Supplement your enjoyment of the French Open with live comments from Deconstructing Tennis author, Bob Schewior.
Instructions: One match will be featured each day of the competition. Refresh your screen on the changeovers. Use any browser except Microsoft Edge.
Being an excellent observer is a part of having a complete mental game. Schewior will point out exactly WHAT to pay attention to and WHEN in his real time commentary.
Learning how to "see" what is happening not only makes a match more fun to watch, but it will also make you a better competitor.
Each post will conclude with a "lesson" which we can all learn from.
Serena
Let's talk for a bit about Serena's readiness for a Grand Slam.
In the HBO special, Being Serena, her coach, Patrick Maouratoglou, admonished her for not being ready to play at Indian Wells and Miami. He could be heard muttering that her performance in Miami was a "disaster." Video clips of her practices showed her to be moving poorly. M demanded that Serena accommodate family life to tennis and not tennis to family life.
She responded by saying that she didn't know what that meant.
Interestingly, M seemed to regard preparation as mostly a change in attitude by noting that Serena has the ability to bend the world into the shape she wants rather than just being a participant. In a very basic way, I agree. Without direct access to one's desire any tennis player will come up short against other highly-motivated competitors.
On the other hand, the videos of Serena's practice sessions showed a results-oriented approach which often led to racquet-smashing bouts of frustration. M did nothing to address the flaws in the video.
So, for me, today's match is a test of results vs. process in tennis. To be clear where I stand: results are driven by process.
Let's see what happens!
0-0:
Both players tight. S movement looks a bit suspect.
0-1: Great serving!
1-1: S targeting P's fh return. Short points is right!
1-2: P MUST hit into open court - make S move! More good serving.
2-2: Not much to say here. Neither player can defend and both have excellent serves. Dare I say TIEBREAK? If S wins this match it will be her last win at this event.
2-3: More of the same.
3-3: P plays one good point where she runs S side to side to 4 balls and then plays right back to her - Wrong tactic.
3-4: S can't move on the returns!
4-4: On game point, P makes same error -just keep moving her!
4-5: Play S's fh!
5-5: Easy hold.
5-6: P has weak g-strokes.
6-6: Can you say tiebreak? What a poor risk level from P at 3-1 up! Truly poor from P!
I'm signing off for today - this tennis is hard to watch!
Lesson: This is what I call rubber-band theory. All players will ultimately break if they are forced to move enough. In this match, it didn't take much for P to break S down. However, in numerous rallies P elected to hit begind S allowing her back into the point. Poor shot selection form P!
