Year of the teenager?

[Moxie]

With all due respect to Coric, he is no Nadal. I saw Nadal at 17 and a half years old at the US Open and I had never seen anything like it since I saw Becker in 86 at 18. When I call up those memories it still boggles my mind.

As a Nadal fan, I'm curious to know what you identified in him, at that stage. What made him stand out for you, that young? (Also, do you remember who you saw him play? Was it a show court or one of the outer ones? That would have been amazing to see him on a smaller court.)

 

[Luxilon Borg]

With all due respect to Coric, he is no Nadal. I saw Nadal at 17 and a half years old at the US Open and I had never seen anything like it since I saw Becker in 86 at 18. When I call up those memories it still boggles my mind.

As a Nadal fan, I'm curious to know what you identified in him, at that stage. What made him stand out for you, that young? (Also, do you remember who you saw him play? Was it a show court or one of the outer ones? That would have been amazing to see him on a smaller court.)

I had seen Nadal the year before, and he was chubby cheeked, practicing with Moya. He looked nervous, jittery, and intimidated by the whole setting.

One year later, I saw him on a practice court with 3 other players. That was the MO at that time. You rotated in and out on an outer court if you were not a seed, who got to practice on the show courts and did not have to share. The is pre US OPEN expansion.

Any way, he had his shirt off, and I had NEVER seen a physique on a tennis player like that. I also had never seen anyone attack their ground strokes with that kind of single minded ferocity. I just remember saying to my self. "wholly s h i t". He was screaming on contact with every stroke like a banshee.

Contrast that to when I saw Federer at 18. He was a pimply, hairy legged dude with a pony tail who looked smooth, but I was not "blown away" so to speak. I saw him as Sampras lite. But when I saw him at 21, take apart Lars Brugmuller, 6-4. 6-4,6-4 I was stunned. He barely broke a sweat, and truth be told he could have won the match 1, 1, and 1 but did "just enough". A friend I was with said to me " I don't see what is special". I looked at him like he was from mars. I said " ARE YOU KIDDING?" This guy is gonna win slams. This was two years before his first one.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

coric beat jerzy janowizc in 5 sets in this springs davis cup ties don't forget.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

coric beat jerzy janowizc in 5 sets in this springs davis cup ties don't forget.

I totally discount davis cup results from unknowns, especially with ties at home. Jerzy boy is amon gthe most erratic players on the tour, and Coric had the benefit of familiar surroundings.

I like what I have seen so far, he has good template for top level game. Years away, but he certainly does just about everything well.

 

[Moxie]

coric beat jerzy janowizc in 5 sets in this springs davis cup ties don't forget.

I totally discount davis cup results from unknowns, especially with ties at home. Jerzy boy is amon gthe most erratic players on the tour, and Coric had the benefit of familiar surroundings.

I like what I have seen so far, he has good template for top level game. Years away, but he certainly does just about everything well.

You say "years away," which goes along with your notion that you don't have much faith in teens these days, but it seems some of these kids might step up before 22-25. I hope it's not as far away as you predict.

 

[secrettennisjunkie]

Minor note: Coric beat Janowicz in Warsaw

And not sure this guy is worth throwing in with the others but he had similar results over a short period of time. Karen Khachanov (RUS) won 3 top 100 matches over 2 weeks in St Pete and Moscow (reaching the quarters in Moscow) and is now 18.

But I just looked up his 2014 results and he is 9-16 playing mostly futures and some ATP qualifying. Still ranked 404.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Minor note: Coric beat Janowicz in Warsaw

And not sure this guy is worth throwing in with the others but he had similar results over a short period of time. Karen Khachanov (RUS) won 3 top 100 matches over 2 weeks in St Pete and Moscow (reaching the quarters in Moscow) and is now 18.

But I just looked up his 2014 results and he is 9-16 playing mostly futures and some ATP qualifying. Still ranked 404.

Thanks for that clarification on the tie. I am assuming it was on clay?

 

[Billie]

My bet is on Sascha Zverev. He impressed me the most, but it is still too early to tell. And I only saw two of his matches, so it is TBD.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

My bet is on Sascha Zverev. He impressed me the most, but it is still too early to tell. And I only saw two of his matches, so it is TBD.

I don't disagree. The fact he made several difficult comebacks during his run in Munich was also impressive.

 

[Billie]

My bet is on Sascha Zverev. He impressed me the most, but it is still too early to tell. And I only saw two of his matches, so it is TBD.

I don't disagree. The fact he made several difficult comebacks during his run in Munich was also impressive.

Yeah, he lost a set at love and came back to win that match, no small feat against an ATP professional.

There are so many things that go into winning on a more regular basis, let alone big titles: player's health, mental stability, champions mind, heart, being serious and professional and work ethic. All these checked, and we have a winner.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

My bet is on Sascha Zverev. He impressed me the most, but it is still too early to tell. And I only saw two of his matches, so it is TBD.

I don't disagree. The fact he made several difficult comebacks during his run in Munich was also impressive.

Yeah, he lost a set at love and came back to win that match, no small feat against an ATP professional.

There are so many things that go into winning on a more regular basis, let alone big titles: player's health, mental stability, champions mind, heart, being serious and professional and work ethic. All these checked, and we have a winner.

You nailed it. Really well said.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

coric beat jerzy janowizc in 5 sets in this springs davis cup ties don't forget.

I totally discount davis cup results from unknowns, especially with ties at home. Jerzy boy is amon gthe most erratic players on the tour, and Coric had the benefit of familiar surroundings.

I like what I have seen so far, he has good template for top level game. Years away, but he certainly does just about everything well.

you "totally discount" 5 set wins against a top 30 player :huh: ok then. you do that. seems like a balanced approach.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

coric beat jerzy janowizc in 5 sets in this springs davis cup ties don't forget.

I totally discount davis cup results from unknowns, especially with ties at home. Jerzy boy is amon gthe most erratic players on the tour, and Coric had the benefit of familiar surroundings.

I like what I have seen so far, he has good template for top level game. Years away, but he certainly does just about everything well.

you "totally discount" 5 set wins against a top 30 player :huh: ok then. you do that. seems like a balanced approach.

No I discount a 5 set win over a knuckle head like Jerzey boy.

 

[secrettennisjunkie]

Minor note: Coric beat Janowicz in Warsaw

And not sure this guy is worth throwing in with the others but he had similar results over a short period of time. Karen Khachanov (RUS) won 3 top 100 matches over 2 weeks in St Pete and Moscow (reaching the quarters in Moscow) and is now 18.

But I just looked up his 2014 results and he is 9-16 playing mostly futures and some ATP qualifying. Still ranked 404.

Thanks for that clarification on the tie. I am assuming it was on clay?

Nope, indoor hard.
http://www.daviscup.com/en/draws-results/tie/details.aspx?tieId=100021329

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Minor note: Coric beat Janowicz in Warsaw

And not sure this guy is worth throwing in with the others but he had similar results over a short period of time. Karen Khachanov (RUS) won 3 top 100 matches over 2 weeks in St Pete and Moscow (reaching the quarters in Moscow) and is now 18.

But I just looked up his 2014 results and he is 9-16 playing mostly futures and some ATP qualifying. Still ranked 404.

Thanks for that clarification on the tie. I am assuming it was on clay?

Nope, indoor hard.
http://www.daviscup.com/en/draws-results/tie/details.aspx?tieId=100021329

Thanks. I am interested to see how he does this summer on hard courts, if he makes any main draws.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Well, guys, it looks like my thread was quite timely.

ANOTHER teen playing the main draw. 16 year old Francis Tiafoe going on court to play E. Donskoy.

Youngest Orange Bowl winner in history.

 

[Moxie]

Thanks for reminding me! I really wanted to watch this match. Go Tiafoe!

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Thanks for reminding me! I really wanted to watch this match. Go Tiafoe!

Hmmm.. really impressions are that he has a technically unorthodox game. Explosive power but strange prep on the forehand and serve.

He prepares the racket face very oddly on the forehand.

I can't imagine how nervous he must be!

 

[Luxilon Borg]

FYI...he practiced with a fellow named Rafa Nadal at this years French. Wow.

 

[Moxie]

FYI...he practiced with a fellow named Rafa Nadal at this years French. Wow.

Yes, I posted the story in General Tennis:

Rafa hit with Francis Tiafoe at RG. Read the story here.

I'm taking this conversation to the CitiOpen thread. Find me there, LB.