Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain, 2023 - Masters 1000

[kskate2]

Fritz's game on clay has matured! He moves so much better..he is a dangerous player on any surface now . Good work by him and his team

I get that AP, but this thing w/ his head is not surface specific

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

BTW I hope ZZ sticks with that theatrical curtain call bow to the fans ' its awesome' lol!

 

[the AntiPusher]

I get that AP, but this thing w/ his head is not surface specific

I think when you look at a player with Fritz's game ..it's looking at a hard worker who isn't natural talented like the Big 3, Alcaraz, Stan , Murray or Sampras..I can't imagine there's any more levels to his game .. similar to Marty Fish but Fritz's game has more fire power than Marty's game.just my two cents worth

 

[Moxie]

I had Fritz to go deep. There goes my draw!

 

[tented]

 

[kskate2]

I think when you look at a player with Fritz's game ..it's looking at a hard worker who isn't natural talented like the Big 3, Alcaraz, Stan , Murray or Sampras..I can't imagine there's any more levels to his game .. similar to Marty Fish but Fritz's game has more fire power than Marty's game.just my two cents worth

You don't have to be the Big 3 to learn how to close. It's a huge issue among most of the top 20. You're right, Tay is a hard worker and contrary to some of his compatriots, he has all the physical tools to succeed: a better than average serve, incredible return game, ferocious groundies and a decent net game. His weakness is mental and has been from the beginning. I thought he had solved it when he was able to come through to the top 10 last year, but dumping these winnable matches is a setback he needs to address.

 

[the AntiPusher]

You don't have to be the Big 3 to learn how to close. It's a huge issue among most of the top 20. You're right, Tay is a hard worker and contrary to some of his compatriots, he has all the physical tools to succeed: a better than average serve, incredible return game, ferocious groundies and a decent net game. His weakness is mental and has been from the beginning. I thought he had solved it when he was able to come through to the top 10 last year, but dumping these winnable matches is a setback he needs to address.

Reread my post. Yeah he works hard just like everyone else put he doesn't have the natural talent to bail him out..he has reached his Apex and maximize his abilities

 

[kskate2]

Reread my post. Yeah he works hard just like everyone else put he doesn't have the natural talent to bail him out..he has reached his Apex and maximize his abilities

So you consider mental toughness as natural talent only?

 

[Moxie]

You don't have to be the Big 3 to learn how to close. It's a huge issue among most of the top 20. You're right, Tay is a hard worker and contrary to some of his compatriots, he has all the physical tools to succeed: a better than average serve, incredible return game, ferocious groundies and a decent net game. His weakness is mental and has been from the beginning. I thought he had solved it when he was able to come through to the top 10 last year, but dumping these winnable matches is a setback he needs to address.

You make a good case for Taylor's weaknesses being mainly mental, though I'm not as good a student of his game as you are, but I trust your judgement. I only saw some of this match today, on mute while working, so I don't know how good Zhang was, but I do know he goes from 99 to 66 with this win, and Taylor is #9, and lost in 2 x TB sets. Signs not good. In theory, a player ranked that much higher should have won at least one of those TBs.

I'm going to reiterate what I said earlier about the Coric v. D. Fokina match earlier: they both saw great opportunity in front of them, and fought like hell for it. Fritz had at least 2 worse opponents than Zhang in his portion of the draw. And Zhang had arguably the rougher road to get to Fritz. And yet, Fritz couldn't see his opportunity and take advantage of it today. Disappointing.

 

[tented]

 

[don_fabio]

But all of this Fritz talk aside. Zhang is straight ballin'. Did you see how he played those points in both TB's. He won because ultimately he was the aggressor. Played to win, came to the net, took control of the points and forced the play. Fritz was content to stay back and wait for errors that may or may not come. That's no way to play a TB.

I've just read that Ljubicic thinks he is a very talented player with a lot of potential that we are able to see some of it now. Zhang had some tough foot injury that sidelined him from the courts and competition. Zhang says his biggest weapon is a backhand.

 

[Moxie]

Alcaraz just hit the weirdest shot...BH volley at the net, towards Silent K, looked like it was going to be a slice, but he lobbed it over his head...from that close, and KK is a tall fella. At first I thought it had gotten away from him and it was going long, but it turned out he meant to do that, and it dropped a foot inside. Unbelievable.

 

[kskate2]

Alcaraz just hit the weirdest shot...BH volley at the net, towards Silent K, looked like it was going to be a slice, but he lobbed it over his head...from that close, and KK is a tall fella. At first I thought it had gotten away from him and it was going long, but it turned out he meant to do that, and it dropped a foot inside. Unbelievable.

That kind of feel cannot be taught. That's just pure natural and raw talent.

 

[the AntiPusher]

That kind of feel cannot be taught. That's just pure natural and raw talent.

Remember what I was saying about our American Player Taylor Fritz's game.. hard worker but not as you are saying about Carlos " That's just pure natural and raw talent"..Yes maam He has it..

On a whole different level.. Whenever I am playing my weekend warrior tennis in Chicago, SF or Atlanta , the usual suspects always get full of themselves thinking they have taken lessons or found someone to defeat me.. once the match gets going and I am sweating from head to wrists, I show these big mouths that the higher the competition the more the game slows down for me because the game of tennis just came natural to me as a pre teen. Its hard to explain but if you have the natural gift for the game it MAY ALWAYS propel you over the hard workers of the game who need luck as their best ally.

 

[Jelenafan]

There are hard working good players who are outmatched by the greater talents. No shame in that.

The issue with Fritz is he struggles when he is expected to win. The Zhang match is the perfect example. Again, he is hard working and the improvement on clay is there, so I could see him making the quarterfinals at Roland Garros if it all clicks.

 

[Moxie]

Carlitos breaks when KK serves for it. Just when you would have given up on that set.

Note: I didn't post this fast enough. Alcaraz just broke and will serve for the match. 20 minutes ago, the TC guys were wondering if CA would lose his first set 6-1 of the whole year. Now he's serving for it.

 

[Moxie]

First match point, and he took it. KK literally scratching his head as he approached the net for the handshake.

 

[the AntiPusher]

First match point, and he took it. KK literally scratching his head as he approached the net for the handshake.

Silent double K shouldnt be scratching his head.. there's nothing THERE.. He has been historical brainless ball basher. Just look at the next to last game, Carlitos during the rally raising his racket and arm over his head.. DUH.. There's only one shot he could hit . a dropper.. That Brainless Russian stayed glued to the baseline waiting for another faseball.. Brainless

 

[kskate2]

Silent double K shouldnt be scratching his head.. there's nothing THERE.. He has been historical brainless ball basher. Just look at the next to last game, Carlitos during the rally raising his racket and arm over his head.. DUH.. There's only one shot he could hit . a dropper.. That Brainless Russian stayed glued to the baseline waiting for another faseball.. Brainless

Umm, I take it no natural talent found in his DNA? Unless you include deflating balls at a rapid pace

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Thar was the last match Alcaraz played as a teenager, thank goodness he defeated the ball basher and saved tennis
It will be his 20th birthday on Friday when he plays his SF against Coric or Altmaier LL