Quote:
Originally Posted by JoPova
Maria is so scared of the net in real matches! She always backs off and ends up losing so many points because of her refusal to attack the net!  She is very well able of doing so, but lacks the confidence  |
I agree. I think Maria doesn't trust some of her own abilities in tournament matches. Look how many times in recent years she would be in perfect position to move forward in a point and put pressure on her opponent, only to back away or end up in no-man's-land between the net and baseline. You can almost sense Maria experiencing a mini panic attack the closer she gets to the net. When things get tight in the bigger matches, you always see her pin herself on the baseline and just wail away. All strategy or thought out the window.
That's why I always get a kick watching video of her older matches because you'd see her occasionally just serve and volley out of the blue. Or come in on a groundstroke. And it worked many of the times, so you know she has the capability. I like these exhibitions because you can see the possibilities with Maria. Some great shotmaking and a little variety. A complete player.