TENNIS – Stan Wawrinka definitely can win Wimbledon. Why not? Roger Federer’s former understudy appears to be the best player in the current men’s game. James Beck
Novak Djokovic still wins against almost everyone simply because he plays rope-a-dope better than anyone else. The “Flex Man” also probably moves better than almost anyone on the planet, and not just tennis players. But when Stan The Man is consistently hitting well-guided bombs with his serve and backhand, even Djokovic may not be in Wawrinka’s class. But this is grass? All the better for Wawrinka.
STAN CONSISTENTLY OVERPOWERS OPPONENTS
Wawrinka plays with a passion. He normally shows very little emotion. He just steps up to the line and consistently overpowers opponents. Someone with the weapons and awesome power of Marin Cilic might be able to take Wawrinka down on a perfect day such as last year’s U.S. Open triumphs. But Djokovic or Andy Murray would have to be at the top of their games to handle Wawrinka.
KYRGIOS MAY BE WAWRINKA’S BIGGEST OBSTACLE
Believe it or not, Nick Kyrgios may be Wawrinka’s biggest obstacle in the next few years as he chases a career Grand Slam. After all, Wawrinka is 30 years old, and a few years are about as long as anyone can expect Wawrinka to maintain his current level of play.
Kyrgios should be a factor in the men’s game for much of the next decade. As long as he maintains his carefree attitude in clutch situations.
But we all know that likely will change once the 20-year-old Australian becomes the Grand Slam champion he appears destined to become in the near future.
Wawrinka is a rare breed, probably because he waited so long to find his current level of success. He appears to be immune to pressure.
EVEN RAFA IS FEELING PRESSURE
Even Rafa Nadal is feeling pressure these days. At times, Rafa looks like the player who has won 14 Grand Slam titles. But the Spanish left-hand continues to flinch on the big point — the open-court forehand that sails long, the deft lob off a drop shot that somehow loses its way or the double doublefault that costs Nadal “on-serve.”
All of those happened in Nadal’s four-set loss to Dustin Brown’s school-yard approach to tennis. For the fourth straight year Nadal fell victim to the luck of the draw. Brown had just the right game to rock Nadal’s nerves and serves. But don’t blame Brown. Nadal did nothing to break Brown’s speed-centered rhythm. Instead, Nadal had no rhythem. He never changed tactics. Never made Brown think.
MAYBE MAC’S RIGHT: NADAL MIGHT NEED A REAL COACH
Perhaps, John McEnroe is right. It’s heartless and thankless, but maybe Rafa does need to find a real coach — a Boris Becker or a Stefan Edberg like. Someone who can really understand what’s happening on the court and what Nadal needs to do to avoid disaster.
And that starts with being aggressive. Nadal has to level out his strokes, go for more winners, and stop leaving serves and groundstrokes so shallow in the box.
The serve is a problem area. Too many second serves.
When Rafa was winning multiple Grand Slams in a year’s time, he could count on his serve in pressure situations. It was money in the bank.
THE BIG LOSSES TO TALL OPPONENTS
Maybe the loss to Dustin Brown was something of a fluke. But in hindsight the 2014 loss to Kyrgios may not be that big a deal, and even the 2012 loss to Lukas Rosol may be reasonable. Both Kyrgios and Rosol were, and still are, tremendously big hitters who like Brown had nothing to lose. All just blasted away with their huge serves, then stepped up inside the court to blast Nadal’s high-kicking groundstrokes for outright winners.
Those are the losses, along with the 2013 Wimbledon loss to Steve Darcis (who?), that have defined the last four years for Nadal. Never mind the fact that Nadal has won four Grand Slam titles in that time — the same number as Djokovic; and as many as Federer, Cilic and Murray combined in the last four years. Three of Nadal’s last four conquerors at Wimbledon also fit the same description as Nadal’s 2009 conqueror, Robin Soderling. Rosol, Kyrgios and Brown are all 6-4 or taller, just like Soderling.
