Just a year ago, Roger Federer beat Robin Soderling in straight sets to claim his first French Open title. Even though Soderling gave it everything he had, there was only ever going to be one winner in that match and both players knew it; Soderling had made no secret before the match that he didn't think he could beat Federer. He was typically gracious in defeat but also issued a light-hearted warning after the match that he would not be so easily beaten in future.
Fast forward to 2010 and the two met again in the quarter finals, but this time Soderling was like that kid who'd had sand kicked in his face by the bully, then gone away and worked out so he could take revenge the next time they met. His powerful serve and groundstrokes were simply too much for Federer to handle today and Soderling won in four sets.
But good as they were, it wasn't his awesome shots that made the difference - it was his belief that he could win. And I can't help thinking that that belief was conceived in the disappointment of the earlier defeat. Perhaps he would have won even without that experience - perhaps, but I doubt it.
Showing posts with label Roger Federer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roger Federer. Show all posts
Wednesday
How to play a single-handed backhand
There is no finer sight in tennis than a player nailing a single-handed backhand. Unfortunately this elegant shot seems to be going the same way as the serve-volley player, which is to say it's disappearing. Offhand I can think of only a handful of recent players who use the shot - the two most accomplished exponents recently are Roger Federer and Justine Henin on the ladies side.
Here are some of the things I remind myself of when my own single-hander goes south – perhaps they will help you too:
That's right, your back! Don't just turn sideways, you need to turn even further. This allows you to really wind up for the shot and transfer energy not just from your arm, but from your legs and core muscles when you unwind. It also gets your legs out of the way so you can take a proper backswing.
Your arm needs to become an extension of the racket (or is it the other way around?) - either way you need to hold your form as you swing at the ball. I find this much easier to do if my arm is almost perfectly straight; if it's bent I tend to lose the feeling of my swing.
Make sure you play down the line of the shot (which is where turning your back really helps). You really don't want the ball to be coming off your racket at an angle to where you want it to go, or you will have very little control over where it ends up. And you'll also find it has weird spin all over it, which admittedly can confuse your opponent, but can also cause the ball to drift out.
No doubt there are many other tips for playing a single-hander, but when my backhand is having an off-day, concentrating on these three factors is normally enough to get it back on track.
Here are some of the things I remind myself of when my own single-hander goes south – perhaps they will help you too:
Turn your back to the ball
That's right, your back! Don't just turn sideways, you need to turn even further. This allows you to really wind up for the shot and transfer energy not just from your arm, but from your legs and core muscles when you unwind. It also gets your legs out of the way so you can take a proper backswing.
Keep your arm straight
Your arm needs to become an extension of the racket (or is it the other way around?) - either way you need to hold your form as you swing at the ball. I find this much easier to do if my arm is almost perfectly straight; if it's bent I tend to lose the feeling of my swing.
Swing through the line of the ball
Make sure you play down the line of the shot (which is where turning your back really helps). You really don't want the ball to be coming off your racket at an angle to where you want it to go, or you will have very little control over where it ends up. And you'll also find it has weird spin all over it, which admittedly can confuse your opponent, but can also cause the ball to drift out.
No doubt there are many other tips for playing a single-hander, but when my backhand is having an off-day, concentrating on these three factors is normally enough to get it back on track.
Thursday
US Open Preview
In the last few weeks I've been enjoying watching some of the fantastic hard-court action in the buildup to the US Open which starts next week, It always amazes me how hard the pros hit the ball, but still with such a high level of consistency. It's obviously a result of extremely good hand-eye co-ordination coupled with hours out on the practice courts.
I guess mere mortals like myself could certainly improve a lot if we put in the kind of time and effort that these guys and gals do. But you also have to have the right facilities, and most important, hitting partners. Even if I was to quit my job and put everything into developing my game (not going to happen, but a guy can dream...), this would be an obstacle. The traditional solution to the problem is hitting against a wall or with a tennis ball machine, although these are still a poor substitute for hitting with a real person. Mind you, at least ball machines are consistent and you don't spend your day waiting for the other player to get the ball over the net so you can have a turn. I must say, I could use a nice midrange machine like a Wilson Portable or Tennis Tutor - I'm sure it would make a huge difference to my game.
Anyway, I digress. I'm looking forward to watching some of the US Open. No doubt the TV coverage over here in the UK will be dominated by Andy Murray and whomever he's playing. Still, I guess he's got a pretty good chance, and probably needs to win a major soon before the weight of expectation from the British public becomes too unbearable. I've also been impressed with Roger Federer's play in the Masters events. To me he looks back to his best and seems to be playing with a freedom I haven't seen from him for awhile. Perhaps breaking Pete Sampras's record at Wimbledon has taken the pressure off him and he can just relax and play his game. I guess it also helps that Rafael Nadal has been absent for the last few months, giving him time to regain his number one spot and re-establish his dominance. OK, he's not as dominant as he used to be, but I reckon Roger's still the man to beat - if I were a gambler I would certainly put my money on him.
Who do you think's going to win, and why?
I guess mere mortals like myself could certainly improve a lot if we put in the kind of time and effort that these guys and gals do. But you also have to have the right facilities, and most important, hitting partners. Even if I was to quit my job and put everything into developing my game (not going to happen, but a guy can dream...), this would be an obstacle. The traditional solution to the problem is hitting against a wall or with a tennis ball machine, although these are still a poor substitute for hitting with a real person. Mind you, at least ball machines are consistent and you don't spend your day waiting for the other player to get the ball over the net so you can have a turn. I must say, I could use a nice midrange machine like a Wilson Portable or Tennis Tutor - I'm sure it would make a huge difference to my game.
Anyway, I digress. I'm looking forward to watching some of the US Open. No doubt the TV coverage over here in the UK will be dominated by Andy Murray and whomever he's playing. Still, I guess he's got a pretty good chance, and probably needs to win a major soon before the weight of expectation from the British public becomes too unbearable. I've also been impressed with Roger Federer's play in the Masters events. To me he looks back to his best and seems to be playing with a freedom I haven't seen from him for awhile. Perhaps breaking Pete Sampras's record at Wimbledon has taken the pressure off him and he can just relax and play his game. I guess it also helps that Rafael Nadal has been absent for the last few months, giving him time to regain his number one spot and re-establish his dominance. OK, he's not as dominant as he used to be, but I reckon Roger's still the man to beat - if I were a gambler I would certainly put my money on him.
Who do you think's going to win, and why?
Saturday
Roger Federer and me
Yesterday I witnessed another interesting parallel between the fortunes of Roger Federer and myself. Playing in the quarter finals of the Montreal Masters event against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roger lost the first set in a tie break, but then comfortably won the second 6-1. He continued that momentum and had the opportunity to serve it out at 5-2 in the third. But then the wheels came off! Tsonga won the next four games in a row, and had Roger 0-40 down on his serve at 5-6, until Roger managed to claw his way out of the hole and level it at 6-6. But try as he might, he just couldn't finish it off and Tsonga won the tie-break to complete an amazing comeback.
The interesting parallel is that I had a similar lead in my last match against Tom a couple of days ago, and also couldn't close it out. We eventually had to abandon the match at 6-6 due to time constraints after I'd also had a 5-2 lead which I couldn't hold onto. I won't pretend the comparison goes much further than that (Roger just can't compare to me on the court!), but it's gratifying in a perverse sort of way that the best player in the world faces the same challenges that a tennis chump like me does!
I know it's easy to criticise from the comfort of my armchair, but perhaps there's also something for me to learn from Roger about how not to play (that'll be a change)! A couple of things caught my attention about Roger's performance in those last few games:
Even though it was surprising to see how Roger Federer capitulated as he served a double fault to lose the match, I guess it's not so surprising that he was emotionally and mentally flat and tired - he's had a lot going on emotionally over the last few weeks with the birth of his daughters. And hey, when you've achieved what he has in the game, we can cut him a bit of slack, can't we?
I'm sure Fed will still be a force to be reckoned with at the US Open later this month. Just make sure you get some rest, Roger, OK?
The interesting parallel is that I had a similar lead in my last match against Tom a couple of days ago, and also couldn't close it out. We eventually had to abandon the match at 6-6 due to time constraints after I'd also had a 5-2 lead which I couldn't hold onto. I won't pretend the comparison goes much further than that (Roger just can't compare to me on the court!), but it's gratifying in a perverse sort of way that the best player in the world faces the same challenges that a tennis chump like me does!
I know it's easy to criticise from the comfort of my armchair, but perhaps there's also something for me to learn from Roger about how not to play (that'll be a change)! A couple of things caught my attention about Roger's performance in those last few games:
- loss of focus
In the changeover at 5-2, Roger appeared to be gazing around the arena and up at the big screen in a distracted sort of way rather than staying focussed on what he had to do to win the match. Of course he can be forgiven for assuming he would win, but it just goes to show you cannot afford to underestimate your opponent. - loss of confidence and appetite
When things started going against him, Roger seemed unable to respond mentally. He seemed more concerned about not losing than trying to win. He almost had an air of resignation about him, and although he continued to play, it seemed like he lost the match a lot earlier than the final ball. - loss of aggression
Serving at 5-2, Roger played a bit tentatively, which allowed Tsonga back in. Heck, I'm not one to criticise as I also struggle with the balance between consistency and all-out attack. But I was surprised Roger didn't go for it a bit more - after all he had a comfortable lead to fall back on if it didn't work out. - Impatience
Once Tsonga had dug in his heels, Roger appeared to lose patience in some of the rallies, going for the winner when it wasn't really on. Again, I think it shows that mentally he didn't have confidence in his ability to close out the match at that point. - first serve percentage
It was also pretty evident that Federer couldn't get his first serve in in those final few games. Tsonga hadn't had a break point the whole match until the final set, when he broke Roger twice in a row (and had Federer at 0-40 in the third).
Even though it was surprising to see how Roger Federer capitulated as he served a double fault to lose the match, I guess it's not so surprising that he was emotionally and mentally flat and tired - he's had a lot going on emotionally over the last few weeks with the birth of his daughters. And hey, when you've achieved what he has in the game, we can cut him a bit of slack, can't we?
I'm sure Fed will still be a force to be reckoned with at the US Open later this month. Just make sure you get some rest, Roger, OK?
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