I ran into the great Jimmy Arias at the USTA National Campus in Orlando yesterday after playing World Team Tennis national qualifiers for our 4.5 team from NJ, and Jimmy walked by, on site for his Tennis Channel broadcast of the Ohio State vs Florida State womens tennis match.
“What are you doing here,” Jimmy asked. Just like what he said another time we bumped into each other at Laurel Oak where I was playing a league match and he was just finishing a hitting session with a top junior Ty or Micah Braswell.
About a month ago I had the chance to hit with an old timer from Buffalo named Tom Lapenna, who knows Jimmy since he was 9. He told me a lot of stories about how good Jimmy was a kid. At age 10-11 he would hang around the adult players who he could beat, despite his small stature, that’s how talented and powerful he was. They’d go out to eat sometimes, a big group of over a dozen and the kid was so sharp he would actually dominate the conversations. “Everybody loved Jimmy,” Tom recalls fondly. Strangers would be in wonder, how could a kid, A KID, dominate grown men in conversations?
Then at 12 Jimmy was arranged to play an exo with Rod Laver in Buffalo. This was in 1976. Laver was 38, like Federer right now.
Jimmy somehow managed to get the best of Laver for a while 2-love. After that, Laver looked at Jimmy and said, “Kid, you’re not getting another game.” In the end, Laver finally did prevail, 7-5. Arias said he was “unbelievable” that night and did not reach that level of fine play for five years.
Arias relocated to Bollettieri’s Academy on Longboat Key at 13. At 16 he beat top 20 ATP veteran Eddie Dibbs in an exhibition. But the word was Bollettieri mismanaged the Arias game, by trying to turn him into a top spinner far behind the baseline, like a new Borg Vilas. Doing endless hours of drills. But Jimmy had his own identity and game and a decent backhand with touch. He was good enough to be his own player – not an imitation.
He turned pro upon Bollettieri’s insistence. The first year on the ATP Tour was a “miserable” experience. Arias broke into the top 100 but he was not embraced by the other older players. One player named Francisco Gonzalez bullied Arias off a practice court to hit with Ferdie Taygan. In 1982, Arias made the finals of Washington and lost to Ivan Lendl. In 1983, Arias made the semifinals at US Open and lost to Lendl again. This was when Lendl was a choke artist. A bad call went against Arias which Jimmy felt turned the match and cost him a final showdown with Connors. Lendl choked the final to Connors 63 67 75 60.
After US Open, Arias played in Palermo, Italy, for a $20,000 guarantee. He got mono and strep throat. He didn’t play for three months. When he finally felt strong enough to hit the court he jumped right into a practice set with Lapenna and lost it.
The career of Arias went downhill from there. He won a total of five ATP titles in 1982 and 1983, plus a French Open mixed doubles major with Andrea Jaeger. Overall, a good solid career. but not quite the stuff of legend like he himself and some others expected.
The questions remain. Was the 12 year old prodigy misguided and miscoached by Bollettieri? Was the then uproven Bollettieri really truly worthy of handling and developing such a rare, one in a million talent as young Arias?
Today Arias is the best tennis commentator on TV for Tennis Channel. He’s also now the head of player development at the IMG Academy in Bradenton.
IMG · Jimmy Arias · Tennis Channel
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« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next »Hartt · March 6, 2020 at 11:47 am
The latest Lucky Letcord podcast is an interview with Joel Drucker. I did not think there was anything new in the part about Sharapova, but Drucker’s comments on his own career as a tennis journalist and his thoughts about the game were interesting.
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/2020/March/Joel-Drucker-on-Sharapova-s-Retirement-and-Followi.aspx
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 11:57 am
I am a Giorgi fan. But I know better than to expect a win against a beatable player whose form is so-so 😉
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 12:02 pm
The Pat Cash, tennis.com podcast with Nina Pantic also had a nice sentiment from Pat Cash that as he looks at today’s men’s game his advice to young players is to develop a better game. He said today’s men’s tour isn’t like the past, and you can’t have serious holes in your game if you want to compete well. He said Nakashima was shocked when Cash met him to go over things he had to do: Cash had already watches most of his matches, had taken extensive notes, and had a laundry list of things for Nakashima to work on, including diet, etc.
Hartt · March 6, 2020 at 12:12 pm
Andrew, I enjoyed the Pat Cash interview as well. I thought it was interesting that he would prefer to coach younger players because he thinks a coach can have more of an impact. Also, that he would like to coach a WTA player along with an ATP one. He thinks there is a conflict of interest with 2 ATP players or 2 WTA ones.
I hope he continues with Nakashima, it sounds like he can bring a lot to the youngster’s development.
Harold · March 6, 2020 at 12:16 pm
Just read somewhere Pat Harrison is coaching 3 girls, one of the Collins..How does that work if they play each other?
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 12:56 pm
Hartt, I’d guess so. Cash probably has to deal with stubbornness, or players that have ingrained habits. Part of it maybe because he believes men’s players need more time given today’s tour and several dominant players aka Cash would need more time for what he’s teaching to pay off. His thoughts about the WTA are similar to mine, there are more chances to win big right now with the tour in flux and no dominant champs – Serena Williams is dominant but as Cash said, there’s still more opportunity and you roll the die.
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2020 at 3:01 pm
Hartt, how can you not be a fan of the robotic one dimensional Giorgi?!
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2020 at 3:03 pm
Nakashima making the decision to work with Pat Cash is smarter than any decision yet made by Escobedo, Tiafoe, Fritz, Paul, Kozlov, Young. Go out and get a guy who knows what it’s like to win major titles. The kid is different and IMO the best American prospect since Roddick.
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2020 at 3:05 pm
Harold, Harrison does drills with Brengle, Watson and Collins when they train at IMG, but to my knowledge he does not travel with them. He is an important full time coach at IMG and is based there.
catherine · March 6, 2020 at 3:11 pm
Azarenka w/draws from IW – can’t see a future for her now, with so much personal stuff seemingly preventing her from playing.
Sabalenka takes over the flag bearing for Belarus.
Harold · March 6, 2020 at 3:17 pm
It’s too bad Azarenka can’t find her old game, saw her recent loss, she’s the thinnest she’s ever been, didn’t seem to help her movement.
The “ Mothers” should start a little tour. Clijsters, Azarenka, get Pennetta, I’m sure there are some recent moms that might have stayed in shape. T. Maria just played and had her daughter in the coaches box. She didn’t come out to coach
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 8:58 pm
Shame Azarenka isn’t back to full speed. She’s a player whose game evolved to match her grunts 🙂 The Aza/Sabalenka match was good at the US Open last year. She was seriously weighed down by the tumble in her marriage and the custody battle. But it underscores what Harold all have said: the tour is tough for working moms. The more I see Clijsters out there the better it is. There are others.
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 9:00 pm
I like the Giorgi game! I like that she and some other players take Agassi-like cuts at the tennis ball. Just don’t like her thinking on court. She should be winning many more matches, but as many have said you go with what brought you to the tour. Change is hard.
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 9:06 pm
Monterey: Kenin d. Dodin in 3 (no one else thinks Dodin is pretty? Jeff?); Konta survives Potapova 7-6 in third.
If anyone’s interested: Pete Bodo summary on who’s up and who’s down was very good. He didn’t have much space in the ESPN article to take a deeper dive. His quip about the WTA website was amusing – he took a nice potshot at the site because they had nothing in L. Fernandez! I found it humorous.
Article link, Kvitova up and Medvedev down
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/28821070/petra-kvitova-trending-daniil-medvedev-tennis-wild-month-begins
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 9:10 pm
IW challenger: Sock d. Kudla, Johnson d. Rubin, Nakashima d. Giron, Krueger d. Barrere. All US men in semis.
Monterey Mexico challenger: Escobedo in semis, Mannarino, Blanch and Vukic.
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 9:11 pm
IW challenger: Zvonareva d. Siegemund. Yeah Zvonareva! I liked her when she wasn’t so pouty. I still like her.
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2020 at 9:42 pm
Giorgi has everything to be a top player except belief and desire. She’s content being ranked 25.
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2020 at 9:43 pm
Nakashima gives another lesson to a far more experienced veteran.
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2020 at 9:45 pm
Leylah impressing me though down 4621 to Svitolina. Nothing will stop her from winning a major by 21.
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2020 at 9:46 pm
Halep out of IW.
Andrew Miller · March 6, 2020 at 10:39 pm
Whoops, Lyon! Kenin d. Dodin. Kenin showed flashes of her Australian run in the match. Dodin was as good as I remember when she began rising a few years ago, very good! She has a Lendl-like slice where she comes under the ball on the backhand and it bounces away from a player’s forehand. It’s a great shot.
Kenin found her range but needed to close out the clever Dodin. Dodin also had some big shotmaking in front of a friendly French crowd. Kenin must be feeling better with a few wins under her belt, she nearly let this match get away from her and had a lot of chances to close it out earlier rather than run the risk of a Dodin comeback. But live another day.
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2020 at 10:43 pm
Svitolina barely survives Fernandez. But has to summon her beast mode, she used more emotional adrenaline in the match key moments. Fernandez was strangely stoic and did not use emotional adrenaline. Svitolina wanted it more clearly. Maybe Fernandez was too respectful for the veteran or was happy to be in the QF. But I like how Fernandez battles, she was dead even with Svitolina all the way and could beat her next time they play. Fernandez runs out to play after every changeover, she really loves to play. Her focus is like Nadal and she has her pre serve rituals before every serve. She will win majors.
Hartt · March 6, 2020 at 10:44 pm
Scoop, Giorgi hasn’t quite made it to No.25. her highest ranking was No.26 in October, 2018. She is currently No.94, so she must be content being well outside the top 50. At this rate soon she may have to be content being outside the top 100. She is 28 years old, so it is unlikely that she suddenly will start having great results.
Hartt · March 6, 2020 at 10:51 pm
I expected Svitolina to beat Fernandez, after all, she is a top player. But Leylah may be running out of steam. She’s played a lot of tennis in the last couple weeks, including 6 matches in Acapulco, where she had to go through qualies, then several rounds in Monterrey.
She isn’t scheduled for IW, either the qualies or the main draw, so unless she gets a WC she will be having a long break.
jackson · March 6, 2020 at 11:50 pm
Rafa and Felix Auger Aliassime practiced together in Indian Wells. Don’t know that I’ve ever seen them practice together before.
https://twitter.com/CCSMOOTH13/status/1236031044165332992
Jeff · March 7, 2020 at 12:05 am
Scoop you may be right that Sock wants to impress his gal as he rolls along in Indian Wells. Now comes a statement semifinal against Brandon Nakashima. This could possibly be the biggest match in US men’s tennis this year. Which of these two will take a major step forward?
If you win this challenger, do you get a main draw place or no? Anyone know.
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 1:08 am
Svitolina’s hardly a veteran 🙂
Or maybe you start being a ‘veteran’ in the WTA when you’re past 25.
Simona hasn’t played at her best since Wimbledon – it’s a syndrome. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has peaked in her career, has other things on her mind and will be prone to injury.
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 1:11 am
Andrew – As far as I know Azarenka wasn’t married – that was the problem re the custody. Shame the whole business cast a blight over the last part of her career.
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 1:22 am
Kerber out of IW – left leg injury. Angie hasn’t played since AO. Wouldn’t be surprised if she’s out of Miami also and her appearances this year will be spotty. Her last year on tour ? Yes.
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 1:30 am
‘Wouldn’t be surprised’ seems a favourite phrase of mine. I’ll try to extend my vocabulary but lack of surprise is an all too common response to events in the WTA these days.
Angie doesn’t seem that serious about the game now. She’s done it all. No resurgance and plenty of other activities in her life.
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 1:57 am
Yes, Angie is out of Miami as well. No mention on her public Twitter or IG. She says on her IW comment that she ‘can’t wait’ to get back to playing but I don’t believe her. You get that feeling about players. They don’t just say ‘I’m not coming back’, but recurring injuries is a common exit strategy.
I’m not doing Scoop and saying ‘exit injuries’ are fake, but I’d say they are often psychological – can see Federer going that path.
Jeff · March 7, 2020 at 1:57 am
Yes stick a fork in Angie. She is already in the Hall of Fame and the best German woman since Graf and its unlikely there is some amazing German coming up that will surpass her.
Is Kindlmann any good? Seems kind of young. I feel you give up when you hire a nobody like that. Ha won a set against Monfils once at Roland Garros so he has that going for him.
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 2:21 am
Jeff – I’m not sure what ‘stick a fork’ means – but I don’t want to cause Angie any further injury 🙂
Yes – Hiring Kindlmann, who’s coached several players for short periods (Mertens for 2 months) was pretty much a signal that Angie wasn’t going to do a Nadal eg and make late changes in her game. When Fisette left it was really over. Scheuttler was a misjudgement too.
That IG comment was management speak.
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2020 at 8:54 am
Hartt, Giorgi is desperate right now, she likes to keep her ranking arond 25-45, so she gets into all the tournaments. She is under pressure now to get her ranking where she needs it to be. No desire to be no. 1 or top ten, top 25-35 is her happy place.
Harold · March 7, 2020 at 9:34 am
If Sock/ Nakashima is the biggest match for Mens American Tennis this year, we have officially hit the lowest point in American Tennis ..
Hartt · March 7, 2020 at 9:40 am
Scoop, you are probably right that Giorgi’s “happy place” is 25-35. But she will have a hard time getting back to that ranking. There are so many good players on the WTA now who know how to play tennis, not just hit the ball hard. (I know I am exaggerating about Giorgi’s game, but not by much!)
Hartt · March 7, 2020 at 10:25 am
Andrew, thank you for the link to the Bodo piece. His take on a variety of players was interesting. And maybe if enough people complain maybe the WTA site will finally update the Leylah Fernandez page.
I rarely go to the ESPN site now, so was also interested to see what Bodo wrote about Sharapova. He was tougher on her than many journalists have been.
Hartt · March 7, 2020 at 10:31 am
The Tennis.life site has a brief piece on Lucas Pouille. He has been off since October with an elbow injury, but did play in the IW Challenger where he lost to Rubin. IW has never been a successful tourney for him, so he may not fare well there, but it is good to see him back on the Tour.
https://tennis.life/2020/03/07/pouille-and-mauresmo-get-back-to-work-video/
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 11:22 am
Hartt – when Bodo doesn’t like someone he really shows it. He did that with BJK in his last book where his comments I felt went beyond responsible journalism. Never been sure about his motivation although I can guess.
It’s easy to condemn people – maybe not so easy to be understanding.
Andrew Miller · March 7, 2020 at 1:10 pm
Bodo’s jab @ WTA web site: PRICELESS.
Andrew Miller · March 7, 2020 at 1:11 pm
TP commentors: no fans of Dodin 🙁 That’s ok. I don’t mind being a Dodin fan. But I am partial to the French players.
Hartt · March 7, 2020 at 2:02 pm
Very interesting. Am glad that Nakashima received one, and pleased, although somewhat surprised, that Fernandez received one.
BNP Paribas Open
@BNPPARIBASOPEN
Sock, Sandgren, Nakashima highlight 11 Americans receiving wild cards into #BNPPO20
Flag of United States
Flag of Canada
Leylah Fernandez awarded main draw wild card
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 2:06 pm
Hartt – I posted about Leylah on top thread. Don’t know which thread is which now.
Hartt · March 7, 2020 at 2:10 pm
Catherine, I just saw your other post. I think I will stick with this thread for now because the 2 threads are getting confusing. We are dur for a new thread in nay case, this one is getting pretty long.
Hartt · March 7, 2020 at 2:12 pm
Further info on WCs for IWs, the qualies.
“Wild cards into the BNP Paribas Open Men’s Qualifying Draw were awarded to Americans Michael Mmoh, J.J. Wolf, Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and Govind Nanda, the winner of the BNP Paribas Open pre-qualifying tournament last month. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain was also awarded a wild card into the qualifying event.
Americans Nicole Gibbs, Whitney Osuigwe, Caroline Dolehide, Hailey Baptiste and BNP Paribas Open pre-qualifying champion Ashley Kratzer received wild cards into the BNP Paribas Open Women’s Qualifying Draw. Diane Parry of France also joins the women’s qualifying field as a wild card.” (IW site)
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 2:13 pm
Lyon – Kenin bts van Uytvanck in 3 t/b sets. Closeasthis.
Dkat loses to Friedsam.
Hartt · March 7, 2020 at 2:22 pm
At least getting the WC for the main draw instead of for the qualies, means Fernandez will have a couple more days before she has to play. However, probably she will face a tougher opponent.
catherine · March 7, 2020 at 2:56 pm
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2020/mar/07/why-shouldnt-women-coach-men-tokyo-olympics-are-ideal-driver-for-equality
Interesting piece from Andy Murray – but not intended to start debate – Scottish are more open to these questions than a lot of British. Don’t know why – maybe just another way of showing independence 🙂
Hartt · March 7, 2020 at 3:02 pm
Yes, I thought that was an interesting piece. Yesterday I finally got to see “Resurfacing.” Andy was incredibly open, expressing his fears and doubts. And you certainly got some idea of how hard he has to train and how tough the rehab is. We knew he loved tennis, and that doc proved it beyond a doubt.
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2020 at 3:43 pm
Fan of Dodins first name Oceane but unsure how it’s pronounced. She’s been around for a couple of years now on the fringes. Basic game.