[Colin Chambers] Australian Open Final Review: Wawrinka v Nadal

[britbox]

Colin Chambers Latest Blog:

http://www.tennisfrontier.com/blogs/colin-chambers/australian-open-final-review-wawrinka-v-nadal/

 

[tented]

I'm so jealous you got to see their 7-6, 7-6 World Tour Final match in person! It was thrilling on TV, so I can only imagine what it was like to have been there.

As Herios has pointed out, Stan was making steady progress last year after hooking up with Magnus Norman, and the WTF match was a sign of how much closer Wawrinka was getting to beating Rafa on a hard court.

I also appreciate your take on Rafa continuing the match, the medical timeout factor, and the role fans play:

"The fans have played their part, paying their money and making their own sacrifices to be there. They have a right to see the match they paid for."

Well said.

 

[Moxie]

Thanks for that post, Colin. You make a great point that tennis players are also the CEO's of their own brand.

"I learnt a lot more about Rafa from this match and I liked it. I still don’t know what is best when a player is injured, but I am learning that the show must go on. Rafa didn’t steal the limelight and showed deep respect throughout, by treating others as he would like to be treated. He was professional."

Dignity is part of it, but they are entertainers, as well, and they do owe a good show.

Thanks also for pointing out, because you saw it in London, how Stan was developing the chops to win a Major.

 

[Riotbeard]

Great post Colin!

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Very nice read. I have one minor disagreement though with this paragraph:

"Rafa particularly likes to get the ball high to an opponent through his spin. That troubles most people but not Stan. That is just where he wants it. Put it high to his backhand and he couldn’t thank you enough. You’ve served him his favourite opportunity on a platter."

I am not sure how much Stan LIKES the high top spin to his backhand...He can HANDLE it better than anyone with a one hander because of his amazing upper body strength, but I am pretty sure he would be more thrilled to see those balls around waist high, where it is much easier to re-direct DTL or just hit cross-court with power. In fact, no matter how strong you are, I cannot imagine any single hander thanking Rafa for a high top spin to the backhand side. Because going over that ball with one hand has got to be the most challenging shot in tennis.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Stan doesn't like Rafa's spin. His backhand handles it slightly better than other one-handers, but he still gets run ragged around the court and pushed miles behind the baseline in most their matches. Wawrinka certainly does NOT like a high bouncing ball. He doesn't take the ball particularly early, and prefers something at waist length (give or take), which is right in his comfort zone. There's a reason the H2H was as bad as it was before the AO. One match is not suddenly going to change everything.

 

[Fiero425]

Stan doesn't like Rafa's spin. His backhand handles it slightly better than other one-handers, but he still gets run ragged around the court and pushed miles behind the baseline in most their matches. Wawrinka certainly does NOT like a high bouncing ball. He doesn't take the ball particularly early, and prefers something at waist length (give or take), which is right in his comfort zone. There's a reason the H2H was as bad as it was before the AO. One match is not suddenly going to change everything.

Who does? Obviously the best at handling it is Nole, but he didn't get there! That's what happens when you have a really long winning streak; more pressure to keep it up! This was a great result; new blood in the winner's circle! The only thing that bothered me was the muted celebration! If the roles had been reversed, Nadal would have been falling out on the court, pumping his arms, jumping up and down, and gesticulating all over the place! It kills me when someone's supposed to respect him by keeping it all bottled up! We all know better about Rafa who wouldn't be as sympathetic! :huh: :nono :angel:

 

[Haelfix]

Very nice read. I have one minor disagreement though with this paragraph:

"Rafa particularly likes to get the ball high to an opponent through his spin. That troubles most people but not Stan. That is just where he wants it. Put it high to his backhand and he couldn’t thank you enough. You’ve served him his favourite opportunity on a platter."

I am not sure how much Stan LIKES the high top spin to his backhand...He can HANDLE it better than anyone with a one hander because of his amazing upper body strength, but I am pretty sure he would be more thrilled to see those balls around waist high, where it is much easier to re-direct DTL or just hit cross-court with power. In fact, no matter how strong you are, I cannot imagine any single hander thanking Rafa for a high top spin to the backhand side. Because going over that ball with one hand has got to be the most challenging shot in tennis.

Not really. I keep harping this point, but its significantly harder to hit a 2hander above your shoulders. Its only between your shoulders and your hip where the 2hander has a strike zone that is more favorable than a onehander.

Stan on the contrary likes receiving balls quite far back behind the baseline, which would normally work against a high bouncing ball like Rafa and indeed can even potentially neutralize it. However, b/c of problems with the rest of the matchup, playing too far back is bad for Stan here. Rafa is so accurate that he can step into the court and loop a short angled inside out forehand into Stans forehand, which literally forces him right off the court and gives him a potential putaway winner on the next ball.

An example of a 1hander that liked receiving high balls was Kuerten. He would have had no problem trading backhand to forehand with Rafa, and b/c of his significant movement advantage over Stan, that type of play wouldn't be exposed b/c he could in principle track down a change of direction. Almagro has some success here as well.

What Stan did in the AO, that I haven't seen a 1handed bh do yet in recent years (at least since they stopped playing with dead balls), was to step into the court (something he usually doesnt like to do) and was able to limit the UEs that normally ensues.

Incidentally another 1hander that had some success against Rafa with taking the ball early was Youzhny.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

^Haelfix, I will never agree with your post for multiple reasons but one thing you might be misunderstanding is that I am not talking at all about taking the ball early like Youzhny, or stepping back to have a better strike zone. I am ONLY talking about going OVER the ball with a one hander, not slicing it, when it is shoulder height or higher, like the balls Rafa sends you. From personal experience and watching tennis all these years, no one can convince me any single hander in the world has an easy time dealing with that specific ball. Again, I am not talking about stepping in, or pulling back to make it more hittable. I am talking when you cannot do any of those.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Also , your comment about hitting a double hander being harder over the shoulder, I %100 disagree with. The left hand can come over the ball for much better and easier control with a double hander. A single hander, if he is not going to hit a slice, has only the arm and the upper body strength to help him since it is almost impossible to get your full body behind that shot.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

The TV commentators announced that in AO the bounce of Rafa's topspin shots were
about 15 to 20 inches shorter than normal due to the courts. This might have helped
Stan. But, I do agree with Murat's comments that it is wrong to say that Stan likes
the balls bouncing higher.

I don't think ANYONE likes it.

 

[Haelfix]

Also , your comment about hitting a double hander being harder over the shoulder, I %100 disagree with. The left hand can come over the ball for much better and easier control with a double hander. A single hander, if he is not going to hit a slice, has only the arm and the upper body strength to help him since it is almost impossible to get your full body behind that shot.

You don't hit a high ball with much of your body behind it for either a one hander or a two hander. For balls that high you are badly jammed with a 2hander (I play with a 2hander and we are instructed to never hit that type of shot.. better to move back or to move forward) and I don't know a single pro that ever willingly plays that shot (sometimes they'll actually jump to get a better strike zone). For a onehander, its not hard to loop high balls back, b/c you can afford to take a large backswing and to roll the wrist. You get a lot of topspin but very little linear momentum, but that's decent enough, especially on clay. Indeed at the 4.0 level its not uncommon to see onehanders moonball on clay all day long.

What's much easier with a 2hander, is to take the ball early. Where the shorter backswing and more strength allow for minute adjustments.. Ditto with the return. Indeed when you watch Murray, Djokovic and Davydenko play Rafa they aren't hitting his shots over the shoulder, but almost uniquely taking the ball well in their strike zones by cutting of the angles. You actually see Djokovic start to struggle when he starts taking the ball too high (like at RG2013)

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

^We'll agree to disagree because again, I disagree. You CAN get your body behind a high double hander. Both your hands are on the racket, you have more control. I understand your instructions not to hit the shot when possible, but my position from the start has been when you HAVE to hit the shot. I have said constantly that I am not talking about taking it early, cutting angles...nothing like that. If you have to hit the shot, which both a single hander and a double hander would be better off trying to avoid if they can, the double hander has the advantage.

If you use the most common grip for a double handed backhand, left hand eastern and right hand continental, you are essentially hitting a lefty forehand. Also, since timing is essential, you have the luxury of making contact a bit later as well, we are talking at least 15 inches, as opposed to a single hander, who has to make contact in front of his body to make something of the shot. That compact backswing, combined with the stability of two hands on the racket, makes it easier to deal with the higher balls.

Hey, double hander has bunch of disadvantages if you ask me, and I have played a single hander all my life, but dealing with a high bouncing ball is not one of them. Again, we are not talking about falling back to hit the shot in your wheelhouse, or moving forward to cut the angle and take the ball early. You are stuck, and you will hit a high backhand that is meaningful. Not talking moonballs, not talking a lame top spin with no power. Even if you have to resort to the windshield viper shot, the double hander has the advantage of extra stability that comes with the second hand.

Either way, keep playing brother, it is all fun