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How American Tennis Can Alter Its Course of Mediocrity
79 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
Someone has to take the blame for the mediocre results of American tennis.
The USTA needs to change it’s methods. In a major, drastic way. The USTA Developmental System leaders should haul off every American in the top 200 and force them into a month and a half long tennis boot camp. Not as a form of punishment but a way to build character, team unity and to toughen them up.
US Tennis is in a state of emergency. Look at the abysmal rankings of our players. That’s got to change. Now. Before it gets even worse.
Every American player in the top 200 or any player in the top thousand who volunteers to attend the boot camp should be accepted. 45 days of brutal hard work. Strict diet. No phones, no texts, no contact with family except for emergencies. Just work the players to the bone, Rambo style. 6 am wakeup calls, military officer style blowing whistles and making them run ten miles and doing obnstacle courses, boxing training for hand eye coordination and even some light boxing sparring would build character and confidence and toughness. Also there will be punishments for disobedience or failure. Work em like dogs like in that movie Officer And A Gentleman. Also let the players have bonding time playing cards, fishing, etc.
The current system is producing mediocrity. American fans and legends like Sampras, Courier, Agassi, McEnroe, Chang have to be embarrassed by what it sees. Drastic changes must happen. Now. Before it’s too late.
A leader has to emerge to save this sinking ship.
Add boxing training and sparring to the regimen
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« Previous 1 2Scoop Malinowski · November 22, 2013 at 8:36 pm
Gonna be tough for BB to regain the momentum he had last year. That doggone injury to his knee in Melbourne in the Querrey match was just awfully unfortunate. Some people just have bad luck.
Andrew Miller · November 23, 2013 at 1:41 am
The Fish story is interesting. It really is – he gets the best ranking he’s ever gotten. He does what Raonic, others failed to do in gaining top 8. And then all of the sudden, gone. No retirement. No press conference. No nothing.
I love Fish’s game. I watched Roddick-Fish play in Roddick’s US Open year (I think) and you could see the Gilbert influence on Roddick – hardly made an error while hitting thunder serves and big forehands. But Fish also looked world class and it was confusing why he wasn’t a top player at that point.
That he became one strikes me a lot like the Verdasco story. Fish shows flashes of brilliance throughout his career. He has a huge loss in the 04 Olympics. Another in the 04 Davis Cup that he arguably shouldn’t have played. He slips well behind his peers. Then one day, when Roddick and Blake decide they want out of Davis Cup, Fish steps in admirably, wins his two matches and the doubles to win a match in Colombia to keep the U.S. in the right group, then all of the sudden plays the best tennis ever.
He gets to the very pinnacle. And then boom. It’s over.
Gaurang · November 23, 2013 at 6:21 am
Brian Baker played like a top 20 player from Savannah Challenger to Wimbledon last year. And then his level dipped when the North American hard court season started. His dip in level continued until he was injured in Jan.
I really hope Brain can come back. If he plays at his best, he can be easily a top 20 player — even top 15. I mean he beat Davydenko on clay last year. Had a 6-1 fourth set against Simon in French Open, before loosing the fifth set. He has a lot of potential. The only thing against him is his body and his age (28)
Scoop Malinowski · November 23, 2013 at 8:54 am
It just doesn’t add up Andrew, how a guy could be at his career best and then just crumble like a crumb cake. The same thing happened with Soderling, he won a title in Europe, just crushed the field, seemingly mighty and at the top of his powers. But then he got “mono” and never played another tournament. You never see this happen in any sport where a top athletes suddenly just falls off the cliff, unless it’s a freak injury like Bo Jackson or HWT boxer Baby Joe Mesi getting hit with a punch on the side of the head. Mesi was the WBC #l Heavyweight contender in line for a big payday to challenge Vitali Klitschko. His career just crumbled after that punch from Vasilly Jirov even though he didn’t lose the fight, he held on for a decision win after three knock downs in the last two rounds. He suffered some kind of internal bleeding from that punch or punches. I remember it was one punch that started all the trouble. Mesi retired at 36-0. BTW how come tennis is the only sport where the top athletes seem to get “mono.”
Dan Markowitz · November 23, 2013 at 8:56 am
You can’t say he’s going yo be Top 20. Realistically, he’s lucky if he’s Top 100 again. He played a total of 5 matches last year. Look what happened to Derrick Rose hurting his knee again. Maybe Baker is being smart to come back only when he’s completely healthy. I like his game a lot.
Doogie · November 23, 2013 at 12:33 pm
It seems to me that u underestimates Fish`s variety. I am a huge fan of his tennis,too. He had so many weapons. He could find opponents weakness and so he took them down.
As u wrote he had great hands at net (we he does not become a doubles player if he is phyiscally not fit??), wonderful BH, huge serve (slice serve very effectice) and he had great will on court. Yes his FH was not good but because of his other strengths he could still be successful.
If u compare him to todays players Fish had really lot what others dont have. He was fun to watch and great talent.
As he improved his body – so did his rankings – that was his late success. His tennis was there through whole career.
Doogie · November 23, 2013 at 12:34 pm
Talentwise Q and Izzy are miles away from Fish (Izzy mental strenght is huge, but not his talent)
Andrew Miller · November 23, 2013 at 1:47 pm
Fish and Soderling like Scoop said, checks out.
Here’s a comparison I think Dan will take. Brian Baker as Grant Hill – superior skills, knowledge, strategy, but poor health.
Andrew Miller · November 23, 2013 at 1:58 pm
Fish should stay out. It’s a hard decision – maybe get some doubles action in, support and up and coming U.S. player. But in terms of the tour – I think that’s it for Fish. Heart condition is bad. The difference is this – Brian Baker will get on the court, experience crazy pain, be ok. Fish might do the same and die right there and then.
There’s a place for Fish in the game. His serve, backhand truly beautiful – good volley too. He could re-tool a few players’ outlooks and games (so long as he stays out of the forehand advice industry). You read his transcripts, you see he’s realistic too – calls it how he sees it. Probably has a sense how to push players etc.
Maybe Vince is not the next big coach. Maybe it’s folks like Baker and Fish, who have less of a love-hate relationship with the game.
Andrew Miller · November 23, 2013 at 2:02 pm
For coaching, Vince is more like Agassi, Capriati – shoved into the game, kind of resentful. I think if you want to be an excellent coach, you can’t harbor that towards the game.
Dan Markowitz · November 23, 2013 at 8:27 pm
No, I wouldn’t put Fish near the comparative level of Grant Hill, who at his best was a generational Hall of Fame player. Fish was never near Hill’s heights and Hill suffered physical injuries much earlier in his career. Fish is a nice player and for a year or so, just below the top in the game, but he didn’t perform at that elite level nearly long enough to even surpass James Blake, who you’d never compare talent-wise with Hill.
Grammar Nazi · November 23, 2013 at 8:39 pm
“Tennis coverage with a unique literary bend.”
It’s supposed to be “literary bent”, not “bend”.
Also, two it’s/its errors in this headline/article alone.
Really?
Harold · November 24, 2013 at 7:50 am
James Blake is JR Smith with a brain. Great talent, no fear, just no plan B when things went south
Dan Markowitz · November 24, 2013 at 1:11 pm
Welcome to the site, Grammar Nazi. You have to excuse Scoop and his malaprops and grammar battles. He’s covered a lot of boxing in his day. But you’re right, you got us, there’s no literary bend or bent to our writing. You won’t see any Chaucer references, but I think we have the best debates in tennis on this site and hopefully you can join the fray.
Harold, I like JR-JB comparison. How about about DY and Raymond Felton?
Andrew Miller · November 24, 2013 at 1:57 pm
My 2014 U.S. predictions.
– Two U.S. mens players will get 4th round slam this year. And their names aren’t Bryan and Bryan.
– Not including Serena Williams, who’s from another planet, U.S. women will continue to do better. Expect Sloane Stephens to get a slam semifinal.
– By the end of Miami, we will know who the future U.S. leader will be (beyond Isner and Querrey). That player will continue to face a lot of questions on why U.S. tennis is at its lowest point in 130 years.
Andrew Miller · November 24, 2013 at 4:28 pm
Sorry to change topic on this thread, but we’ve exhausted the U.S. tennis debate for now. Just saw that Petr Korda is Stepanek’s mentor and that Stepanek is feeling the best physically he ever has on tour. As much as I want to believe this means he’s become Tommy Haas, I’m led to one conclusion and one conclusion only.
And that’s because Petr Korda won the Australian Open on steroids.
Dan markowitz · November 24, 2013 at 5:03 pm
Stepanek, cheat?! And you call me cynical, Andrew.
Andrew Miller · November 24, 2013 at 5:10 pm
Just saw some clip on Rhyne Williams. Before I thought, in a match vs. Dancevic, he played well. Now, he camps out behind baseline AFTER returning serve! Williams, Sock, Harrison need to rethink court positioning (and anyone else who plays this way). Where’s the hitting on the rise?
Andrew Miller · November 24, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Korda did the roids! Yeah it’s unfair. His reason for success could be Kvitova for all I know.
Scoop Malinowski · November 24, 2013 at 5:18 pm
I was told by a tour insider last year that PK had a serious heart issue two years ago — a possible sign of excessive steroid use a la Lyle Alzado? You have to wonder if he was clean during the Aussie Open. The ATP was not going to do Rios any favors that’s for sure.
Scoop Malinowski · November 24, 2013 at 5:19 pm
Stepanek seems to be completely immune from what Mickey told Rocky Balboa what part of his anatomy women will weaken on him. 😉
Andrew Miller · November 24, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Nadal may be the world’s top player. But who can top Steps’ record? Hingis. Vaidisova. Kvitova. If Sharapova became Czech, Dimitrov would have to “step” aside.
Andrew Miller · November 24, 2013 at 7:37 pm
Dan, Rhyne Williams’ game needs WORK. As much as Harrison’s. Ball machines.
Harold · November 25, 2013 at 9:26 am
Stepanek is the biggest supporter of the Czech womens Tennis Federation. Isn’t Mirka Czech? Lookout Fed.
Navratilova went Lez to avoid Step
Andrew Miller · November 25, 2013 at 11:31 am
Daniela H. went Slovak for same reason!
Andrew Miller · November 26, 2013 at 1:34 am
Bellucci: from #32 to #120s, 1 year.
Scoop Malinowski · November 26, 2013 at 2:20 pm
Bellucci had a bad year. I saw him beat Janowicz in Miami in three sets though he sure looked good that day. Bellucci could be having his Spadea slump. He has the kind of game to get into the top 25 range.
Andrew Miller · November 27, 2013 at 1:53 am
Bellucci’s due a Verdasco moment. For now he’s what Flopez and Verdasco were: top underachiever.
Andrew Miller · November 29, 2013 at 11:53 am
Hire Lendl for U.S. tennis. “Murray: In 2012, after the defeat to Novak [in the Australian Open semi-final], I sat down with Ivan and [hitting partner] Dani [Vallverdu] the next day and Ivan told me how proud he was of the way I fought. I hadn’t won a grand slam: he knew it, and he knew what it meant. He said it was a great effort. Then he outlined the things I needed to work on if I was going to win these matches: nothing major, but factors that would make a difference. That was it.”
Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/254611.html#SrPXBBo0UqAzdTJA.99