Watching the top dogs live

[mrzz]

As I have two airports, 18.000 KM and 30 hours ahead of me before I get back home, let me open a thread, right in the middle of the French Open!

A little while ago I saw @Denis post that he had the chance to see Djokovic play "live", and remembered the first time I saw one of the big three play on site (it was Nadal in São Paulo). Afterwards I payed a lot of money (to my standards) to see Federer on an exo, and in both cases I recall vividly how it is different to see those guys in court, in comparison to the TV (or stream). I wrote a description of my Nadal match here, and reading it back now I guess in fact it gives a good idea of how different it is.

I have seen a few other players in action, but in case of Fedal (as I try hard to describe in the link above), the gap between the screen and real life is really on another level. I figure it must be the same with Djokovic. Of course, the fact that we outside USA and Europe don't get too many chances of seeing those guys helps, but we don't get many chances to see any of the ATP tour anyway. And, sure, there is something which is inherent to tennis itself, the space, the depth, the speed... but, again, I am pretty sure those three guys take it to another level.

So the idea of the thread is to discuss aspects you believe you only is able to grasp being there, the part that is lost on the transmission, which, in my opinion, is much more than mere details. In my case, it changed, for the better, the way see the game and the way I rate those guys amongst the other players.

 

[Denis]

One of the coolest things is that you are not stuck with the cameraman's choices. You can actually follow a player for an entire point, see the footwork for instance.

And yes being much closer and in 'real life' also makes it easier to grasp just at what kind of insane level these guys are playing.

Last thing the courts themselves: the RG courts look amazing, I really wanted to play some tennis on them myself!

 

[Federberg]

Good thread. I've been fortunate enough to have watched all of the top 4 live several times. They are all hugely impressive. You're right of course the speed of reaction in real life and the consistent pace which they hit the ball is a level above just about everyone else. I remember feeling the same way when I saw both Sampras and Lendl live as well. Funnily enough I didn't feel it quite as much watching Connors, Edberg, Mac or Becker. That's not to say they weren't amazing, but they all seemed less inhuman to me at the time.

Federer - he just seems impossible all around. His ability to get tough shots back with interest when he's playing defence is what really stood out to me. Of course there's also the fact that there's also the sense of absolute inevitability when he's able to set up for the shot. I'm not sure I've seen another player that is as able to produce a winner like he can. In a way I guess it's not so surprising that it's the more defensive rallies that stick out, because when he was in charge it was always over quickly

Rafa - I'm going to shock folks by saying that of the big 4, when I watched him live, he's the one who actually seems the most aggressive. Crazy right? But he's just so dominating in rallies, and he seems to be the one who is most in control of the rally of all the players I've seen. The way I would describe it is that with Rafa he just looks like he's running the show. With Roger you end up (as a fan) hoping he's able to get to a point in the rally where he's able to attack. With Roger when that happens, it's over, or at least it seemed that way.

Novak - he seemed to be the one who hit the most impossible shots and made them look ordinary. What I mean is that the clearance over the net was much less than with Fedal. And he seemed to hit the ball consistently harder and deeper. That's what stood out to me

Andy - he seemed the most ordinary in one way, and I don't mean that in an insulting way. The shots just looked more conventional. What was amazing about him was his consistency. Part of this is probably because for some reason the only times I've watched Andy play were at Wimbledon Centre court with the roof closed. So there just seemed to be something more rhythmic about his shot production. And of course the crowd was going mental. The match that particularly comes to mind was one he played against Baghdatis. That was the latest ever end to a match at Wimbledon. I think it was in 2012, the year he lost to Roger in the final

I've also watched other impressive players like Stan the man. He's pretty awesome to watch as well. And Serena as well, my god she hits the ball so much harder than any of the other women I've watched live. The worst was watching (I should probably say listening) Sharapova. I mean.. don't get me wrong, the woman is spectacularly gorgeous, but after about half an hour my ears were under more assault than my eyes were given pleasure

I will say this though, I don't think I've ever seen forehands hit as hard as Lendl to this day. You just sit there shaking your head wondering how on earth the shots were going in, and also to be honest, you wonder how his opponent was able to get the ball back in as well.

 

[Moxie]

Like Federberg, my "local" tournament is a Major, so I've gotten to see a few top players more than once. My complaint about Arthur Ashe stadium is that it's too big to get the real feel for a player's game. I've seen Roger, Rafa and Serena there a few times each.

As far as insights to seeing them live, I have a few:

Rafa: I saw him play an exho at Madison Square Garden v. JMDP. I'd heard the commies say that, if you ever get a chance to sit behind the baseline and really see what his ball does, do it. So I was seated behind the baseline at MSG. Rafa was in the far court. He hit a ball that seemed to be on a trajectory to go about 6 inches beyond the sideline. However, about a foot from the ground, it made a 45 degree turn and landed in. As if he had it on a remote. It is absolutely the weirdest thing I've ever seen on a tennis court, or probably in life at all. It seemed to defy physics. That was worth seeing in person. One of the things about massive spin that you can't see on tv.

Also, I did see him play once on Armstrong. (v. Youzhny...he lost.) But I get the "presence" that mrzz mentions. Christopher Clarey of the NYTimes wrote a piece the day after Rafa won RG in 2005 and declared that Spain had not just produced another French Open winner, but it had finally produced a superstar. I thought that was a bold prediction on Nadal at 19, but, seeing him in a close-court, I could see why he felt confident in that.

JMDP: I also saw him on Armstrong, v. Juan Monaco. Pre-surgeries. I'm don't think I've ever seen the ball hit harder and flatter. They were both hitting the cover off of the ball, but Juan Martin's ball looked like it was going through the net, not over it. And I was sitting really close.

Marat Safin: I saw him at the US Open on the practice courts, warming up. T-shirt, smiling, relaxed, etc. 45 minutes later he was on Ashe. Full kit, all of the necklaces, game face on. He was nearly unrecognizable as the person I'd just seen on the practice courts. This taught me something about how they put their game-face on. (He lost to Tommy Haas in a 5th set TB, btw.)

 

[isabelle]

Like Federberg, my "local" tournament is a Major, so I've gotten to see a few top players more than once. My complaint about Arthur Ashe stadium is that it's too big to get the real feel for a player's game. I've seen Roger, Rafa and Serena there a few times each.

As far as insights to seeing them live, I have a few:

Rafa: I saw him play an exho at Madison Square Garden v. JMDP. I'd heard the commies say that, if you ever get a chance to sit behind the baseline and really see what his ball does, do it. So I was seated behind the baseline at MSG. Rafa was in the far court. He hit a ball that seemed to be on a trajectory to go about 6 inches beyond the sideline. However, about a foot from the ground, it made a 45 degree turn and landed in. As if he had it on a remote. It is absolutely the weirdest thing I've ever seen on a tennis court, or probably in life at all. It seemed to defy physics. That was worth seeing in person. One of the things about massive spin that you can't see on tv.

Also, I did see him play once on Armstrong. (v. Youzhny...he lost.) But I get the "presence" that mrzz mentions. Christopher Clarey of the NYTimes wrote a piece the day after Rafa won RG in 2005 and declared that Spain had not just produced another French Open winner, but it had finally produced a superstar. I thought that was a bold prediction on Nadal at 19, but, seeing him in a close-court, I could see why he felt confident in that.

JMDP: I also saw him on Armstrong, v. Juan Monaco. Pre-surgeries. I'm don't think I've ever seen the ball hit harder and flatter. They were both hitting the cover off of the ball, but Juan Martin's ball looked like it was going through the net, not over it. And I was sitting really close.

Marat Safin: I saw him at the US Open on the practice courts, warming up. T-shirt, smiling, relaxed, etc. 45 minutes later he was on Ashe. Full kit, all of the necklaces, game face on. He was nearly unrecognizable as the person I'd just seen on the practice courts. This taught me something about how they put their game-face on. (He lost to Tommy Haas in a 5th set TB, btw.)

lucky you are, you saw Tsar Marat in person....I really enjoyed him

 

[Moxie]

lucky you are, you saw Tsar Marat in person....I really enjoyed him

Oh, boy, I know it! I also saw him once on Armstrong, which is smaller and so I was much closer. He's another one who hits the ball really hard. Easy on the eyes, too.

 

[Mastoor]

Well, I've never seen any Big 3 in person, but I've got impressed with even Monfils and Haas playing each other. That was considered the best match ever played in New Zealand. Highest ranked player I've watched playing is Daveed.

I think that lot of amazement comes from the perspective you get by watching them playing when you are leveled with the court. Then you can see angles, speed and rotations you didn't expect.

The best female players I watched in person were Venus and Ana Ivanovic and I don't remember being that much impressed with their games which looked exactly the same as you see them on tv. I remember being impressed with Muguruza's bottom and legs though I didn't even watch her game.

 

[Moxie]

David Ferrer or David Nalbandian?

 

[Mastoor]

David Ferrer or David Nalbandian?

I wish II had a chance to watch Nalbanidan in a stadium too. It was Ferrer.