Like everyone else I remember well the problems Andy had when stepping up to five set tennis, cramping up in relatively favourable conditions at Wimbledon.

Kyle I feel is just making the next step. We have seen it throughout his development. He has the game to play in the GS MD but conditions here and in New York will test him. Playing qualifying last year at all the slams (winning through here and in Paris) except Wimbledon has exposed him to that test. Physically (not technically or mentally) he wasn't ready for prolonged tests of endurance.

This year looks really promising for some ATP wins and if anywhere, he will hopefully go deepest in Paris on clay. Doing well in Doha took it out of him, there the intensity was a step up from the Challenger tour and he had the opportunity to play a second tier star for the first time. I am sure he made some minor mistakes in his preparation over the last week, but what Kyle really needed through November and December was an intense and brutal training block for physical development. What he got was to be part of a DC win and an opportunity to really put the frighteners on a top 20 player!

Kedders will continue to be a delight to support and a fantastic watch in 2016. He shouldn't be too disappointed by today he has had some phenomenal success in the last few months (South America, DC and Doha) he should sit back and rest up for a couple of days reflect on that success before planning out how he can tweak things and continue to develop through Indian Wells and Miami. Personally I would bin them and hit the clay while he has the chance!

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Monday 18th of January 2016 06:45:29 AM

Interesting to read today's article in the guardian where Andy talks of the conditioning work Jez Green is doing with Zverev. Here's hoping it doesn't pay off

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Monday 18th of January 2016 10:13:49 AM

There are of course many reasons not to compare Kyle too much to Andy, generally because Andy is such a phenomenon that that's just unfair.

On the cramping ( now basically confirmed as such ) though, yes we do well remember Andy's issues at Queens, Wimbledon and I believe the US Open in 2005 in indeed generally more favourable conditions ( though Kyle cramped in Ghent partly possibly through emotional strain in a not hugely lengthy indoor match ).

Andy though was a gangling 18 yo, very new to the pro circuit and within a couple of years had largely 'sorted' that issue through utter determination to do so and overall has an extremely good record in matches that have gone to 5 sets.

Kyle has just turned 21 with generally much more pro experience. And yes the Davis Cup Final may have taken some time out of a required intense training block, more especially if he would otherwise have ended his season a few weeks earlier. However, assuming the intention was there a lot of work could and should still have been done though it remains probably a bigger longer term matter, if one at his age that hopefully will not be too long term.

Kyle does seem to have over time been a bit behind the eightball in the general physical regard. He had a time of alarmingly falling away in three set matches very much more than should have been the case. Sorted that out and often nowadays competes great in tight three setters. Now it seems an issue in five setters, while accepting Melbourne is tough in the heat. If he can put in the work and similarly make it much less / no issue, great, for then his talent can bring much more reward.

Ghent and Melbourne, in their different scenarios, will though serve Kyle well if they help accelerate his development to making him overall the player he can be.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 18th of January 2016 07:48:58 PM

We've been completely shafted with the scheduling haven't we!

Evans, Murray and Konta all on at 01:30

I agree with Indy, whilst Kyle hasn't played much 5 set tennis, he has 3 years further development than Andy when he had his issues, so it's a bit of a concern he seems to struggle with the 5 set matches. I hope he has talked to Andy about his conditioning, particularly as he trIned with him in Dubai, and can build before the next challenge of Roland Garros (or DC). Really excited about what he can do in 3 set tennis though, he's shown that he can last with pretty much anyone outside the top 20 for 3 sets and think he'll get some decent scalps over the next couple of months.

Evans v Lopez has started. It's 1-1