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Players on the rise – Nishikori and Bautista-Agut

by TN
written by TN

Nishikori_2116876b

Today we have the final between Japanese wunderkind Kei Nishikori (born 1989!) and the king of clay, Rafael Nadal. This has perhaps been Nishikori’s year more than anyone else so far, he has won two titles and has an amazing 22-4 win record in 2014. After Madrid Masters he rightfully moves within the top 10.

But that aside, I find it difficult to believe that he has a proper chance to win against Nadal on clay. If he plays spectacular tennis, I think he will win one set, but in the end Nadal will be too strong.

If you’re a betting man, you get 4.5 times your money if Nadal wins two sets to one.

Going in to the hardcourt season I’m sure that Nishikori with his quick feet and clean ball-striking can make some waves. I think this is the year when he wins his first Masters series.

Nadal’s journey to the final has been quite comfortable with straight set wins all the way. I thought Bautista-Agut, who, like Nishikori, is making his breakthrough year in 2014, would test him and despite the 6-4 6-3 victory, it wasn’t as comfortable as it might look. There were many long games and Bautista-Agut used his ingenuity with clever drop shots to test Nadal’s superhero clay court skills.

Nadal prevailed in the end, but I made my bet that Bautista-Agut would win more than 6 games.

Bautista-Agut is currently 44 in the world, but looking how well he’s played, I think he’s destined to move up within the top 20 shortly.

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News

Indian Wells 2014 – Tennisnerd predicts…

by TN
written by TN

ATP World Tour writes today that Nadal’s road to the title in Indian Wells look complicated. They’re right. He needs to get through Murray, Federer and Djokovic to win the title and with his absence from the hard courts since his injury in the Australian Open final, there should rightly be doubts about his ability to get through such a field on his least preferred surface.

I doubt that even the competitive monster of Rafael Nadal can do it. Miami with its slower surface is better suited for Nadal and I think both Federer and Djokovic with their recent good form are more probable favorites. Especially Federer who seems to be on a roll, following wins over both Berdych and Djokovic at Dubai. Murray is a tough pick for me, because he hasn’t impressed since he won Wimbledon last year and seems to be back playing too passively from the back of the court.

So…Federer or Djokovic? Or…even a dark horse like hot shot super talent Dimitrov? Berdych should be in the mix as well. Some might even want to throw recent winner (Marseille) in Gulbis into the ring, but I think he’s still too weak mentally to sustain his winning over longer periods.

My gut tells me Djokovic will take the title, but my heart is with Federer.

Who’s your favorite? Check out the draw on the Indian Wells official homepage

 

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MiscTennis Instruction

Drink Rafa Juice – Get a Mindset Like Rafael Nadal

by TN
written by TN

Have you ever been in a tennis match and you’re playing brilliantly for three-four games and then suddenly you lose focus and start to throw away points like they were candy wrappers? I have. Did you feel have difficult it was to get back to the right mindset? That feeling is so disappointing i

rafajuice3

t’s disgusting. There are no simple remedies for this, everybody gets into a slump from time to time, but you can change your mindset to make it easier to get back that important match-winning focus.
How do you do that? Just buy my secret focus potion consisting of Rafael Nadal’s blood, sweat and tears called Rafa Juice!

Act now and get a “30-day Your-Dignity-Back-Guarantee!”. If you don’t like the drink and don’t feel you’ve gained focus and intensity, just send an e-mail to rafajuice@rafabull.com and we’ll send reimburse you the whole price of $169.99! This is an offer you can’t miss out on!

Ok, enough of that. I don’t have Rafa’s blood, sweat and tears on a bottle. And if I did, I’d probably be behind bars fairly soon.

And you’t need Nadal’s juices to adapt his mindset. Instead you need a list:

1. Never ever give up. You can turn around 6-0 5-0 into a victory. This is tennis, not football and has the most interesting scoring system known to man.

2. Give yourself a little bit of VAMOS when you win a good point. Don’t complain about the way you play. Focus on the positives! That’s how Rafa gets his fist-pumping energy.

3. Play each point competitively. Don’t waste any points by not giving it your best. That’s the only way to get back into focus. Don’t tank!

4. If you lose yourself completely and start handing your opponent the match on a silver platter, take a little break. Sit down under a towel Soderling-style, go for a quick toilet break, take some extra deep breaths. It’s important you get a moment for yourself to get back your focus and possibly get your opponent a bit off his. Nadal has hundreds of routines to remind him to focus, focus, focus. Bounce ball x times, move hair behind ear, pull nose, pull pants, step up and down with feet, adjust water bottles etc (yes, he has OCD, but some of these manoeuvres really help him quiet his mind).

5. Come prepared to do battle. Make sure you have enough water, maybe a banana, and that you haven’t eaten a big meal too close to the match. Try to feel your best or close to it.
6. Losing is not a big deal, but losing while not giving your best is a big deal. You’ll always feel better afterwards (even if you lose!) knowing that you gave it your best shot.

Good luck adapting to the Rafa mindset. Drink that Rafa Juice!

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GearPlayers

TOP SPIN – A Nadal Practice Session

by TN
written by TN

It’s hard not to be mesmerised by this clip of a Nadal practice session. Look at Nadal’s shots and how the ball loops into the air and then the rotations start and it lands in. For a guy who hits a pretty flat shot, this get me very jealous.

I find practice videos the best to study top player techniques and this video really gets you close to the action of Rafael Nadal striking the ball.

It can’t be easy dealing with that amount of TOP SPIN!

If you think it’s gear and not only technique, or you simply just want to look cool striking the ball, this is what Rafa plays with:

Babolat Aero Pro Drive (tennis racket)

Babolat RPM Blast (tennis string)

Find more top player practice videos on the Tennisnerd Youtube channel.

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NewsPlayers

HEAVY-HITTERS: Gulbis and Janowicz

by TN
written by TN

Yes, it’s a squirrel holding a bazooka. What else did you expect?

Guys like Gulbis and Janowicz should get a license for their racquet. They pack so much firepower in their shots you think the ball is going to go straight through the fence and out beyond the court. Today they both showed what destruction that power can bring.

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that Gulbis had raced to a 4-0 lead against Rafael Nadal. Yes, the Rafa that is almost impossible to beat on clay.

But it was 4-0. And minutes later the first set was over 6-1.

The reason? Rafa couldn’t handle the Gulbis firepower and the Latvian “brat” as some call him (rich parents, cocky, tends to show a stinky attitude) won the first set 6-1.

Winning one set of Rafa is a feat. Winning a match against him is a completely different story.

But still the second set was very hard-fought. Rafa got the break, but Gulbis got it back. Although the set got the usual ending when you play Rafa, the opponent loses his focus and Rafa pounces. 7-5. 1 set all.

The second set was also tough but at 4-5 we saw the same scenario as 6-5 in the second set, Rafa just tightens the screws. You don’t get one damn point for free. And if you give him something short on his forehand he will make you pay for it.

So he broke and won the match 1-6 7-5 6-4.

Gulbis’ thoughts after the match: “I thought I was the better player in the match and also in the second and third sets but he is the champion,” said Gulbis. “I lost against him in Indian Wells when I also thought I played better than him. He is solid and he didn’t do anything special and I made mistakes and so he won.”

What do you say about that? The best player always wins? It’s not about getting the most winners, but winning the right points? A hundred clichés could explain why Rafa won. But Gulbis feels cheated and you have to understand him in a way. He played really way and managed to push Nadal to the brink of defeat.

Still, if he wants fans, maybe a little more humble attitude would work better. But what would we write about then? We writers/bloggers/tennis fans like our drama!

Man, this is a long post. I have to keep it brief around Janowicz victory against Gasquet. I just want to say I’m so impressed by the youngster’s composure. He needs to serve out the match in the final set at 5-4 and he plays four fantastic points, one involving a dropshot.

The guy’s crazy, but also crazy good.

I think I like the tennis world with some weirdos carrying tennis racquet bazookas around the court. I think I like it very much.

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NewsPlayers

Top players as inspiration: Rafael Nadal

by TN
written by TN

David Ferrer played a great match against Rafael Nadal yesterday in the quarterfinals of Madrid Open. He hit the ball aggressively, used his backhand up the line to great effect and managed to get a lead of 6-4 4-2.

Then something happened. Nerves, doubts, you name it. Nadal broke back to love and managed to level the match at 4-4.

Nadal then broke Ferrer and was serving for set at 5-4. But Ferrer broke back and then held his serve. 6-5.

You couldn’t help but think that Ferrer could win the match. It was definitely there for taking and Nadal looked slightly hampered by wind, knee or just being a little off his game.

At 15-30 Ferrer is two points away from winning the match. He plays a great point and Nadal is in the middle of the court and Ferrer just has to forehand-slam the ball in the corner.

But he hesitates and somehow decides to go where Nadal is standing. And by some kind of miracle called resilience, talent and an unquenchable desire to win, Nadal scoops the ball up over Ferrer’s head and gets back in the point.

He manages to win the point, the game and the tie-break and after that Ferrer is broken.

Nadal won the final set 6-0.

You could say that one point changed the outcome of the match. And the players at the absolute top level, the legends of the game such as Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray, managed to win that particular point over and over again.

It’s because they always know they can get the win. They never stop believing in their chances, despite how dire the circumstances may be.

That’s what makes a true champion and that’s the stuff Nadal is made of.

 

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News

Wimbledon UPSET: Rosol beats Nadal!

by TN
written by TN

Exactly how it happens we will never know. It was just one of those days when almost every shot you hit feels so, so good and somehow manages to catch the line. World #100 Lukas Rosol had the day of his life and #2 Rafael Nadal had his worst Grand Slam performance in seven years, resulting in a 6-7 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4 win to Rosol.

What impressed me the most was Rosol’s consistent strategy and the way he closed out the match where most people wouldn’t have been able to put a serve in play. Instead Rosol smacked down ace after ace, winner after winner, and won the eight last points on serve in the fifth set! It was simply spellbinding to watch his play. He went for every shot and he made MANY of them.

Rosol must have realized his only chance to win was to go for broke, to hit as hard as he could and hope for the best. And it worked – Nadal was rattled early, never managing to get his rhythm through the onslaught of thundering groundstrokes and serves. Even Rosol’s volley game was amazing, moving in and closing off points effortlessly.

Nadal even complained about Rosol’s behavior at one point, the 11-time Grand Slam champ visibly frustrated about not being able to impose his normally so imposing game on his far less experienced opponent. In all fairness, the only thing Rosol did was move about a bit before receiving serve and it was more a show of how affected Nadal was by his play, than unsportsmanlike conduct.

For Nadal fans you just have to simply think back to Roland Garros with a smile and tip the hat towards Rosol and an amazing tennis performance. There weren’t a lot Nadal could do a night like this. For Rosol fans and family, enjoy this, savor it and hope the tennis magic will return for his next match.

Congratulations Lukas Rosol!

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NewsPredictions

Roland Garros: There can only be one winner

by TN
written by TN

We are soon at the quarter-final stage of Roland Garros and right now I can only see one winner, Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic looked awfully off his game last night against Seppi and was grumbling like back in the old days of being “only” #3 in the world. The conditions were tough and Seppi was really playing great tennis; not going for the lines but just being solid and consistent and remarkably clear-headed for a guy not in the top 20 (he will be after this though). Seppi impressed me a lot and I think he could even be a top ten player if he keeps on playing like this.1

Seppi impressed me and Djokovic did not. He needs to get his head together to even have a chance of beating Nadal (on fire) in a likely Sunday final.

Another guy who impressed yesterday was fresh-faced 21-year-old David Goffin who took a set and was two points away from another one against his idol Roger Federer. In the end he didn’t have the energy nor the game to keep Federer away from his 28th Grand Slam quarter-final or whatever the count is now, but surely great things must be in store for a guy with that much talent for reading the game.

On the other hand, Federer has looked rather nonchalant in all of his matches at Roland Garros. Shanking and mishitting loads of backhands and forehands and with concentration levels constantly up and down like AM radio waves . For the quarter-final he needs to lift that game considerably to beat Berdych or Del Potro who still have to finish their match from yesterday. Del Potro is up two sets to one, but these guys are so even anything can happen.

So with Federer and Djokovic on a slump it looks like a clear path for Nadal to take his 7th Roland Garros title. Both guys are good enough to raise their games enough to reach the final, but defeating Rafa in this kind of form doesn’t look very likely.

Let’s hope the final can be somewhat competitive though!

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ReviewsTennis Instruction

Tennis Books You Have to Read

by TN
written by TN

Here’s my list of tennis booksyou have to read. I love reading about tennis, but a lot of the writing is dry and uninteresting. Since I’ve read a lot of the stuff on the tennis book market, I hope I can give you some valuable recommendations on tennis books you might’ve missed out on. Just click on the link to get to Amazon where you can buy the book, read excerpts (for some) or read some more reviews.

The Inner Game Of Tennis is about becoming a better playing by focus on your mental skills and technique. Timothy Gallwey talks about fascinating concepts such as relaxed concentration and tells his own personal story of mastering the game of tennis and maximising his game.

Strokes of Genius is about the epic 2008 Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and it’s wonderfully written by tennis writer (Sports Illustrated) Jon L Wertheim. If you’re a fan of either player or a fan of tennis history in general – this is a must read. Beautiful book.

Open is André Agassi‘s pretty controversial book about his career that made him a legend in the sport. It’s beautifully written (ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer) and offers a very honest insight into Andre’s tumultous life and career. Best tennis biography ever?

A Champion’s Mind is Peter Sampras auto-biography and although it isn’t as entertaining as Agassi’s – you could argue that Sampras personality isn’t as flamboyant – it’s still an exciting read from one of the best players in history.

Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection is an apt title for a book about the Swiss maestro. It’s not very personal since it’s not written by Federer himself, but it does give you insight into his childhood and how he got to where he is today. Let’s see if he ever writes an autobiography though.

Winning Ugly is the former world #4 and now tennis coach Brad Gilbert‘s famous book about maximizing your chances of winning a tennis match without improving your technique. This book is really packed with practical advice and is worth reading several times.

Complete Conditioning for Tennis is for you who take your tennis really seriously and want to improve your physique to get more out of your game. I can really recommend this if your willing to put in a little bit extra to become a better player.

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