He’s young but learning fast. Looks impressive on all surfaces, more than any twenty year old I’ve seen. He needs to learn to deflect the pressure onto his opponent. So his talk of, “If you want to be the best you have you beat the best”, in Paris, was not sensible. Rafa at that age was deflecting all the pressure onto Roger, which is a policy Rafa maintained throughout his career. Don’t talk yourself up…
Whose he going to deflect pressure to, Novak??
I'm not sure what is the right psychological strategy to employ, but I agree with you that Carlos & Holger being young and brave and willing to take the tiger by the tail and not afraid to say so is impressive. I rather agree with you that a bit of bravado might be what's needed. Kissing up and conceding before the match even before it starts hasn't worked, so far.
How’d that work in Paris? I’m not saying he bows to anyone. I’m saying that in public he’d might have been wiser at the FO to take Rafa’s approach to big matches and talk down his chances. Rafa never bowed to anybody, despite his humility.
As I said, it’s not kissing up and conceding, though unfortunately we’ve seen plenty of players do that the last twenty years, too. I don’t believe that Carlos got cramps in the semi due to Novak pushing him around the court. We’ve seen Novak fanboys here suggest that, and it’s stupid. Nor was it simply because he was facing Novak. He let the whole occasion get to him, which is fine. He’s a kid. How many matches did we see Novak withdraw from when he was a kid, feigning injury - most comically in 2006 in the FO when he said he had Rafa just where he wanted him in the match. Rafa was leading 2-0 in sets when Novak ran away.
Yes Bro your assumption is correct..it was Carlitos nerves that got The best of him more than the person across the net running him around. He will learn how to pure the proper electrolyte, salt elements and supplements that works with his body chemistry..As I said, it’s not kissing up and conceding, though unfortunately we’ve seen plenty of players do that the last twenty years, too. I don’t believe that Carlos got cramps in the semi due to Novak pushing him around the court. We’ve seen Novak fanboys here suggest that, and it’s stupid. Nor was it simply because he was facing Novak. He let the whole occasion get to him, which is fine. He’s a kid. How many matches did we see Novak withdraw from when he was a kid, feigning injury - most comically in 2006 in the FO when he said he had Rafa just where he wanted him in the match. Rafa was leading 2-0 in sets when Novak ran away.
He did things like that a lot when he was young. I always feel that players are more shrewd when they keep themselves under the radar, talking down their chances and watching the other guy spout cliches about beating the best.
Now this might not be Carlos style, and I actually love his swagger too, he’s a breath of fresh air in that regard - but when he faces Novak I’d like to see him manage himself better in the build up and not let the occasion overwhelm him..
That’s the difference between Carlos and Francis. Carlos was playing his third five setter in a row, and he refused to lose. Francis might never have a better chance at a slam, though if he’d reached the final he might not have won. I don’t have either him or Ruud down as future champions. So they might both have lost!
I disagree. Tiafoe's game reminds me a lot of Andy Murray, and nothing like Ruud. I knew Tiafoe was special when he played Federer at the 2017 US Open. (Fed had won the AO and Wimbledon earlier that year). Like early Murray, Tiafoe has shown gradual improvement every year in his career. Tiafoe will be a threat to win at Wimbledon and the US Open for years to come. I feel like Tiafoe can win multiple slams like Murray. I never really felt that way about Ruud, Tsitsipas, Zverev, etc. They could still luck their way to one like Dominic Thiem, though.
I don’t think Tiafoe’s mind reminds me of Andy Murray. Murray was a different level in that regard. He was much more successful at the age Francis is now, and during a peak time for the big 3. Tiafoe isn’t in the greenhorn category anymore.
Really, these youngsters
he does have a good game for grass, but saying he is one of the favorites for Wimbledon this year, is far fetched, quite frankly,