Originally Posted by tennisman:
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They always run the risk that extended focus on what is only a relative weakness (in that it is marginally less good than an even better strength - the forehand) may well get that stroke into the groove and cause them even more problems.
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They always run the risk that extended focus on what is only a relative weakness (in that it is marginally less good than an even better strength - the forehand) may well get that stroke into the groove and cause them even more problems.
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I noticed Djokovitch never allowed Nadal to get comfortable. When Nadal returned all balls to his backhand Djokovitch would suddenly play to Nadal's forehand which by now had gone rusty from disuse. If Nadal did return a canonball Djakovitch wisely did not give Nadal a second helping with the forehand.
When Nadal spotted that Djokovitch was getting into a rhythm and onto autopilot, Nadal would suddenly slice a ball with half-strength. But Djokovitch was always alert to the ruse and hit his own return with extra strenght to get it over the net.
Long-limbed Djokovitch is 12 pounds lighter then Nadal, and when both ran around all day it was Nadal who tired first. For me Djokovitch won on brains as well as brawn. I have not seen all top tennis showdowns, and I have never seen even Federer attack Nadal weakness and dodge Nadal strength as persistently and confidently as Djokovitch did last month.
I must have seen all this through rose-tinted lenses, as I won money on Djokovitch all afternoon trading on Betfair in-running.
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