he is top 50, a one year turnaround. Dont want to jinx dy but he did it too, from high 100s ranking (sub 150) to top 70 (always worry about dy and hisbunstable game, either briliant or bewildering!).
So there is precedent. Harrison isnt joining pga anytimebsoon. Sooner or later you figure his story changes for the better, he stops blaming his racquets for losses and rediscovers his love for the sport or at least his reason for playing. That is the hope.
Andrew Miller · October 21, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Mj was the man. No debate their but no phil jackson no trophies!
loreley · October 21, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Another interesting stat:
.@ATPWorldTour ’14 indoor W-L leaders:
.@cilic_marin 16-1
.@tomasberdych 11-1
#ErnestsGulbis 11-3
.@NieminenJarkko 11-6
Dan Markowitz · October 21, 2014 at 6:41 pm
You’re probably right, Andrew, Harry can be like Spadea and make a comeback. The only thing I don’t like about Harry is he has a sense of entitlement about him which Spadea never had. It looks to me like Harry can’t understand why he isn’t beating the top guys. So it completely mystifies him that he can’t beat the lower-ranked guys. If you’re Harry, you have to look very deeply at your game and yourself and realize you’re not that good. You’ve got to make some significant changes. You’ve got to take a different route like Spadea did when he went to Pete Fischer to try to re-build his game by improving his serve and court positioning and volleying. I don’t know if Harry has the smarts or will take the chance to try to resurrect his game. He might think he just has to work harder or want it more, but that hasn’t worked for him.
jblitz · October 21, 2014 at 6:54 pm
Dan – “What are you talking about, JBlitz, of course Nadal wants it more than the other guys. That’s how he’s become Nadal as well as ability to compete hard always and his body.”
Nonsense. How do you quantify “more”? Of course he wants it – he’s extremely competitive but how can anyone possibly say one player wants it ‘more’ than the next. Does Nadal want a match ‘more’ than Djokovic does? Than Federer does? It’s just silly to make that kind of statement.
Rafa’s amazing tennis skills and smarts are what made Rafa Rafa, not his body. His ability to compete hard and be strong mentally has been honed since he was 6 yrs old by his very demanding task master uncle but make no mistake, it was his tennis skills and his ability to consistently make unique shots no other player can make that got him to the top of the world.
Andrew Miller · October 21, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Sense of entitlement is a career ender. No doubt Dan. Either you lack that flaw like Spadea, or like Agassi you have people in your ear who care enough to give that gift of knowing you can’t “phone in the result”. The raw elements are there for the comeback, the guy needs to stay humble, stop breaking racquets, embrace the game. I had prepared a huge response but I don’t want to keep dragging TP commenters through more Harrison talk when at #198 his ranking says it all for now.
Here are some results from the top draw of the ATP.
WTA Finals
the Woz beats Sharapova in an all out, three hour plus knock em out war. Still think Rory’s “love means nothing to a tennis player” move of breaking up turned Woz into a player worth watching again. Nice job Wozniaki.
A-Rad beats Kvitova. Kvitova should have won this match indoors but she’s had a great comeback year and a great indoor season.
In Valencia,
Dolgo “dogs” Gilles Simon. Bad scoreline for Simon too.
Robredo beats Isner in the home country. I think we should praise Robredo. He really is the poor man’s Federer (and tops Kohlschreiber in the contest for “best poor man’s Federer, no?).
Basel
Kukushkin knocks out Wawrinka. Man, has to be bad for Wawrinka, this is like a home court!
Raonic downs Steve Johnson in 1.5 hours, about half the time it took for Kukushkin to take out Wawrinka.
Some other interesting results, Karlovic beating Rosol (that must have had ace after ace!), Pops beating Niemenen (always appreciated Niemenen game).
jblitz · October 21, 2014 at 7:28 pm
Andrew, I never for a minute said that Rafa isn’t one of the most competitive players in history. He absolutely is and it’s one of the main reasons I am such a big fan.
And of course his losses matter to him…but they don’t eat him up. He accepts them and tries to learn from them. After his marathon 2012 AO loss, he said he had enjoyed it! He enjoyed the suffering. He enjoyed being part of one of the most competitive matches he had ever played and that it was an important match because he now knew that all his hard work to figure out Djokovic was coming to fruition and sure enough, he beat him in their next match.
A loss that DID eat him up was this past AO against Wawrinka, not because he lost but that he wasn’t able to compete. Of course he wanted to win it but it wasn’t to be and he accepted it and congratulated Stan.
He wants to win every match and he will compete to the bitter end to do it but ‘wanting it more’ is not at his core. I totally agree with you that Rafa has some of the greatest desire in the game and has a huge heart but what I disagree with is the notion that wanting to win is key rather than wanting to compete and do his utmost best. Personally I feel it’s a much healthier attitude than many pro athletes, including tennis players, have.
Here’s what he said in an interview earlier this week:
Q: What spurs you on? To break records? To win more grand slam titles?
Rafa: What matters to me most is to be happy and to enjoy the competition. My motivation is to be competitive and to enjoy the battles. You win some, you lose some. That’s sport. When I’m healthy, able to train well and play for the big titles, I’m happy.
Andrew Miller · October 21, 2014 at 7:28 pm
Of course Nadal can want it more. People who want things make sacrifices to get them. Nadal wants it so much he trains like a loco (so does Federer, so does Djokovic; Agassi ran the hills of Las Vegas, which are brutal). He wants it so badly during the match he’s willing to run down balls that other players only dream of running down.
Sorry but the wanting it more – never being satisfied – that’s a hunger, desire to compete. Nadal is tops here in the tennis world on that one. Look at Sharapova – one of the few along with Serena Williams who will stop at nothing to win a match.
And I believe yes, in the match vs. Djokovic at the 2013 US Open, Nadal wanted it more. Same for 2010, he wanted it more. Out-willed the opponent. Out hustled. Out played. Out performed.
The players always say, accurately, it comes down to a few points. Who wins those points? Ok, skill – the better player on the day. But why? Sometimes this is from momentum – desire to turn the match a certain direction, force of will. Desire. Straight up want. Not just talent or hard work. Want. Will. Not just stamina, guy on the other net has it too.
Competitive athletes are like this. Put eight people up on the swimming blocks, eight juniors, 50 meters. Who wins if they all have similar times? Fastest one. But why? Desire. Straight up desire.
Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2014 at 7:47 pm
If Nadal could bottle up and sell Desire pills he’d be a trillionaire )
Dan Markowitz · October 21, 2014 at 8:39 pm
JBlitz, Nadal wants it more. I know all about athletes who want it more. My first book was with John Starks, a guy who had no business playing in the NBA. His cap should have been the playgrounds of Tulsa or maybe a Tulsa junior college of which he attended and was kicked out of three. But he made it to Okla St and then the Warriors and then the Knicks and was good enough to become an all-Star.
How did he do it? Desire, yes, but he had talent and he believed in it. And working hard is a talent, it’s not a skill you develop. Some people are able to reach deeper than others and Nadal and Starks are perfect examples of that.
I’ve seen many tennis players, of which Harry seems one right now, who get lost. They lose their love for the game or lose the purpose of why they’re traveling around the world playing tennis. To Nadal and Starks, the competition is everything and that’s what drives them. That’s how they develop their skills, their “Never say die” attitude and it’s why they don’t burn out.
Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2014 at 9:38 am
Coric takes first set 76 from Gulbis from a break down. I knew Coric would have a good shot to upset Gulbis, too technically solid and mentally tough. And youthful hunger. I think Gulbis has a hard time playing these young stars like Thiem and Coric. I think Kozlov could beat Gulbis.
Harold · October 22, 2014 at 10:06 am
While waiting for Lorely’s Gulbis post-mortem, and taking a break from kissing Spadeas ***(every tennis discussion on this site will eventually become about Spadea)I have one tennis question?
How does Nike have all the young stars in their stable? Coric,Kyrgios,Zverev,Kozlov are all Nike. Do they have the best scouts?Do they just throw money at everybody and see who sticks?
Dan Markowitz · October 22, 2014 at 10:11 am
Six Degrees of Vince Spadea.
How about Halep killing Serena in Singapore today? Serena in the presser told a questioner who asked about her fragile emotional state that she was just trying to drum up something for her blog. Sounds like something I’d do.
Kozlov beating Gulbis! C’mon, as much as I think Gulbis is overrated or overranked, I can’t believe Kozlov, who lost the last two sets to Coric at the US Open, 2 and 2, can beat Gulbis just yet.
Kozlov looks Asian in the eyes. He must come from a part of Russia very close to Asia. Finally, waz happened to Genie Bouchard!!? I’ve noticed her bosom has gotten larger. Do you think that has hurt her? Just a suggestion. I’m perplexed that the Wimby finalist has fallen so hard in the last couple of months.
Andrew Miller · October 22, 2014 at 10:17 am
Throws the $! As good a guess as any. Risk management from Nike. If Tomic doesn’t make it, Kyrgios does. If Kyrgios doesn’t make it, Kokkinakis. Zverev is a nice grab in Adidas territory, same for Coric. Kozlov, who will get some Russia coverage, is like two birds and one stone – dual advertising for the U.S. and Russia, sneaker sales in both. Efficient investment. Bouchard.
Halep pulled a Roddick and is with Lacoste. Say what you want about Roddick but he had good taste in opting for the French style.
Andrew Miller · October 22, 2014 at 10:43 am
Ivanovic d. Bouchard, 6-1, 6-3 (on the heels of Halep’s domination of Serena Williams). Yeah maybe, but I can’t talk about Bouchard’s w/e, I’ll leave that one alone. It’s like there is also a rap sheet on how to beat Bouchard that’s gone out since the Wimbledon final. That big X target on her back just gets larger and larger for anyone who plays her. It’s like her sophomore slump has been fast forwarded – it was supposed to be next year but arrived a half year early.
On the other hand, I’m impressed this entire year from Ana Ivanovic. She re-committed to the game and got Bouchard back for the Australian Open loss. Players have long memories!
a few Valencia results.
Andujar d. Berdych, 6-3 6-2 in 70 minutes. So much for my giving credit to Berdych!
Bellucci d. Youzhny. Bellucci has been on a nice run since the U.S. Open. He may be heading back into the top 50 in the next few months.
Basel
AZverev vs Dimitrov. Sure, Basel obviously made a good choice to wildcard Coric into the tournament. The Zverev wildcard seems unwarranted though, predicting a blow-out by Dimitrov. Maybe Zverev gets six games like Kozlov managed vs. Klizan.
Basel seems to have a history of awarding wildcards to up and coming Euro players.
Calling this prediction: DY will beat Raonic tomorrow. He’s due for a scalp and Raonic will do. Sorry to Milos fans.
Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Bouchard has that big ol X on her back, like fellow glamour girl Kournikova did. She’s not the hunter anymore, she’s the hunted.
Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2014 at 3:44 pm
As for Gulbis, let’s face it, his confidence has been down since US Open loss to Thiem. He hasn’t had a big win since FO SF. Tennis is all about confidence and I think Gulbis is suffering from depleted confidence more than anything, he’s probably physically struggling as well which compounds his problem.
loreley · October 22, 2014 at 5:20 pm
Painful face: http://skaties.lv/sports/ernests-gulbis-bazele-zaude-septinpadsmitgadigajam-horvatam-bornam-coricam/
Gulbis season is over. He doesn’t play Paris.
Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2014 at 7:58 pm
Best season yet for Gulbis, best results in a major, but still there’s a sense that this is as high as he can go. And next year he will drop. Hope this is a wrong idea. Just not sure of how he can improve any more. He’s super fit, it seems like he has maximized his talent. Losing to Coric and Thiem almost make him look like an old player now in the homestretch of his career. You have to wonder if Gulbis, in his own mind, believes he can go any higher and if he can figure out how to stay on top of Fed, Nadal and Djokovic. While this was a strong year for Gulbis, it was also disappointing – he failed to accomplish what he wanted – to win a major title.