What about Delpo?

[Murat Baslamisli]

I am just curious as to what everyone thinks about his season and his future.

First, I really like the guy. He is a good competitor, a fair guy. I think his main issue is his fitness...I feel like every time he plays a match against a top guy that goes the distance, he will be the one to tire out...Maybe it is the size...He is the slowest mover in between points and I am sure he is doing it to save as much energy as he can, but can he significantly improve his fitness level? He is still 25 so he is fairly young.

As far as his game is concerned, I don't think he has to worry about the forehand. On the other hand, the DTL backhand has to improve. He is not good at changing the direction of the play on that shot. Today, he did hit a couple good ones, but a good %85 of his backhands are cross-court, safe backhands. I think his serve is good when it is on, but adding a slider that would go out wide on the deuce court would help him open up the court to unleash that forehand. He seems to go flat down the T most of the time there.

Net game can improve and it should. He is hitting amazing shots but he is not following them to the net, knowing full well he will get a weak reply. I think if he can go to the net more, he will save himself more energy.

I don't think he is mentally weak, but being physically weak towards the business end of a match can play a lot of tricks on your mind, so they are kinda connected.

Overall, I think he will have a good 2014, win his fair share, but with his current fitness level, I will not be putting my money on him against the Novaks and Rafas of this world at the business end of a slam.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I agree with most of what you say. There was huge element of bad luck for
Del Potro. As all of us know he won USO in 2009 and finished the year ranked
no. 5. Moreover, he won USO defeating Rafa in SF and Fed in F, thus culminating
Fed's USO streak. He was like 21 at that time. It looked as though a new talent
has arrived that would shake up the tennis world.

Unfortunately, he had to go through wrist surgery and almost did not play
in 2010 at all (just 3 small tournaments after surgery in late 2010 and he did
not do much there either). He went out of top 100. In 2011, he worked his
way back into top 100. In 2012, he worked his way back into top 10, but
did not qualify for WTF. Finally, now he has got back to his #5 ranking,
the exact same ranking as he had at the end of 2009.

So, essentially he has made up lost ground and gotten back to square 1
and it took him four years. IMHO, next year is very crucial for him. If he does
not move up further than his current stature (win a MS and/or win/show in GS
and/or possibly move up a spot in rankings), I would conclude that he has
reached the limit of his potential would not do any better in future, as he does
not have a valid excuse anymore.

Having said that, I do not expect that to happen. I think he will do at least
one of the three items I mentioned in parenthesis above. I also think mental
weakness is not his problem, but physical weakness. He almost acts like a
zombie in between points. Come on, one should not be that bad if you are
a professional sportsman.

I would recommend him to commit some drug offense to improve his
fitness; anyway you don't get caught easily and you don't get punished
severely if caught.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

I agree with most of what you say. There was huge element of bad luck for
Del Potro. As all of us know he won USO in 2009 and finished the year ranked
no. 5. Moreover, he won USO defeating Rafa in SF and Fed in F, thus culminating
Fed's USO streak. He was like 21 at that time. It looked as though a new talent
has arrived that would shake up the tennis world.

Unfortunately, he had to go through wrist surgery and almost did not play
in 2010 at all (just 3 small tournaments after surgery in late 2010 and he did
not do much there either). He went out of top 100. In 2011, he worked his
way back into top 100. In 2012, he worked his way back into top 10, but
did not qualify for WTF. Finally, now he has got back to his #5 ranking,
the exact same ranking as he had at the end of 2009.

So, essentially he has made up lost ground and gotten back to square 1
and it took him four years. IMHO, next year is very crucial for him. If he does
not move up further than his current stature (win a MS and/or win/show in GS
and/or possibly move up a spot in rankings), I would conclude that he has
reached the limit of his potential would not do any better in future, as he does
not have a valid excuse anymore.

Having said that, I do not expect that to happen. I think he will do at least
one of the three items I mentioned in parenthesis above. I also think mental
weakness is not his problem, but physical weakness. He almost acts like a
zombie in between points. Come on, one should not be that bad if you are
a professional sportsman.

I would recommend him to commit some drug offense to improve his
fitness; anyway you don't get caught easily and you don't get punished
severely if caught.

Del potro did qualify for the 2012 WTF :huh: He reached the SF, and Won Olympic bronze.

HIS rank fell to 485 after AO 2011, by end of 2011 he was no11 rank, (comeback of the year award), end of 2012 he was no7 rank.

he has had some other injuries not just the wrist surgery that hav not helped, I really think by the summer of 2012 he has been at a good level, to win stuff like before, he has won 4 atp500 tourneys this year and been in 2 masters1000 finals,

i'm sure with small improvements in fitness, and continue to improve net skills he will be winning majors and be in the running for woeld no1 rank in the next few years.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

You are right. He did qualify in 2012. I got mixed up with years. In 2011, he was so
close to qualifying, but did not make it.

Anyway, the point is that he lost about 3 or 4 years of his prime time due to
physical issues (somewhat like Tommy Haas).

But, I would be willing to write him off (as someone who will never achieve the
next level) if he does not step up in 2014. Having said that, I think he will make
some noise in 2014.

 

[calitennis127]

1972Murat makes an important point about Delpo moving slow between points.

This doesn't just reflect on his fitness level, but also a major mentality difference between he and the Big 4. They approach matches swiftly, as a matter of business to be handled tidily.

Delpo has terrific talent, but his mopey and slothful attitude inhibits his ability, on a very fundamental level, to actually play the game.

This mopey/slothful/dragging mentality is his main problem, plain and simple, more than any facet of his tennis.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Del Potro is an odd case for me. First of all, he's a Grand Slam winner, so he is put on a pedestal different to that of say, Berdych or Tsonga. If we just look at him as a good top 10 player like those guys, then there's nothing wrong with him. He's relatively consistent, can trouble the very best in the world on his day, produce unplayable tennis at times, and falter at others.

However, because of his GS win, we hold him to higher standards, and that's when it appears that he's just not THAT consistent after all. The problem for me, is that there are times where his game looks quite pedestrian for a man with such huge weapons. I agree about his backhand not being what it was in 2009, and that's the main difference IMO. During that great stretch four years ago, you really had no side to attack. Nowadays, things are a bit different. His backhand is by no means a poor shot, but while his CC backhand is solid, his inability to change directions hurts him.

His forehand, when on, is up there as one of the absolute best in the game. I'd say he possesses the best running forehand on tour. However, his rally forehand has become a touch inconsistent. When he's hitting it well, it's overwhelming.

Anyway, the most polarizing aspect of Del Potro is that I still struggle to tell just how good he is. I know how good he's CAPABLE of being, but I really don't know what his average level is. I'm also unsure about his favorite surfaces. I know the AO is not a slam he particularly enjoys, due to the heat and the medium pace of the court (it's not slow enough to where he can take huge cuts at the ball and it's not fast enough to where his groundies are unplayable). He hasn't been doing as well on clay as you'd expect, but he's shown some surprising improvements on grass, which in theory is his worst surface. More curious is the fact that he hasn't done well at the US Open since his win in 2009. So yeah, at this point, I'm not sure which tournaments I expect DP to do well in.

 

[El Dude]

I see Juan Martin as almost what Andy Murray was until the 2011 US Open: the "best of the rest." I mean, maybe that's unfair to David Ferrer, but while Ferrer is a very good player, part of his ranking is due to consistency and number of tournaments played. JMDP seems to have a wider range and is less consistent but, when on, he's better than Ferrer. We could say the same thing about Tsonga and Berdych, but del Potro's both a bit more consistent and his highest level is a bit higher.

I say "almost" because JMDP isn't quite as good as Andy was (and is). Where no one was sure whether to call Andy the "worst of the best" or the "best of the rest," del Potro is clearly the latter.

Now the good thing is that with Ferrer playing at a very high level, del Potro healthy, and Federer returned to a high form if not up there with the Big Three, we have a softer curve from the Big Three to everyone else. A year ago the drop-off from the Big Four to everyone else was steep; now it is a gentler curve, with Rafa and Novak above everyone else, a half-step down to Andy, and another half-step down to Federer, then del Potro and Ferrer, then Tsonga and Berdych, maybe Wawrinka. That gentler curve makes for more competitive tournaments.

Going into 2014, Rafa and Novak remain the favorites at Slams and Masters, with Andy expected to win one or two big tournaments (depending upon how well he comes back). But del Potro, along with Roger, are right there waiting for the Big Three to falter. I wouldn't be surprised to see Juan Martin win an ATP 1000.

As for his fitness, every time I watch him he looks tired - but somehow he hangs in there, game after game, set after set. I'm not saying that he doesn't have fitness issues, but that its hard to say from watching him as he looks tired and pained in the first game of the first set of any match. I think that's just his look.

The amazing thing to me about del Potro is that he moves as well as he does. He doesn't look like he moves particularly well, but its deceptive - plus he's got incredible reach.

Overall I think his ranking accurately reflects his level - he is, in my mind, the fifth best player in the game, just behind Federer and just ahead of Ferrer.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I think Murray was viewed as "worst of the best" rather than "best of the rest," which is a compliment actually.

 

[El Dude]

I agree, Broken - which I kind of implied, or at least said that there was debate.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

del potro is going into orbit in 2014 onwards..i can see it,

its going to happen (as the undertones said in 1981)

 

[Kieran]

Like I said yesterday, I don't trust del Potro any more. The guy needs to hurt more or get fired up or go through what Nole did at the end of 2010 and work hard on his fitness and refuse to settle for second best - he needs to do something to raise the intensity levels and force himself into the mix, but at the minute, I'm not seeing it...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Here is YE rankings of Del Potro

2009 ---- 5
2010 ---- 180
2011 ---- 11
2012 ---- 7
2013 ---- 5

He fell to a low of 485 in Feb 2011. Anyway, this is what I meant when
I said he has come a full circle now and gotten back to square one.

Now 2014 is make or break for him. He needs to win a MS and/or
reach a final in GS and/or get into top 4; preferably all three. If he does
not do any of the three in 2014, it would probably mean he has reached
the limit of his potential and would not go any further in career except
may be winning few more 250 and 500 titles.

 

[Moxie]

1972Murat makes an important point about Delpo moving slow between points.

This doesn't just reflect on his fitness level, but also a major mentality difference between he and the Big 4. They approach matches swiftly, as a matter of business to be handled tidily.

Delpo has terrific talent, but his mopey and slothful attitude inhibits his ability, on a very fundamental level, to actually play the game.

This mopey/slothful/dragging mentality is his main problem, plain and simple, more than any facet of his tennis.

OK, this is a little tongue-in-cheek, but I do agree that, of the intangible mysteries of Del Potro's inability to get back to his promise, the main one is, as you say, Cali, is the feeling of sloth, of lack of fitness, that he doesn't want it enough.

(You gotta admit that the hairy, slope-eyed fella kinda looks like him.) :snigger

 

[Moxie]

Del Potro is an odd case for me. First of all, he's a Grand Slam winner, so he is put on a pedestal different to that of say, Berdych or Tsonga. If we just look at him as a good top 10 player like those guys, then there's nothing wrong with him. He's relatively consistent, can trouble the very best in the world on his day, produce unplayable tennis at times, and falter at others.

However, because of his GS win, we hold him to higher standards, and that's when it appears that he's just not THAT consistent after all. The problem for me, is that there are times where his game looks quite pedestrian for a man with such huge weapons. I agree about his backhand not being what it was in 2009, and that's the main difference IMO. During that great stretch four years ago, you really had no side to attack. Nowadays, things are a bit different. His backhand is by no means a poor shot, but while his CC backhand is solid, his inability to change directions hurts him.

His forehand, when on, is up there as one of the absolute best in the game. I'd say he possesses the best running forehand on tour. However, his rally forehand has become a touch inconsistent. When he's hitting it well, it's overwhelming.

Anyway, the most polarizing aspect of Del Potro is that I still struggle to tell just how good he is. I know how good he's CAPABLE of being, but I really don't know what his average level is. I'm also unsure about his favorite surfaces. I know the AO is not a slam he particularly enjoys, due to the heat and the medium pace of the court (it's not slow enough to where he can take huge cuts at the ball and it's not fast enough to where his groundies are unplayable). He hasn't been doing as well on clay as you'd expect, but he's shown some surprising improvements on grass, which in theory is his worst surface. More curious is the fact that he hasn't done well at the US Open since his win in 2009. So yeah, at this point, I'm not sure which tournaments I expect DP to do well in.

To be more serious than my above post, I think you make great points, BS. I think his first problem is that he is fearful about his wrist, which he has spoken about, and you see that in the lack of sting in his forehand. He used to hit it freely with power and abandon, but does less often, now.

Fascinating point you make about where he will exert influence. Perhaps one thing he wants from a team is to focus on a surface, or a Slam, or some specific objective. At least point he seems just to be meandering through the calendar, threatening, but not closing. I also agree with those who say he has to make a stand in 2014.

 

[brokenshoelace]

To be more serious than my above post, I think you make great points, BS. I think his first problem is that he is fearful about his wrist, which he has spoken about, and you see that in the lack of sting in his forehand. He used to hit it freely with power and abandon, but does less often, now.

Fascinating point you make about where he will exert influence. Perhaps one thing he wants from a team is to focus on a surface, or a Slam, or some specific objective. At least point he seems just to be meandering through the calendar, threatening, but not closing. I also agree with those who say he has to make a stand in 2014.

Agreed about the wrist, and it certainly messed up his backhand. He's actually been forced to develop his backhand slice as a result, which in fairness, has become a respectable shot.

Before really making a stand next year, I think Del Potro needs to start by consistently putting himself to at least, reach the finals of a major. In other words, he needs to be a consistent semi finalist, and no longer suffer inexplicable losses.

 

[Riotbeard]

I think Delpo is close to being there and generally agree with GSM. I do think his biggest hurdle is fitness with that big frame.