Nadal's Service- A Potential Area Of Concern (US Open Round 1 Update)

Defending Champion Rafael Nadal advanced to second round of US Open in straight sets  victory over Andrey Golubev (6-3, 7-6, 7-5) yesterday.  It was a hard fought victory for the 10 time GS champion. Everyone was left wondering to the cause of it; so I thought let’s look at 2010 victory and see what changed. If we remember, one of the most important reasons for Nadal was his service (broken only 5 times last year here) due to which he was able to complete his career slam last year at US Open:

Here is an interesting stat for all to see:

Rafael Nadal	Overall 2010 US Open	2010 US Open  Ist Round	2011 US Open Ist Roun
1st Serve %	64%	69/103 = 67%	61/94 = 65
Aces	6	7	6
Double Faults	2	3	4
Unforced Errors	23	29	16
Winning % on 1st       Serve	84%	54/69 = 78%	40/61 = 66%
Winning % on 2nd Serve	67%	24/34 = 71%	16/33 = 48%
Winners	27	30	18
Receiving Points Won	40%	43/121 = 36%	63/122 = 52%
Break Point Conversions	42%	2/10 = 20%	8/22 = 36%
Net Approaches	70%	15/19 = 79%	8/13 = 62
Fastest Serve Speed	132	131 MPH	133 MPH
Average 1st Serve Speed	118	117 MPH	115 MPH
Average 2nd Serve Speed	88	89 MPH	87 MPH

If you look at the highlighted column, you will realize that his serve has really gone (almost 18%) down. This is one of the reasons why he lost in Rogers Cup and Cincy too. Even the number of his winners has gone down. And yesterday's match was no different. His first and second serve point has considerably gone down and if Nadal has to leave his mark this year, this is one area he will have to work upon- otherwise it will be very difficult for him against players like Murray and Djokovic (best returners in the game) to go and defend his title!

(PS- I will be posting similar interesting stats and news about Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray further in the day and throughout the tournament for the top 4. Also I will be at US Open this year from coming Saturday. So don’t miss to catch the latest pictures of your favorite player. Stay tuned and please don't forget to join my Facebook Page, Twitter or Site to catch all these interesting updates)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: Roger Federer- Signs of Improvement Over US Open 2010 (Second Round Update)

US Open Preview: Time for Federer/Nadal Showdown Or The Name ‘Djokovic’ Will Elude Them Again?

This Article was first published on 10sballs.com as : US Open Preview: Time for Federer/Nadal Showdown Or The Name ‘Djokovic’ Will Elude Them Again? Written by: ApekshaHA on 26th August 2011

The biggest GS is all set to start from Monday! And with the draws released yesterday, it promises to be one of the most entertaining events of the year.  Before we start with the preview: here are some interesting facts:

1)   In last 20 years, only 6 times, a player has won RC and US Open together in a year.

2)   In last 20 years, only 4 times a player has won Cincy and US Open together in a year.

3)  Only 3 players have won RC and Cincy in last 20 years (So not a surprise that Djokovic felt a bit tired at the end of Cincy. These back to back masters take a toll on players physically as well as mentally )

4)  In last 20 years, only two players (Pat Rafter and Andy Roddick) have won all RC, Cincy and US Open           together!

5)  Of the current lot, only 4 players have won US Open in last 8 years:Roger Federer (5), Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Roddick. Dominance of RF!

After watching the draws yesterday, it was no surprise that Federer/Djokovic ended in the same draw and Nadal/Murray in the other.  Such is the dominance of these 4 at present that it is hard to recognize the effort of Ferrer being No.5 or Gilles Simon climbing up from 43 to being seeded no. 12 at present in US Open. 

Novak Djokovic: He has an easy draw for US Open until SF where he can possibly meet Federer. If Nole’s shoulder is alright, he shouldn’t have much of a problem reaching SF. Berdych/Monfils might be waiting in QF but I don’t think they are still ready to take down the best player of the year so far.

Roger Federer: He has a comparatively tougher draw in the top 4 but it might be actually good for him this year. As we saw in FO SF, glimpses of old Roger, it’s a strong possibility that getting a tough draw might awaken the champion in him. Frankly speaking, after winning 16 GS, You need something extraordinary to reignite yourself and this might be the trigger to show to the whole world- What RF is all about! So Tsonga/Fish/Cilic might be there, but if I were you, I would want to put my money on RF. If he doesn’t win this one, after 2003, it will be the first year without a GS for him.

Rafael Nadal: For him, it is a perfect draw  where he can easily reach SF and must be feeling confident. His poor performances prior to US Open does not account for his competence as playing in a GS is a totally different stage. It could be a repeat of last year when he played his best tennis at US Open. He might face Ferrer against whom he has 13-4 record and not withstanding that Ferrer might still have after effects of left hand injury! So a cakewalk for Nadal if he doesn’t let his emotions get better of him and play it out tough.

Andy Murray:He looks quite upbeat after his Cincy win. He has one major threat though -Del Potro in his way. Since Soderling will be coming back from an injury, I don’t see him leaving any mark. Del Potro hasn’t been consistent this year so I would want to pick Murray till SF. Plus Murray has 5-1 record against him! Wawrinka is also there but I think this time Murray is well prepared to take him on and battle out the tough conditions in New York- Thanks to his training session in Miami at 100F!

My Semi-Final pick would be Djokovic/Federer and Nadal/Murray. Federer will be double motivated if he faces Djokovic as no one has been able to defeat Nole this year except him so he would want it to keep it that way. Although if Djokovic’s shoulder is fine by then , it will be a showdown to watch and probably the second best match of the year! (Also the most awaited match, more than Fedal or Nadal/Djokovic match). In Nadal/Murray - I will pick Nadal. Although Murray will be motivated to defeat him as already his counterpart Djokovic has done it-5 times a year- So he has a point to prove this year. But after seeing his match against Fish, at crucial moments, people will agree a touch of frustration still creeps up in his play. Although Mardy was not able to capitalize on it, Nadal is not that sort of a player to let go of this weakness easily. Wimbledon SF a perfect example!

In the end, I will go for a FEDAL final and Federer would be my pick this year to win!

I will pick Mardy Fish as my dark horse- he is the one out of all (Del Potro, Sodering/Ferrer etc) who can cause a real upset and if he does that, then I think there is no stopping Djokovic from claiming his first US Open title! Also one thing to remember- The curse of Federer is something to keep in mind: Del Potro, Tsonga & Berdych;) Need I say more!

(For exciting updates on US Open, you can follow my Facebook Page,Twitter Account or Site) 

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: Is Nadal ready for US Open?

Novak Djokovic's Shoulder Injury- A Window Of Opportunity For Nadal/Federer?

This Article was first published on 10sballs.com as : 

http://www.10sballs.com/2011/08/21/novak-djokovic-injury-possible-impact-on-us-open/

Written by: ApekshaHA on 21st August 2011

Novak Djokovic inspirational run (57- 1) had a sad end written to it with a shoulder injury forcing him to retire in the finals against Andy Murray in Cincinnati. He retired being down 4-6, 0-3 in the second set of the match.  Throughout the match, Djokovic looked physically exhausted and too tired from his consecutive Masters finals. At the end of the first set-Djokovic took an injury timeout but it was apparent that Djokovic was suffering from pain in the shoulder. He still tried to play but could not continue further. His serve was a mere 100MPH in the second set! It was a case of body taking control over his mind!

Djokovic said after the match on his shoulder injury: “It has been there for about 10 days. Pain was increasing.I apologize to the tournament; I apologize to the people who came here today to watch…I really tried. I just could not serve. I could not play forehands.I could have maybe played another couple of games, but what for? I cannot beat a player like Murray today with one stroke.”  (Video attached at the end of the article)

But the concern for his fans would be- US Open and his chances to play?

Good news is:  Djokovic himself is confident enough to recover before US Open and play there!

If you look at shoulder injury (medically) there are treatments available for it and it can be healed with proper rest! The advantage in US Open would be – Lighter balls and a bit less harsh conditions than Rogers Cup and Cincinnati!  So a sign of good omen for Djokovic!

The bigger question is – US Open might have just opened up in terms of strong favorites! With 11 out of 20 top players injured after Wimbledon- Djokovic’s injury might give a moral boost to his opponents! He had been 33-0 in hard court season until today but with his injury- will he be able to play as well as before? If he can take rest-maybe yes but mentally his opponents will feel more confident and raring to go out against him! Today’s injury has confirmed the belief that he is also human!

If Djokovic is fit by next week, he will be back with a strong fire burning inside him to start another chapter! But with his opponents (Federer, Nadal, Murray) now getting a boost up mentally knowing about his injury, US Open is all set to be one of the most entertaining GS of the year!

I will be back with Part II of Not Tennis Anymore, It’s Officially Battle of Minds - Djokovic, Nadal and Federer on Tuesday.
Stay tuned!(For updates, you can follow our For updates, you can follow my Facebook Page, Twitter Account or Site) 

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: Where There Is Djokovic/Serena, There Is A Way

Not Tennis Anymore, It’s Officially Battle of Minds - Djokovic, Nadal and Federer- Part 1

This Article was first published on 10sballs.com as : 

  www.­10sballs.­com/­2011/­08/­19/­not-­tennis-­anymore-­it’s-­officially-­battle-­of-­minds-­djokovic-­nadal-­and-­federer-­part-­1/­

Written by: ApekshaHA on 19th August 2011

In continuation of my previous article on Rogers Cup history and its effect on US Open results, I thought I will take it forward to Cincy. A tournament where we have already seen World No.2 Rafael Nadal lost to Mardy Fish and Federer to Berdych. Traditionally, Cincy had been a stronghold of Roger Federer. He had won it 4 times in last 6 years. Andy Murray won it once in 2008. On the other hand Djokovic has reached to the finals two times and Nadal's best performance till date -Semi Finals.

Last year Roger Federer won it but US Open Champion Nadal crashed out in QF. In last 6 years, Roger Federer is the only player to go on to win Cincy and US Open back to back. And if we expand it to 20 years,  only 20% of the times a player has gone to win Cincy and US Open together (4 out of 20).!

Statistics wise, not much to worry for any fans except for those whose favorite goes on to win Cincy!

  

Cincinnatti	Djokovic	Nadal	Federer	Murray	US Open Winner
2005	NA	First Round	Winner	Second Round	Federer
2006	NA	QF	Second Round	QF	Federer
2007	Second Round	Second Round	Winner	First Round	Federer
2008	Finalist	SF	Third round	Winner	Federer
2009	Finalist	SF	Winner	SF	Juan Martin Del Potro
2010	QF	QF	Winner	QF	Rafael Nadal

What we do need to worry is as follows:

Nowadays tennis is not anymore about game or stats- Is it? The way tennis has evolved, every player has become fit, more complete and more competitive.  If you look at the top 3, each one of them has got best tennis skills, breathtaking shots and defense that will send their opponents flying off the back door!  For them, it is not a game anymore, it’s now battle of minds just like chess where they have to come up with a strategy that will outclass others and leave them baffled!  It is now a matter of self-confidence and belief!

Let us go back to Wimbledon 2008 when Federer lost in the epic final against Nadal. And since then Nadal seems to have a complete grip over Federer. That win created a mental block for Federer which he has not been able to overcome as that win came on one of Federer's favorite  surface- Grass Court and ended his streak of dominance in Wimbledon!

 Present Match Record: 17-8 now in favor of Nadal! 

Fast forward to 2011, Djokovic’s unexpected but monstrous strides toward the top have left everyone stunned! And the more he plays, the more people fall in love with his game and skills! Even if you are a Federer fan or a Nadal fan, you can't hate this person because neutrally speaking; he is a hope and a living example of achieving the impossible!

In words of Nelson Mandela- Everything seems impossible until it’s done! 

And that’s what his achievement had been until he achieved it!  He has lost to Fedal 30 times in last 4 years and his record now- 5-0 up this year against Nadal and 3-1 against Federer! He has claimed No.1 spot from them and has won 2 Grand Slams, created history by winning 5 Masters and has 55-1 record this year!

He has created that same mental block in Nadal's mind- a territory familiar to Nadal and Federer. This whole saga seems so mysterious that people wonder as to how it will look going forward. Frankly as fan of Nadal or Federer, one would think will they be able to come back, and fans of Djokovic will think- Can he continue his dominance?

Believe it or not, if you look from where I am, it will look very simple and in the next week, I will break it into very simple reasoning as to how all 3 can still turn the tables if they want? Why and How...Come back for Part II when I will take Nadal first (then Federer & finally Djokovic) and will break it down for you step by step. And you will know the answer!

And before you go- Let me tell you that you will not be disappointed- even if you are a fan of Nadal/Federer or Djokovic! I can bet upon that!



I will be back with Part II of Not Tennis Anymore, It’s Officially Battle of Minds - Djokovic, Nadal and Federer on Tuesday.
Stay tuned!(For updates, you can follow our Facebook Page, Twitter Account or Join Our Site!)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

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Also:Not Tennis Anymore,It’s Officially Battle of Minds-Djokovic, Nadal and Federer- Part 2
Where There Is Djokovic/Serena, There Is A Way