Weeks 12-13 - ATP Masters 1000 - Miami, USA + doubles

Jaffa · Challenger level

RE: Weeks 12-13 - ATP Masters 1000 - Miami, USA + doubles

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Another break. Haase is much more consistent. 2-6 1-2*

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

A poor service game from Kyle, another break: leaves Haase serving for the match.

Pity Kyle couldn't have caught Haase on one of his many off days, rather than his in-the-form-to-beat-Wawrinka days.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Haase choked away a handful of match points, and Kyle had a couple of break points for the first time (I think), but Haase prevails 6-2 6-2

Jan · Hall of fame

Haase too good today unfortunately.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Haase played pretty well. Next time perhaps

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

What do you guys think of Kyle's movement? I thought it was a major factor in tonight's match. Can't quite put my finger on it though. Once he got moving he didn't seem particularly slow but it never looked very smooth and flowing. Not sure if it's just that he didn't read Haase very well so was a bit slow off the mark or if the fact that he's such an 'upright' player makes him just look a bit stiff as he moves. Opinions?

philwrig · Hall of fame

Thought that the 1st game was very key and Haase laid down a marker. Kyle came onto court with confidence, movement/fitness looked better than last year, but Haase looked determined to break Kyle straightaway. Haase basically just extended the rallies in that 1st game with an I'm not going to miss attitude, with Kyle eventually committing the error. Kyle halfway through that 1st set started to look as if he going to raise a challenge, but just I was thinking that the match went away very quickly from him. Credit to Haase who played top 50 tennis and to RJA for pointing out last week's result (major confidence boost) but Kyle will be a bit disappointed the way his level dropped in that 2nd set. Personally I'd forget about that match very quickly and get back onto the horse via the challenger circuit and getting back on the winning run and rise up those rankings.
Haase is a bit of a pain, given that he also seems to raise his game against Andy.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Obviously a big step up to regularly playing and beating top 100 players. The fact that we are all slightly disappointed that he didn't win reclects the massive strides he has made this year. Hasse was striking the ball well and consistently and although Kyle more than matched him for power he didn't get close regards consistency regularly straying the wrong side of the line.

I agree being broken in the first game set the tone and Kyle got no opportunity to develop any momentum. This probably was reflected in his movement. At 27 Haase is probably at his peak and Kyle has at least 2-3 years before he even gets close.

If he continues to play at the level he played last week he will soon be a DE into slams and the main tour. Im sure his team can see many areas for development and a couple more in in incremental improvements so onwards and upwards.

emma · Strong Club Player

I do wonder about these wild cards, whether they are a good idea. at times I think it works but not always. anyhow Kyle could hardly refuse one and yes in a way I'm pleased he's back to his own schedule now. I guess its good experience but Hasse too much on the day. Kyle's time will come when he will enter automatically.

Spectator · All-time great

Yes, I'm with you. I think he would have had a decent shot of at least one win in qualifying (though who knows - he might have had Haase!) Can't help feeling that taking the Q route with some frequency has been very good for Kokkinakis, for example.

Jaffa · Challenger level

As I've said (and been lambasted for) on Twitter, I feel that the WC's that Kyle received earlier in his career have seriously hindered his development. I am sure that he played well last week to beat three top 100 players, I don't dispute that.

However, he's now 1-9 at Tour level, this, in the long run is surely not doing his confidence any good. Sure, he took Benneteau to three sets last year, has posted some good displays. However, on today's performance you can see that the consistency is just not there at the moment. His movement was flat, especially to his right hand side, his backhand was released early on a few occasions.

I think that getting a lot of WC's as a British player is inevitable to be fair, however Kyle has unfortunately over done them. If he gets to Wimbledon and doesn't win a match that will be two non-counters which could make all the difference between making the US Open cut off later in the year.

I would like to see Kyle play exclusively Challengers and ATP Qualies from now on, if nothing else so that he becomes a lot more consistent.

Look at the performance Chung put in today as an example. I'd love to know how many he has had.

I know this is probably a harsh assessment but it's just what I think.

RJA · Hall of fame

The Optimist wrote:
What do you guys think of Kyle's movement? I thought it was a major factor in tonight's match. Can't quite put my finger on it though. Once he got moving he didn't seem particularly slow but it never looked very smooth and flowing. Not sure if it's just that he didn't read Haase very well so was a bit slow off the mark or if the fact that he's such an 'upright' player makes him just look a bit stiff as he moves. Opinions?

Put simply Kyle's movement is absolutely dreadful. It is by far and away his biggest single weakness and should be the major focus of his training for as long as is necessary.

RJA · Hall of fame

Jaffa wrote:
As I've said (and been lambasted for) on Twitter, I feel that the WC's that Kyle received earlier in his career have seriously hindered his development. I am sure that he played well last week to beat three top 100 players, I don't dispute that.

However, he's now 1-9 at Tour level, this, in the long run is surely not doing his confidence any good. Sure, he took Benneteau to three sets last year, has posted some good displays. However, on today's performance you can see that the consistency is just not there at the moment. His movement was flat, especially to his right hand side, his backhand was released early on a few occasions.

I think that getting a lot of WC's as a British player is inevitable to be fair, however Kyle has unfortunately over done them. If he gets to Wimbledon and doesn't win a match that will be two non-counters which could make all the difference between making the US Open cut off later in the year.

I would like to see Kyle play exclusively Challengers and ATP Qualies from now on, if nothing else so that he becomes a lot more consistent.

Look at the performance Chung put in today as an example. I'd love to know how many he has had.

I know this is probably a harsh assessment but it's just what I think.

I completely agree.

As for Chung, this was his second wild card on the Main Tour, his other being Kuala Lumpur 2013.

indiana · Tennis legend

I agree about taking up / his agent pushing for WCs. though more particularly last year when I think it's fair to say many of us here thought his first half of the year schedule was all over the place and distinctly unhelpful. I certainly did. Real progress was made later concentrating on challengers.

To be honest, I had less concerns over this Miami one, as a one-off so far this year ( though he will no doubt get GB ones ) and a year further down the line. And in itself the two zero counters are no issue at all really for me. They are actually not at all for now since he has less than a full quota of counters and even if later they are keeping two counters out, there is very little liklihood of these 19th and 20th scores ( hence 17th and 18th counters without the two zeros ) making much of a difference at all except absolutely at the margins.

So, for me, no particular concern at all from the direct ( zero ) ranking points issue, but rather more importantly he has to watch out re his schedule and surely learn from what has worked and not worked in the past.

As said, the actual losing experierience in these ATP WC events may not be good for Kyle, though I'm not really sure with him given a seemingly even temperament, and in the round a 1-9 record in such company in itself is no big deal and match lessons can be learned and worked on.