Ladies Semi Finals and a Word on Robin...

Ok I realise Rafaelites (and most tennis fans in general it seems) won't like this, but we might soon be seeing the departure of the big swinging Swede, and I think it's time to tip my hat a little at the man responsible for giving us what's likely to remain the biggest story of this event.

Especially considering how disparaging I've been towards his forehand, a stroke which I'm unlikely to revise my opinion of. Ever.

Not that he or anyone else should care of course. It's unsightliness serves almost as a forewarning of the devastation it's capable of inflicting. Whoever said that brutality wouldn't be a necessary ingredient to bringing about the biggest upset in clay court history? And besides, it gives us a different take on 'Winning Ugly'.

"We should shoot pool or something..."

I have no idea how tomorrow's match versus Gonzalez will turn out, but if it is to be Robin's last appearance here, he can go out knowing he's pulled off what in my eyes is a greater achievement than the way Nadal unseated Federer at Wimbledon last year.

(There was always a sense that Nadal was inching ever closer towards doing that having made the final there for the previous two years, but Rafa at RG was about the safest bet in sport).

Nadal's always been vulnerable to flat hitters, but like many others, I thought he had exorcised that particular demon in the way he'd turned around his record against James Blake and MikailYouzhny.

I'm not sure what lies next for Robin. It's probably a safer bet to assume he won't follow up on this form in the immediate future. But I will say this: hitting the ball as flat and as accurately and aggressively as he does off both wings won't just cause Nadal problems.

There's probably less than a handful of players that can do that.

If you can do it for any extended period of time -- à la Safin v Federer Melbourne'05 -- it almost doesn't matter who's on the other side of the net. That just may be the other safest bet in tennis.

***

We did have some ladies semi finals action today.

Dinara came through in straights against Cibulkova in a match that deserved a third set given how intensely fought it was. I'm pretty sure I've never seen Dinara get more Marat on us. I counted two expletives ("Move your f****g feet!") amidst the usual gloriously toned episodes of Russian self berating.

It clearly matters to her.

But it didn't stop there. Dinara was in full flow today.

And Russian Drama preceded Deadpan Humour. And Irony. Look out for her 'That was a good shot', after a serve that went so horribly wrong, it hit her side of the court before ending up in the net.

I love having mics so close to players. Best media innovation ever.

I've always been a sucker for underdogs and Dominika, with the way she contests each and every point and the punch that she packs, makes the job of liking her all the more easier.

And the sight of all 5 foot 2 inches of her doing battle with the big girls, meant I was the closest I've been yet to backing one of Dinara's opponents.

She's surely one of the most consistent players on tour, but that usually indicates a distinct lack of aggression (think Jelena). No so here - if anything it looks like she's taking aim for the lines.

Yes, ultimately her lack of height does prove to be a problem where she's unable to direct anything she's forced to hit above her shoulders; but I actually think shorter players like her have a unique advantage against the taller women.

Cast your mind back to the match Ivanovic played against Jie Zheng at Wimbledon last year. For Ana, it was the onset of that great journey named 'all at sea' tennis players take once in a while. There's been reports of her vessel approaching the misty French harbours this week, but her return date remains uncertain.

Anyway, one of the things she said after the loss was how difficult she found it to reach those low bouncing balls that were practically skidding past her - the bounce no doubt made worse by the grass, but also largely down to the stature and technique of her opponent.

No need for a maths lecture here, but most short players compensate for their lack of height by hitting with bucket loads of topspin. Now consider the trajectory of a flat stroke and compare one struck by a taller player to that struck by a shorter player.

Because the taller player's shot will be begin it's journey from a slightly higher position, the corresponding bounce will also be higher. Yes, it's easier for them to execute a flatter stroke because of the height advantage, but their ball will also sit up a little more.

Conversely, a flat shot will be a lot harder to execute for a shorter player - they run the obvious risk of over shooting. But if they do manage to land the ball in, it will be that much more difficult to return as it will likely remain pretty low. That's what Ivanovic was up against rally after rally. Not surprised she emerged as flustered as she was.

It takes a pretty talented player to pull that off. But I think Jie Zheng and Dominika Cibulkova, ranked 19 and 15 in the world respectively, fit that bill perfectly.

The other semi involved Sveta and Sam Stosur - a woman that has made #1 in the world in the Doubles Rankings. I was looking forward to this one as it involved two very unique talents.

Two of the only female players capable of serving a kicker.

I feel about kicked serves the same way I do about single handed backhands. A uniquely effective but somewhat lost art, particularly on the womens tour.

I also loved the inspirational story of the big return from Lymes Disease, that sat rather well, I thought, alongside the first Aussie showing at a Grand Slam Semi in 21 years.

There was a lot resting on this one for me.

Unfortunately it failed to live up to it's billing.

Stosur was sadly missing in action, until late in the second set when a sudden surge from her secured the tie break. Sveta's form coughed and spluttered the way it usually does, periods of sheer brilliance punctuated with brain dead nonsense (Remind me again why I'm a fan? Something to do with effortless shotmaking).

Things picked up in the last set though, and featured rallies of the highest quality from both women. Rallies that convinced me that Stosur, despite it being an off day for her, is capable of pushing her ranking higher than her current position at #32.

She really does play her tennis a little differently. The serve is not the heaviest I've seen, but quite brilliant in it's placement and variation. And of course there's that kicker - not put to best use today it must be said. But what really stood out for me -- because I wasn't prepared for it like I was with the kicker -- was the forehand.

Eurosport had a great slow-mo camera profiling the best groundstrokes of both players and I couldn't help noticing how Federer-like her action is.

I'd love to see her playing at the peak of her powers - she said in an interview she was cutting back the doubles to focus on singles and 'making her mark' there. Maybe this Slam is the first of many that sees her do just that.

But I can't help feeling that with the way Sveta fudged and slurred her way through this match, and with the way Dinara mocked and caricatured her way through hers, it's Dinara that's demonstrating the greater determination.

Sveta has bags more talent but it seems to be Dinara's time.

Now That The Dust Has Settled...

Well it seems I needn't have worried...

La Monf's date with Mr Destiny wasn't nearly as competitive or as intensely fought as I expected. A surprisingly unextravagant well ordered affair.

Where were those primaeval screams, that fevered whipping up of the crowd, those rallies he plays like he's dodging bullets?

Yes order was restored to RG today, and after the multi-dimensional topsy-turviness we've had, I'm not ashamed of admitting I'm finding it a little tough to swallow - a bit like watching a daytime chatshow after the Director's Cut of Fight Club.

The only match that came close to firing me up was the Serena-Sveta quarter final, one in which Sveta -- after some of her usual jitteriness -- came through by doing what many of us loyal fans have been wanting to see for years: daring to use her natural shotmaking ability at the moments where it matters most.

So there it is. Mr Destiny still has a date with Destiny. Del Potro's through to his first semi. And The Unsightly Forehand takes on The Forehand.

No Serena Slam. No Masha Career Slam. Instead accompanying Marat's little sister, we have a gutsier version of Sveta. An Aussie doubles specialist that can kick her serve. And a feisty Slovakian that can clearly punch beyond her weight (and height).

So not that ordered after all...

Should You Return Like Nadal?

Watch Rafael Nadal as he returns serve, especially on clay.

What you'll see is that Nadal stands way back to return and then hits a high, looping, heavy topspin, return off both the forehand and backhand.

Nadal is basically saying that he is so confident in his ability to chase down a second shot, that he is choosing to give himself as much time as possible to rip a heavy return.

Many other players stand in tighter and return with an abbreviated stroke, using the pace of the serve.

On clay, I think it's definitely worthwhile to try Nadal's strategy aspecially if you have heavy groundstrokes which can do some damage if you take a full swing.

Nadal also returns very high over the net which dramatically increases his percentage of returns in play. Again, this makes him theoretically vulnerable to serve and volleyers, but considering that there are no good serve and volleyers on tour, it's seems to be a pretty fair bet.

We'll analyze further aspects of Nadal's game in the next few posts but, as you watch him play his matches, start to watch his shot selection and how he almost always goes for high percentage shots.

Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies How To Return Smart Like Rafael Nadal guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
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Those Savvy Defensive Players

Every once in a while, you come across an opponent whose winning record seems in sharp contradiction to the way he looks while playing.

Sometimes, these guys look slow, hit with no power, and yet they beat almost everybody except for the the top players.

I had the opportunity to play such a player this past weekend.

Now, this fellow comes with quite a tennis pedigree having been on touring junior teams for a South American country and having played the Orange Bowl tennis tournament.

The obvious way to play these type of players is to try and hit through them. But, this fellow's defense was superb. And, I'm not talking about Nadal type passing shots.

This fellow, let's call him Eduardo, has the ability to hit low, slow, slice balls down the line with extraordinary precision. This particular position on the court is a very difficulot position for most attacking players and especially for most club players who don't practice what to do with this ball.

The obvious response is back down the line but Eduardo knows this too and covers this shot.In hindsight, I think the shot to hit might be a short angled topspin crosscourt. However, this isn't a shot that most club players practice very often and isn't something that one might go to naturally in the heat of battle.

So, the lesson is to never to judge how good someone is until you've been on the court with them and see for yourself.

Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies How To Play Pushers And Win Big Matches guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
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What The Club Player Can Learn From Nadal And Murray

Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray are two of the best players in the world. They both play a primarily defensive game although Nadal can convert to offense in an instant which I think makes him so incredible.

But, as I watching the most recent match between the two (the final at Indian Wells),I was struck by the intelligence of the types of shots they were both playing as they played defense in points.

When in a little bit of trouble, perhaps pulled out wide, watch how Nadal and Murray often hit loopy, deep shots with less pace than their normal groundstrokes.

They don't panic at all. They hit these higher, slower shots because they want a little extra time to recover their court position. You might also see slice backhands especially from Nadal.

So, as you're playing your matches at your club, remember this principal. Next time, you're in a bad position in a point, try to hit the ball to a safe place using a little more height over the net and maybe with less pace.

But, always remember that after hitting your shot, bust your gut getting back into good position so that, in essence, you can restart the point.

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tips AND Coaching Advice guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
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Old School Forehand Versus Modern Forehand

If you're of a certain vintage, then you learned to play tennis with the classic linear forehand. You took the racket back early, played mostly neutral or closed stance, and followed through toward the target.

The modern forehand clearly looks different. It involves different grips and the use of more rotational force. The effect is far more spin, control, and angles.

There are really 2 issues to discuss here.

The first is the advantage of the modern forehand versus the classical for the club player. The second is how to hit the modern forehand and retrain yourself.

Let's start off with the first issue. As I see it, the classical forehand can be very effective at the club level if hit well. It is especially effective if your opponents are hitting a ball that doesn't bounce too high as the classic forehand is hit with a conservative grip ( eastern or continental).

However, if you're a bit of a old-timer and you're playing younger players who have grown up being taught the modern forehand, you may find that it becomes very difficult to handle the high bouncing balls produced by the modern forehand.

And, you may marvel at the ease of which the modern forehand players can destroy high balls.

So, the classical forehand may or may not be an advantage depending on whom you're playing.

The second issue is the technical differences between the two and how you can retrain yourself to hit the modern forehand.

The modern forehand is what is referred to as a multi-segment forehand as opposed to the single segment classical forehand. What this means is that in the classical forehand the entire arm from the shoulder down moves as a single block.

On the other hand, in the modern forehand, there is a movement of multiple segments including the shoulder. elbow, and wrist.

There's also far more rotation involved in the modern forehand.

Here are 2 resources to get you started in exploring the differences:

A short video illustrating the differences

A second video illustrating the differences

Until next time,


Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tactics For Playing All Different Types guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
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Volleying Tips From The Old School

Recently, I've had the pleasure of hitting with a 73 year old man at our club.

Not just any 73 year old man, mind you, but a former Davis Cupper and someone can regale you with stories about greats like Don Budge, Pancho Gonzalez, and the Aussies.

A fine gentleman as well.

But, let's get to the tennis part of things.

Obviously, he's from the old school with conservative grips and the traditional linear groundstrokes of that era. But, what an eye for correct technique on the volley and backhand approach shot.

All great volleyers contact the ball in front of them. Most club players contact the ball further back and then wonder why they don't get the stick and angle they desire.

The problem is that most club players may think they're contacting out in front but, in fact, actually aren't.

So, when I'm on the court with this senior with the wisdom of the ages, he continually reminds me to contact out front. When you start to get it, the ball has far more zip.

I noticed the difference in one of our weekly doubles matches. One of the foursome is a fine player with soft hands who can volley well but tends to catch the ball late and let it bounce off the racket instead of sticking it.

When, I got into exhanges at the net I was almost guaranteed to win since his volley had no stick and therefore gave me time to react, whereas my volleys had more zip and ultimately forced the error and won me the point.

So, even if you don't have an ex-pro drilling you on an in-front contact point, remind yourself and practice until you get the feel.

Until next time,


Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tactics For Beating The Next Guy guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
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