Week 16 - Challenger ($100,000) - Sarasota, FL, USA (clay)

paulisi · Tennis legend

RE: Week 16 - Challenger ($100,000) - Sarasota, FL, USA (clay)

korriban · Challenger level

Yep. broken to love. Broken 3 times in a row from *4-1.

I cannot believe this has happened. Zverev had no serve, no power, no offense, nothing today.

RJA · Hall of fame

Oh dear, what a terrible way to lose a match. He now needs to make the QFs next week in Savannah, where he will probably have to qualify*, or will drop out of the top 250.

*Currently 4th alt with 2 SEs to clear.

steven · Tennis legend

*speechless*

Count Zero · Tennis legend

such a shame, was looking like it was going to be a great win, wardy is normally good with stamina, but maybe the heat and humidity got to him?

steven · Tennis legend

It's hard to work out what happened - you'd have thought this would have been far easier to close out than the DC match against Tursunov and the way he came back after the 1st set here suggests he was more than into it mentally, but then it all seemed to slip away without really looking like he was losing control of the match until right at the end. That last service game was ... well ...

Tennis36 · Masters Series Champion

korriban wrote:
Yep. broken to love. Broken 3 times in a row from *4-1.
I cannot believe this has happened. Zverev had no serve, no power, no offense, nothing today.

but the ability he did have was to simply not miss, james couldnt get past him in the first set, and when james started to play better zverev didnt have much of an awnser. Zverev's eyes lit up after the first break was clawed back, then well james fell apart

korriban · Challenger level

I'm not denying rock solid consistency and patience is a skill. Caroline Wozniacki has built her entire career on the back of it. But she has reached her limits, and her athleticism and defensive skills are in a different league to those seen today - forcing opponents to try one more attacking shot every time.

Zverev probably "was" an athlete, but he clearly was carrying a few extra pounds, and what I found extraordinary is that James was breaking down on both simple rally balls, and also on the first attacking shot.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

steven wrote:
*speechless*

Likewise! bleh He'd just broken Zverev in the opening game of the decider when I logged off at work. I came home expecting to find that he'd won it... disbelief

indiana · Tennis legend

So it ended up with the 1st game to James, the next 7 to Zverev, 10 of the next 12 to James, and the final 5 to Zverev !

Sounded very possible that most of the match could have followed that middle 12 scenario with more consistency from James.

korriban · Challenger level

It was a surreal watch! Much of the match played in slow motion, even Zverev's serve. James had to generate all the pace himself, and was probably playing 3 or 4 FHs for every backhand, but at no point did Zverev attempt to attack or be in any way aggressive. The occasional S&V as a change-up, but James rarely had to move much as the balls were bunted back to him with massive net clearance and never too close to the lines.

In set 1 and the end of set 3, James mostly broke down on the FH without even pressing. When he did press, James should have been rewarded every time, because Zverev clearly is no athlete - the first or second aggressive shot would have sufficed - but these were invariably missing the mark too.

When James started playing with more consistency in set 2 it was a no contest immediately. Zverev had no plan B, no ambition and no answers - and he deservedly should have been thrashed from there on.

The big question for me is what happened to James from *4-1 final set having raised his game. I just cannot make head of tail of it.........perhaps he was physically spent post DC (but he'd had time to recover and hadn't played for 2 days), but as I mentioned there wasn't a lot of running necessary (compared to other opponents). I don;t think Mr Z raised his game whatsoever - not sure he's capable of it anymore - the Donskoy match was completely different. This was a Devon Lock situation. Absolutely stumped!

steven · Tennis legend

Yes, that looks from the bits I saw like a very accurate description of the match and I'm just as mystified.

Spectator · All-time great

No reason, perhaps. But I'd be reluctant to say no excuse. Neither Mr Ward nor any other player has to make excuses to us. Sorry, don't mean to sound snarky - nor am I picking on a particular person. I just really get concerned on the various occasions when any of us talks as if the players owed us something.

Anyway, thanks Korriban for your earlier post describing the match, which helped to get a sense of what was happening. Sorry that this tournament didn't work out for Mr Ward. Hope next week is better.

-- Edited by Spectator on Friday 19th of April 2013 12:29:25 PM

korriban · Challenger level

None of my sentiments have anything to do with Wardy or any other British player ever owing anything to me, this Board, or anyone else for that matter.

An "excuse" for me is simply a plausible explanation, or some rational mitigating circumstances, and doesn't have to be given to a specific third party.

I do think James will be furious with himself for that third set meltdown however.

-- Edited by korriban on Friday 19th of April 2013 12:40:57 PM

korriban · Challenger level

Just saw something interesting via twitter. When James beat Zverev at AO qualifying earlier this year, when he went a break up in the final set, guess what happened next.....................

That's right, Zverev took a Medical Time Out. That's a small sample of 2 matches, but in both the German took a MTO in precisely the same match situation, break down final set.......his opponent's momentum stopped in it's tracks, and forcing the opponent to think about holding onto serve more than probably required.

Clearly this problem appears to be more openly abused in the womens' game, the recent Azarenka incident against Stephens was blatant cheating, but surely MTO abuse is a bigger issue to tackle for the sport than time violations.

Just about to google Zverev and MTO asnd see what I find!!!!