TENNIS US OPEN – Most of the players in today’s game don’t have anything to fall back on when their groundstrokes aren’t producing positive results. They don’t have the luxury of an efficient alternative. They don’t have a proficient net game. By James Beck
US Open: All the interviews, results, draws and OoP
Most of the players in today’s game don’t have anything to fall back on when their groundstrokes aren’t producing positive results.
They don’t have the luxury of an efficient alternative. They don’t have a proficient net game.
Roger Federer is an aberration in today’s game. He has an excellent net game that most of the time these late days in his legendary career produce positive results.
But when a big hitter and server such as Marin Cilic is “on”, there is no answer, even for a player of Federer’s skills. Cilic simply hits the ball too big for Federer to get to the net. At least, that was the way things went in Saturday’s semifinals when Cilic posted a dominant straight-set victory over Federer.
Saturday Was An Anomaly
Federer does have the alternative of going to the net. Saturday was just an anomaly. The old Cilic would never have rolled past Federer with such ease.
Most players are stuck on the baseline. When confronted with another talented baseliner, their only alternative is to hit bigger and bigger . . . and to go for more lines. That’s a perfect recipe for sporadicity.
The situation can get bleaker and bleaker for a baseliner on those days. Balls fly off the court at an alarming rate.
And even worse, fans become disenchanted with the match and head for the refreshment stands — a more predictable alternative.
That’s the dilemma that the tennis hierarchy is currently facing in a day when some players are near giant-size and rackets may be too potent.
Tennis Wouldn’t Consider Reducing Court Size?
Reducing the court size slightly might help, giving volleyers less space to cover at the net. Or taking the lines out of play, taking that target away from the big hitters.
I know this is wild thinking. Tennis would never change the size of the courts. Right?
If more Stefan Edbergs or Pete Samprases don’t come along soon, the men’s game may be headed out of control.
Thankfully, Federer and Edberg have teamed up to keep the hope alive for a return to viable net solutions.
Don’t Forget Becker Is Djokovic’s Coach
If only coach Boris Becker, one of tennis’ most reckless net-rushers ever (right up there with Pat Rafter), can get through to Novak Djokovic. With his quickness and big serve, Djokovic would be a natural serve-and-volleyer in the second part of his career.
After Saturday’s drilling by Kei Nishikori, Novak might be more receptive to such thinking.
As a result of what happened Saturday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, it will be extremely interesting to see what happens when the players show up in Australia in January.
Will the game change? That’s almost a certainty with the new wave of Grand Slam champions — Stan Wawrinka and either Nishikori or Cilic.
Federer Beat-Down Sends Out Alarms
Federer is growing older, and even though he may be playing the best tennis of his career, the beat-down by Cilic is sure to send out some alarms for the game.
There shouldn’t be as much concern for Djokovic’s camp. The Serbian wonder may just have been a victim of the heat Saturday, even more so than being victimized by Nishikori’s quickness, serving game and harnessed power from the baseline.
And Rafa Nadal should be back in January at the site of where his back injury against Wawrinka may have changed the course of Grand Slam title history.
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James Beck is the long-time tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspaper. He can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com
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