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Sammy's 2012 Off-Season Conference Thread

7K views 44 replies 7 participants last post by  bertisonline 
#1 · (Edited)
In this thread, we convene a round table discussion in light of Samantha Jane Stosur's 2012.



Singles Results
Runner Up: Doha, Moscow
Semi-Finalist: French Open, Tokyo. Charleston, Osaka,
Quarter Finalist: US Open, Madrid, Cincinnati, Dubai, Stuttgart
R16: Miami, Rome, Montreal

Fed Cup Record: 4-0
Year End Ranking: 9

Doubles Results
Quarter Finalist: Indian Wells (w/ Dellacqua)
R16: Miami (w/ Goerges), Madrid (w/ Goerges), Dubai (w/ Dellacqua)

Year End Ranking: 103

To assist in our discussion, answer the following questions about Samantha's year:

1) What was Sam's best win of the year?
2) What was Sam's worst loss of the year
3) What was Sam's best outfit of the year? (see next post for some help with this)
4) What was Sam's most under-rated win of the year?
5) Which of Sam's losses were you most impressed with?
6) What part of Sam's game has improved most throughout the year?
7) What would you like to see Sam work on in the future?
8) What's the one match you wish Sam had won, that she didn't?
9) What was your favourite off-court Sam-related event of the year (e.g. press conference, picture, media piece, video, facebook message, dance routine)
10) Imagine that Sam is in a tennis class at school and that you are her teacher. Write a brief report card assessing her performance this year
11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)?
 
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#2 ·
Re: Sammy's 2012 Party and Off-Season Thread

Sammy's 2012 Outfits:










 
#3 · (Edited)
1) What was Sam's best win of the year? Tactically, her win over Cibulkova at the French was brilliant. Kerber @ fed cup was also impressive.
2) What was Sam's worst loss of the year? Toss up between Rus @ Wimbledon and Errani @ French...oh and Venus @ Rome
3) What was Sam's best outfit of the year? (see next post for some help with this) I liked the white from Sydney and The grey from US Open.
4) What was Sam's most under-rated win of the year? Venus @Charleston. Had to play two matches in one day in terrible conditions and finally beat her.
5) Which of Sam's losses were you most impressed with? Sharapova @ Stuttgart and Azarenka @ US Open
6) What part of Sam's game has improved most throughout the year? Backhand hands down
7) What would you like to see Sam work on in the future? Stronger mentally and really dominate from the beginning without lapses
8) What's the one match you wish Sam had won, that she didn't? Cirstea @ Aussie Open. That would have changed her season
9) What was your favourite off-court Sam-related event of the year (e.g. press conference, picture, media piece, video, facebook message, dance routine) tie between her press conference after Aussie open loss - it was so raw and full of hurt that it showed how much she wanted to win. And her interview with Casey @ Fed Cup
10) Imagine that Sam is in a tennis class at school and that you are her teacher. Write a brief report card assessing her performance this year.
Sam is a quiet achiever with huge potential that gets distracted easily. Her talent was in full display @ Stuttgart and USO, but unfortunately consistency and belief was an issue. Sam can gain a lot of valuable lessons from 2012 which should see great things in 2013.
11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)?
Back to No 5 with some big wins over Azarenka and Serena. Lapse in Asia and a surprise run @ Wimbledon after a disappointing French. A Solid OZ Open series. Overall more consistent with decent results at all Premier Mandatories. Wins two titles. An MM and a Premier 5.
 
#12 ·
9) What was your favourite off-court Sam-related event of the year (e.g. press conference, picture, media piece, video, facebook message, dance routine) tie between her press conference after Aussie open loss - it was so raw and full of hurt that it showed how much she wanted to win. And her interview with Casey @ Fed Cup
That's an interesting one to pick. It was probably one of the few times we got more of an emotive sense of how Sammy was feeling in a media situation. She's normally quite reserved and careful in how she presents herself in press conferences, so even though those questions were very difficult to watch, I can understand why you would choose it.

stromatolite said:
4) What was Sam's most under-rated win of the year? Hmmm, tough one… I’d have to go with the Charleston win against Venus. So many Williams sisters fans incapable of giving Sam any credit whatsoever for any win against their faves, so Venus was 20%/40%/60%/80%, depending on the degree of bitterness of the poster :rolleyes:

11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)? Boy I overshot the mark this year,
We shouldn't feel hard done by though; some of them can't give losing players credit either. Serena hitting 40 winners against 14 UEs is apparently her playing at about 50% capacity :unsure::lol:

I think we all overshot the mark with our predictions from last year :sobbing:
 
#4 · (Edited)
1) What was Sam's best win of the year?
Tough question to answer this year. A lot of her highest quality matches were losses, and a few of her best wins had a little bit of a "taint" to them (e.g. over Bartoli and Ivanovic). I really liked her finally getting a win over Venus in Charleston, as both played a high quality and tough match :worship:
2) What was Sam's worst loss of the year
Still don't believe the loss to Suarez Navarro at the Olympics happened.
3) What was Sam's best outfit of the year? (see next post for some help with this)
Hmmm ... I actually quite liked the blue/yellow outfit she wore really early in the year through the Australian swing. Honourable mentions go to her "Smoggy Sunrise" USO dress, and her LBD.
4) What was Sam's most under-rated win of the year?
Maybe over Cirstea at Doha. Sorana played an excellent match, and was coming off a win over Sam at the Australian Open. This tough win set up one of Sam's best runs of the year.
5) Which of Sam's losses were you most impressed with?
Impressive losses were what Sam excelled at this year :sobbing: Can't go past her match with Sharapova at Stuttgart. Both were in pure GOAT-warrior mode.
6) What part of Sam's game has improved most throughout the year?
Hmmm ... I think her scrambling has improved quite a bit, I like the way she's worked on hitting the forehand squash shot when dragged out wide, or hitting extreme slow top spins balls if she has time. It was also a good move by Sam and Dave to hit with a little less topspin when playing the heavy consistent groundstrokers, and waiting for her opportunities to play more explosively when presented with an easier ball.
7) What would you like to see Sam work on in the future?
I really think Sam has all the tools to win a lot of matches next year. BH has improved, movement is much better, scrambling is excellent. She's just got to get back into the sports psychology counselling sessions to work on some tactics for dealing with the big moments.
8) What's the one match you wish Sam had won, that she didn't?
This is a tough one. There are a lot of potential options. I (personally) feel that if she had won the match against Maria in Stuttgart, she would have won the match against Errani at the French Open, and might have flowed through to greater belief and consistency on the grass. I know this is really speculative, but I have a feeling Sam's slight problems with confidence in big moments were exacerbated substantially by this match.
9) What was your favourite off-court Sam-related event of the year (e.g. press conference, picture, media piece, video, facebook message, dance routine)
It's been a really great year for Sam fans, in terms of seeing Sam express herself and have some fun on and off the court. Dancing in the elevator to Gangam Style is my favourite moment.
10) Imagine that Sam is in a tennis class at school and that you are her teacher. Write a brief report card assessing her performance this year
Samantha Jane has worked hard this year to improve all aspects of her game. She is dedicated and consistent, and brings her best focus to class each day. For higher marks in future years, Samantha needs to ensure that she is able to execute all the skills she has developed throughout the course of training within the context of major assessment tasks. Samantha is generally a quiet student who has a calming influence over the rest of the class. Unfortunately, she is becoming somewhat prone to explicit outbursts involving the use of poor language, and has received several code violations as a consequence.
11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)?
I predict that she will win two titles - one P5/PM and one normal premier or international tournament. She will qualify for the YECs, and have more consistent results in grand slam events, including another SF.
 
#5 ·
173 views and only one reply? :bigcry:

(Love your work Adomoose :yeah:)
 
#10 ·
^^^

I've got very high expectations about all of your responses now :worship:
 
#11 ·
Okay, here goes:

1) What was Sam's best win of the year? Moscow SF def Ivanovic 26-63-62. The most impressive of a whole bunch of matches Sam won after losing the first set (used to be a rarity for her). Honorable mentions: Charleston QF def Venus 63-46-63, Stuttgart R2 def Goerges 62-26-63, Wimbledon R1 def CSN 61-63 (at which point it was still possible to dream of seeing Sam in the second week at Wimby for the first time:sobbing:).

2) What was Sam's worst loss of the year? Wimbledon R2 lost to Rus 26-60-46 (the dream cruelly shattered:hysteric: ). Dishonorable mentions …. no, on second thoughts I don’t want to go there. Too much like shooting fish in a barrel :bigcry:

3) What was Sam's best outfit of the year? (see next post for some help with this) I have the fashion sense of a Jehova’s Witness, so this will be pretty random. I’ll go with this one, not because I think it's such a great outfit in itself, but because Sammy makes it look so good:inlove::


4) What was Sam's most under-rated win of the year? Hmmm, tough one… I’d have to go with the Charleston win against Venus. So many Williams sisters fans incapable of giving Sam any credit whatsoever for any win against their faves, so Venus was 20%/40%/60%/80%, depending on the degree of bitterness of the poster:rolleyes:.

5) Which of Sam's losses were you most impressed with? Toss-up between Stuttgart QF lost to Sharapova 76-67-75, and USO QF lost to Azarenka 16-64-67. The best two WTA matches this year for my money. I’ll go with Stuttgart.

6) What part of Sam's game has improved most throughout the year? Toss-up between short-backswing two-handed BH and short backswing squash-style FH. The BH won her more points so I’ll go with that.

7) What would you like to see Sam work on in the future? Consistency.

8) What's the one match you wish Sam had won, that she didn't? Stuttgart QF lost to Sharapova 76-67-75. I still believe that it was the match that decided who would dominate on clay this year.

9) What was your favourite off-court Sam-related event of the year (e.g. press conference, picture, media piece, video, facebook message, dance routine). Sam was unusually uninhibited off-court this year, so a lot of priceless moments to choose from. Gangnam style dance wins it for me, Sam just blitzed it:hearts:

10) Imagine that Sam is in a tennis class at school and that you are her teacher. Write a brief report card assessing her performance this year. For some reason my first thoughts on this are kind of kinky (“Sam, you have been a very naughty girl, so you give me no choice: I’m going to have to punish you severely”:lol: ). I need to focus here. Okay, here goes: “Sam has been a very good student, always does all her homework, and despite having a terrible potty-mouth is never any trouble in class. Unfortunately at exam time her mind often goes completely blank and she gives all the wrong answers to the questions set for her by her examiners/opponents. If only she can learn to relax she will be my star pupil”

11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)? Boy I overshot the mark this year, so I’m going to lower my sights big time next year. I think she shouldn’t have too much trouble staying in the top 10, and I think she will finally win her 4th tournament. I think she will notch up her first wins against both Vika and Petra, and beat both Maria and Venus at least one more time. I think she will do better in slams than this year, but don’t want to jinx her by expecting too much in that department.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the great questions, SP!

1) What was Sam's best win of the year?
Tough one for me. Maybe in Charleston against Venus, but I think that's only because I really was wishing so much for it to happen. I don't know if that was a 'technically' spectacular win.
Not that it will get much mention as being "the best win", but I liked her win against Robson at the USO - nice and tidy 6-4 6-4 - but I probably liked it more because of the hype that Robson was getting...tall lefty, giant killer, dangerous dark horse in the field...all of these ingredients that sometimes make things fall apart for Sam. She didn't let it bother her - she just played her game, maintained her composure, and came out on top...the way her matches should be played.

2) What was Sam's worst loss of the year
Against Rus at Wimby. Should never have happened. I'm still not over it. I think it took place in some weird parallel universe that doesn't even exist. Yes, guys, this is what denial looks like. :oh:

3) What was Sam's best outfit of the year? (see next post for some help with this)
Yeah, like there was ever a doubt....GOAT LBD!! :inlove: With the grey/orange USO dress coming in a close second. :hearts:
Asics has really done a great job with all of Sam's clothing this year. I hope their relationship continues.

4) What was Sam's most under-rated win of the year?
Sam defeating Sharapova in Tokyo 6-4 7-6(10), because it illustrated how Sam was able to win in 2 sets - with a tiebreak - and not crumbling or conceding the set under pressure. It also demonstrated her ability to silence the intimidation factor and use her weapons to get under Maria's skin. The fact that the match didn't go to 3 sets was a triumph in itself.

5) Which of Sam's losses were you most impressed with?
The USO match against Azarenka. Top-notch tennis from Sam, and both players walked away knowing that the final result could have just as easily been a win for Sam. It also sent a message that she can compete at a top-5 level.

6) What part of Sam's game has improved most throughout the year?
The trust she puts in her backhand. She used the bh very effectively this year, and although she was still running around it on several occasions, it would appear that she trusts it to a greater degree than in past years.

7) What would you like to see Sam work on in the future?
Her hustle/scramble. Getting to the ball faster so that she can maintain her timing with the groundstrokes and push her opponent around and out of their comfort zone. She might benefit from 'studying' Justine's ability to move around the court like Mighty Mouse and still stay on the offense. Many times when we saw Sam hitting balls on the move, it was in a defensive position and lacked the power/speed to put her opponents in an uncomfortable place. All the effort seemed wasted because she was fighting to keep the ball in play - not to set it up for a winner.
Also, I think she should work on the serve-volley. Toward the end of this year, we saw her trying it more but it lacked conviction...still it's a good way for her to stay in control if she can set up her points tactically.

8) What's the one match you wish Sam had won, that she didn't?
Errani at RG. Sam could have benefitted from such a win all year long by establishing some dominance on clay.

9) What was your favourite off-court Sam-related event of the year (e.g. press conference, picture, media piece, video, facebook message, dance routine)
Although it's not technically 'off-court', I love Bertrand's videos of Sam practicing at RG and Charleston. His dedication to making high quality videos of Sam is impressive. I watch them often.
Honorable mention to Sam's pic of the misspelling of 'weightlifting' in the Olympic Village and the ensuing comedy.

10) Imagine that Sam is in a tennis class at school and that you are her teacher. Write a brief report card assessing her performance this year
Sam has excelled in grace and class again this year. Her occasional bouts of Tennis Tourettes Syndrome are a healthy outlet for her frustrations and emotions, and it rarely requires anything more than a simple code violation to get her back on track. Her hard work, exemplary sportsmanship, and dedication are second to none. She sometimes allows her mind to be distracted by past events and self-deprecation. Although normal for most students, her self-judgement makes her prone to losing focus and not trusting herself.
If Sam wants to continue improving, I suggest that she seek some professional counseling - perhaps lessons on how to be a dominatrix - so that she can remain in control of opponents and points during her matches. A referral can be provided upon request. :devil:
She should continue to maintain excellent fitness and form, as it allows her to execute stunning kick serves and provides her fans with a splendid gun show. She should not allow herself to become distracted with social media, such as twitter, and she should distance herself from non-achieving troublemakers such as Redfoo and stick to trustworthy friends like Dave, Simmone, and Raj.

11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)?
Sam's H2H with Azarenka will improve drastically.
She will reach at least the QF of the AO.
She will win at Charleston (because I will be there to make sure it happens!).
She will beat Serena at least once this year.
She will reach a high ranking of #5.

(Ambitious, I know, but I have high hopes for my girl in 2013.)

@SilverPersian - I was thinking about your 173 views and 3 responses and it reminded me of my (failed) attempt at humor in the pics thread, captioning the pic with Eva before her Errani match at YEC that remained unnoticed and un-commented on. So I guess it's just the brooding, unhappy mood of Sammy fans at the moment. It will get better once everyone returns from their Zen gardens and pity parties. :hug:
 
#15 ·
7) What would you like to see Sam work on in the future?
Her hustle/scramble. Getting to the ball faster so that she can maintain her timing with the groundstrokes and push her opponent around and out of their comfort zone. She might benefit from 'studying' Justine's ability to move around the court like Mighty Mouse and still stay on the offense. Many times when we saw Sam hitting balls on the move, it was in a defensive position and lacked the power/speed to put her opponents in an uncomfortable place. All the effort seemed wasted because she was fighting to keep the ball in play - not to set it up for a winner.
Also, I think she should work on the serve-volley. Toward the end of this year, we saw her trying it more but it lacked conviction...still it's a good way for her to stay in control if she can set up her points tactically.


If Sam wants to continue improving, I suggest that she seek some professional counseling - perhaps lessons on how to be a dominatrix - so that she can remain in control of opponents and points during her matches. A referral can be provided upon request. :devil:

@SilverPersian - I was thinking about your 173 views and 3 responses and it reminded me of my (failed) attempt at humor in the pics thread, captioning the pic with Eva before her Errani match at YEC that remained unnoticed and un-commented on. So I guess it's just the brooding, unhappy mood of Sammy fans at the moment. It will get better once everyone returns from their Zen gardens and pity parties. :hug:
Yeah, I definitely agree that if Sam could counter punch better she would be almost unstoppable. I think it's going to be difficult for her because of how much work she puts on her FH, but Nadal does it brilliantly, and Sam is clearly better than Rafa, so...:devil:

I don't know what kind of report cards you and stromatolite were getting at school, but you need to stop trying to corrupt our poor, sweet, innocent Sammy :sobbing::p

And your attempt at humour didn't fail at all! I kept looking at it on my phone and then forgetting to reply when I opened my laptop, but the dialogue perfectly captures the dreamlike, Alice in Wonderland-esque feel of the photo. I thought it was hilarious :worship:

8) What's the one match you wish Sam had won, that she didn't?
Mokba: Vs. Wozniacki, because that title was hers. 2012 would have been mentioned as a good year only for that fact. 2012 is declared as a problem of inches instead.

10) Imagine that Sam is in a tennis class at school and that you are her teacher. Write a brief report card assessing her performance this year.
Words are meaningless I’m afraid . Watching a video is the closest descripton.
I'm not sure you can teach Sam's tennis either…
Yeah, tennis is a cruel, cruel sport. Now every time the commentators look at her 2012 results, they're going to describe it as a disappointing year because there was no title, but really there were a lot of good results going on just beneath the surface for Sammy. If only we could go back in time and clone her inside out forehand return winner from the USO and apply it to the Moscow final ...

Well, we certainly try to teach Sam tennis; I still say she should fire Dave and hire the Smash'em Sam team as her coach :hearts:
 
#16 ·
@SilverPersian - I was thinking about your 173 views and 3 responses and it reminded me of my (failed) attempt at humor in the pics thread, captioning the pic with Eva before her Errani match at YEC that remained unnoticed and un-commented on. So I guess it's just the brooding, unhappy mood of Sammy fans at the moment. It will get better once everyone returns from their Zen gardens and pity parties. :hug:
Guilty as charged. I don't think it helped that I wasn't in a position to see either of Sam's YEC matches, so I can only imagine the worst about those matches. I also agree with Bertrand that the Moscow loss against Woz gave Sam's year a negative tint that it didn't deserve. I feel bad for not responding to all of the recent great comments on the Hard Court thread, but I just don't have the heart right now. Atm I am finding it easier to post on GM threads that I don't care about much than on Sammy's forum. But I'll bounce back, as will all the rest I'm sure.

And your attempt at humour didn't fail at all! I kept looking at it on my phone and then forgetting to reply when I opened my laptop, but the dialogue perfectly captures the dreamlike, Alice in Wonderland-esque feel of the photo. I thought it was hilarious :worship:
Agree completely. I laughed my arse off at that, but with all that was going on forgot to respond. Don't stop posting stuff like this Sinclair, whatever you do!

I'm not sure you can teach Sam's tennis either…
Well, we certainly try to teach Sam tennis; I still say she should fire Dave and hire the Smash'em Sam team as her coach :hearts:
Hmmmm.... not sure about this. As brilliant as our coaching undoubtedly is, I think Bertrand may be right. Dave seems to have understood the wisdom in Bertrand's words, and doesn't so much try to teach Sam to play as gently nudge her in the right direction.

I don't know what kind of report cards you and stromatolite were getting at school, but you need to stop trying to corrupt our poor, sweet, innocent Sammy :sobbing::p
Well in my defense, I think if Sammy would just stop wearing those skimpy outfits ..... ;)
 
#20 ·
I'm almost the opposite - I didn't really expect Sam to play any matches at the YECs, so I wasn't expecting anything from the week, and then because I missed the matches I didn't have to deal with the emotional turmoil of how she played.

Also, I'm now inexplicably optimistic about, and looking forward to, the Australian summer. I'm going to get to see Sammy play in person again :hearts:
Yep, this pretty much describes the way I felt also. YEC (and Moscow) didn't have much appeal for me, mostly because I wanted Sam to avoid injury and further fatigue, and also I didn't think it would help her mentally to finish the year with unnecessary losses.

SilverPersian said:
I can just imagine Sammy striding out on court wearing leather chaps and boots, and playing with a racket that has a whip attached to the handle that she can use at the change of ends :hearts:
Oh, really? :oh: Because here I thought that Stromatolite and I were the only ones with such kinks... :cool::tape:

But I honestly do feel that Sam allows herself to get bullied and pushed around way too much, especially by players who have no business doing that shit (i.e., Errani). It seems like the minute she gets down in the score or her serve gets broken, she just becomes too passive, allowing them to dictate the points. Often, when at the beginning of a new set, we see her come out strong again. It's like she needs a 'reset' to gain her composure and confidence. This is really what I'd also like to see her work on.
 
#28 ·
But I honestly do feel that Sam allows herself to get bullied and pushed around way too much, especially by players who have no business doing that shit (i.e., Errani). It seems like the minute she gets down in the score or her serve gets broken, she just becomes too passive, allowing them to dictate the points. Often, when at the beginning of a new set, we see her come out strong again. It's like she needs a 'reset' to gain her composure and confidence. This is really what I'd also like to see her work on.
Yeah, definitely. She might be able to take a leaf out of Masha's notebook with this. Maria seems to reset almost after every point with her little "conference with my tennis racket" routine that she goes through. Sam seems to wait until either the change of ends or a new set to go through this process; it would be better if her reset button was used more liberally.

:worship::worship::worship:

It now needs me some time to read and appreciate it all. So great. Mote later. B.

SP: You have initiated some mega Sam tsunami with the present thread!
Please tell me that this is how Sam's name translates into Japanese :lol:
 
#14 · (Edited)
1) What was Sam's best win of the year?
Vs. Venus at Charleston. A true achievement. Hope to find a video.

2) What was Sam's worst loss of the year?
From the consequences and stress point of view, The Errani match at Roland Garros. The Disaster.
Three other ones (yes there are — I mention it to let to let them out of my head and never see that again):
1. Madrid QF: Vs. Hradecka, and precicely the score: 6-7, 6-7.
2. s'Hertogenbosch R1: Vs. Flipkens, precisely winning the first set — only for a fews seconds, next losing it 6-7, 3-6 ; even in the books, it does not exist.
3. Osaka SF: Yung-Jan Chan 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, yes: Yung-Jan Chan…

3) What was Sam's best outfit of the year?
During the Northern American tournaments:


4) What was Sam's most under-rated win of the year?
Charleston: Vs. Venus at Charleston.

5) Which of Sam's losses were you most impressed with?
USO: Vs. Azarenka. Her best match of the year is not a victory. Next time.

6) What part of Sam's game has improved most throughout the year?
Her Back Hand Down The Line (under huge stress only), her serve variety, her mental to come back after losing the first set.
Three new key elements: 2012 is prolific.

7) What would you like to see Sam work on in the future?
Conclude her matches (especially in three sets): most of it is mental. Smashes and using the net a little bit more: most of it is confidence.
Working with Raj as a part-time hitting partner would be great.

8) What's the one match you wish Sam had won, that she didn't?
Mokba: Vs. Wozniacki, because that title was hers. 2012 would have been mentioned as a good year only for that fact. 2012 is declared as a problem of inches instead.

9) What was your favourite off-court Sam-related event of the year (e.g. press conference, picture, media piece, video, facebook message, dance routine)
This picture, because in fact Sam is like us in real life, when facing some very important event.


10) Imagine that Sam is in a tennis class at school and that you are her teacher. Write a brief report card assessing her performance this year.
Words are meaningless I’m afraid . Watching a video is the closest descripton.
I'm not sure you can teach Sam's tennis either…

11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)?
A GS Final and a GS Semi Final (RG/USO).
A better Oz. A R3 Wimbldedon. A trophy maybe at Stuttgart or Charleston. Another very good Asian swing. First victory Vs. Arareka and Vs. Radwanska.
2 titles (possibly including a GS). Top 5.
 
#18 ·
Here is a post on Sam’s official Website which I think match perfectly with our subject. It really like it — it does extend to conscience and fate. :worship: :lol:
B.



"One of the things I don't like about modern society is that results are valued so much higher than processes. You have not been able to achieve the results you were desiring for and others probably expected you to achieve. >>>>>The deeper the desire, the worse the results.<<<<< As long as it didn't come to inescapably decisive situations and constellations I saw some of the very best tennis from you ever. Lots of! But in those decisive situations, when it was all about reaching or winning finals or defending world ranking points etc. some demon prevented you from triggering your top performance.
One of my all time favorites is: 
>>>>>IT IS LIKE IT IS.<<<<<
There are things one has to accept. The subconscious is an ocean, the conscious the nutshell drifting and sometimes swirling around on this mighty and unsteady surface. One does not have to be religious to recognize that there are things that are bigger than we are. One can try to understand and sometimes this understanding helps to change seemingly rigid and immutable structures a little bit. But in all other aspects it is better to submit and surrender. And to concentrate on making a difference wherever this is possible.
As a matter of fact I am sure that it would be good for you to forget about goals and results and to concentrate on point for point tennis. But how to reach that???? Guess that it's more about thinking (or avoiding to think too much) than going to the gym...
As a matter of fact I like the way you lose! Winners often are like robots, somehow inhuman. Of course I like it much more when you win. No doubt about that! But when I try to imagine what goes on inside you in those narrow situations when you kind of lose yourself, I don't feel let's say pity or something like that but I do see a special and very human beauty in it. In our inhuman world paradoxically there is some beauty in losing.
But these perhaps are too offbeat and heretical thoughts and everyone who reads them hereby officially is entitled to call me a whacko. ;-)
Whatever happens: YOU ARE O.K.!!!"
By Christian.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Hey guys sorry it took me awhile to reply on this excellent thread Silverpersian had created. So here is my entry - warning, its very long....too much time on my hands at work:

1) What was Sam's best win of the year?

Although Sammy has not really had a title to cap off year, I will look back at 2012 as a year of progression in terms on her competitiveness against the players she usually struggles against i.e. Vika, Maria, Venus, Julia. In years to come, I think 2012 will really stand out to me because Sam played several really high quality and memorable matches – some of which she won and some she lost ( USO QF v Vika, Stuttgatt vs Maria, Cincy vs Venus). My choice:

Her win against Maria @ the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
It was great to see her notch up a win against Maria under “normal” circumstances. People will always say her win against Maria last year was “tainted” because Maria was not “fully fit” so it does not really count. The win was made even more memorable because it kind of mirrored the Stuttgatt match in that Sam was one set and a break up and lost her serve. For her to brush that off and stay on serve with Maria till the tiebreak was impressive. After Sammy missed her 4 match points and Maria had a set point, I was like, there we go again, but our girl hung tough and finally prevailed in the thrilling tie break on her 5th match point. Also who can forget her peach of a stretch volley at 5-4 in the tie break!

Honorable mentions:
a) Her win against Venus @ Charleston
A real challenging match for Sam due to the lopsided head to head record and the fact that Sam had already played a long 3 setter on the same day. Some great shot making by both players. I still remember the 2 forehand droppers by Sam (so not her type of shots!) that completely fooled Venus towards the end of the 3rd set. More of the same in 2013 Sam!
b) Def Schiavone @ Tokyo and Def Ivanovic @ Moscow
Two recent matches where Sam was looking likely the loser after surrendering the first set but came back to win in three sets. Her win against Schiavone was more significant due to the fact that she was down a break in the final set and won in 7-5 in the end. These are the types of matches that Sam usually losses. Hopefully it is a sign of good things to come in 2013.

2) What was Sam's worst loss of the year

Her RG SF defeat by Sara. The way Sam turned the match around in the second set just made it even more disappointing / heartbreaking - to see it all evaporate when the pressure was back on the 3rd set. It was a match that again exposed Sam’s propensity to let nerves consume her when she has “something to lose” – something I don’t really get. It would have been remarkable had she been able to pull off the win. It would have been such a confidence booster that would probably have prevented her loss against Rus @ R2 of Wimbledon as that match followed pretty much the exact pattern of the semis match in RG. Instead, coaches of other players will have a permanent note in their note pad to remind their charges that if you take care of Sam in the first set, the match is pretty much yours. :(

3) What was Sam's best outfit of the year? (see next post for some help with this)

To be honest, I don’t really like any of her Asics clothing thus far although I really like her training gear and of course her shoes. I really miss her in classy Lacoste gear especially circa 2010 – now that is what I call great clothing! The only one I kind of like is probably the one dress everyone on this forum hates:



Not a big fan of the frills in the middle of the dress but I much prefer the cut of the dress compared to the cross bare back / singlet type dresses Asics has given her this year as its more feminine. The lbd was nice but I am not a big fan of the narrow "spaghetti" straps. Could do with a wider strap, just feels a little ill fitting to me. Well, most of you like it so maybe it’s just me....:lol: I will take Lacoste any day! Sam did say she has more say on her dresses / colours next year, so I cant wait for that.

4) What was Sam's most under-rated win of the year?
I am choosing her win against Cirstea in Doha. I was impressed at how well she bounced back from the disaster of an Aussie summer, playing solid tennis throughout her week in Doha. Playing badly and bombing out to Cirstea early in Doha would have been a final nail in Sam's coffin for a solid 2012.

5) Which of Sam's losses were you most impressed with?

USO QF vs Vika
This one shades it over the Stuttgatt QF for me because it was just good all round tennis by both players and not just about the serves. Several factors made this match a lot trickier that the Stuttgatt QF:
a)It was centre stage on Ashe against a player Sammy had a terrible record against
b)The tough conditions out there on the day of the match – I was very impressed at how well Sam handled the windy conditions that day and how well Sam’s return of serves were, particularly off the backhand.
c)Sam had to overcome 0-1 deficit and come back from a break down twice(serving second!) in the third set!

Honourable mentions:
Her loss against Maria @ Stuttgatt
What more can we say about this match – Sam’s serve was in GOAT mode throughout. Unfortunately so was Maria’s :banghead:
Her loss against Venus @ Cincy
Great fight back by Sam after being blown off court by Venus in the first set. Pity about the lapse at the start of the third set. Could have gotten very interesting in the third set had Sam manage to keep the breaks of serve to 1 rather than 2. Great quality match though with lots of pure ball striking by both ladies. Also, who can forget the the 14ish shots rally that had Sam scrambling from side to side and up and down the court, finally winning the point in the end. It’s always sweet when Sam wins these points! Too bad it had to be off a Venus error. I'll take it ;)


6) What part of Sam's game has improved most throughout the year?

Her defence – her squash shots especially when stretched wide on the forehand wing is a great addition to her game. Who knew a defensive shot can be so offensive? The number of times her opponents misses the next shot after her shot “lasers” over the net is just pure gold. :bowdown:

Her backhand – her backhand down the line is fast becoming part of her artillery now. The only silver lining at the YEC was seeing her hit winner after winner off her back hand wing!

Her serve – definitely more variety in her placements of serves, particularly liked the use of the body serve especially against Maria in the Tokyo QF. The quality of her first serves dropped drastically after the her loss to Nadia in Tokyo. Can’t help but think its related to her injury.


7) What would you like to see Sam work on in the future?

As the old adage goes, sport is 90% mental and 10% physical. Sam’s Achilles’ heel remains her nerves. I am hoping she spends her off season working on this. Part of me wonders if this aspect was placed somewhat on the back burner at the end of last year due to her mental break through at the USO? She needs a technique that helps her block off anxiety on court and relax. We all know she can play her lights out when she is loose but the challenge remains, how to get her to stay loose when the stakes are high? There just has been too many occasions this year where playing a tennis match feels like a burden for Sam on court. She does not look like she is having “fun” on court. I find that she generally tries to appear calm on court but she has quite a bit of fire in her belly. I know Sam isn’t religious or anything but I think she should definitely consider meditation/Yoga? Just throwing it out there :lol:
I know she is not one for change but I seriously hope she tries to work with different sports psychologists, as I don’t think Ruth has really helped her get to the bottom of her “I am the favorite/expected to win” phobia. Read an interesting article on the success of Andy Murray this year being partly due to his great relationship with a new sports psychologist based in Florida (yes Florida! where Sam also resides!). Maybe Sam should check in with her? :lol:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/te...-put-on-winning-path-to-US-Open-success.html#

Her game
Sam could certainly use an additional hitting partner. Think most top pros have a coach and a hitting partner, like Maria and now Serena. Sam needs to address her issues with balls coming to her flat and at pace. Otherwise this will remain a problem the rest of her career. It certainly won’t go away and there are more and more players in this mould on the tour.

Serve
Seeing how much Serena’s serve has helped her in her matches this year – I am hoping Sam continues to work on her serve during the off season. Commentators have mentioned quite a few times how much emphasis Serena has put on practicing her serves this year. It certainly has paid off big time this year.
Sam could certainly do with a few more aces. From what I have seen her serve down the tee could do with a bit more consistency. She has been missing quite a few first serves down the tee recently – how much of it is due to her injury we will never know.

It is too late to develop a more consistent slice serve? It would certainly take off a lot pressure when she plays on grass. Also makes Sam’s service direction less predictable.

We all know that when her serves are doing the damage, the rest of her games just comes to together. So improved serve = improved game.

Also she should be position to respond when her serves are returned to her at pace, something she has certainly improved on but sometimes she is still gets caught off guard and flat footed. I.e. expect a return to come back with interest and deal with it. Neutralise her opponent's first strike and she is in the point.

Serve and volley: Lately we have seen Sam s&v a bit to no great success, but mainly it’s her execution of her volley that has let her down. The few times she tried this approach, she was comfortably in position to finish the volley but just tightened up the arm and missed the volley into the net. I was watching some of her old matches and was pleasantly surprised at how much she used this play back in c. 2010. It’s so refreshing and she has had good success with this play before so it’s a question of believe and confidence. I think it’s a great play just to shorten some points and adds some unpredictability to Sam’s game.

Return of serve
This is an area of weakness for Sam. Too often, Sam gives away cheap free points by missing returns of serve by smacking it into the net. Instead of trying for an outright winner all the time, no harm just placing her returns back deep as a first shot. At least make her opponent play the point.
She did say she was trying to improve on her ROS recently by being more aggressive. I saw this aggression during her match with Maria at the YEC – some of her returns were really fierce! Unfortunately she also missed 3 returns in a row when she was up 40-30 on Maria’s serve. As she isn’t close to being in competitive mood for the YEC, I will cut her some slack ;) We’ll see how it goes next year I suppose.

Note: I was looking back at her overall stats for the USO 11 - I was really surprised to find Sam placed third in the 1st serve return points won http://2011.usopen.org/en_US/scores/extrastats/f_srv_ret_won_ws.html and 1st in 2nd serve return points won http://2011.usopen.org/en_US/scores/extrastats/s_srv_ret_won_ws.html. Just unreal to me! So Sam does have it in her. She just needs it to show up consistently.

Net play
I definitely think she should try to finish more points on at the net as the longer the rallies the less it favours Sam. Also it is just more efficient than bashing 20 balls from the baseline especially when you have the shots to do it. There has been many times where I feel Sam should have closed the net after she gets her opponent is off balance but she chooses to stay back and sometimes loses the rally. Other times, its approach and hope – her approach shot lacks bite and she gets passed easily. Also you can't help but feel with Sammy that as she approaches the net, she is hoping she doesn’t have to hit a volley – when the ball does come over, she tightens up, her arm stiffens and she misses the volley – i.e. lack of “soft hands”. Drive volleys and smashes no problem – suppose you don’t really need soft hands for these shots? Again, the point goes back to getting Sam to relax on court. I am pretty sure she can execute these volleys 90% of the time on the practice court. Maybe B can enlighten us on this ;)

Backhand
While her backhand down the line has really improved to a point you can call it a weapon now most of the time, her cross court back hand sometimes lack pop. Her arms still seem quite stiff on this shot, one of the exceptions being the USO QF where it was really smooth and flowing. If she can work on this shot during the off season, add a bit more pop on it and get it back deep, she would be able to hopefully draw a weak reply to land the final blow to finish the point. I have also seen her on rare occasions go for acute angled cross court backhands, I think its great play to create width and open up the court - hope she does this more regularly.

Lobs?
The only lob I remember seeing Sam execute recently was during the 2nd set tie break vs Kirilenko at the USO last year - yes that long ago. I have seen her use the lob many times in her doubles matches so she does have the shot – hope she can use this more just to add another element of unpredictability in her game.

Margin of safety in her shots
The recurring theme / post match comments this season centres on Sam’s shots missing by inches. I don’t know, sometimes when I see Sam hit her forehands winners, I have often wondered, did it have to be so perfect /close to the line? Most of the time, she has plenty of court to hit into as her opponent is what she calls “jacked” off the court. Can she tweak her shots to be “less” perfect and thus have a higher likelihood on being in than out most of the time?

Being the aggressor and not be passive.
With the weapons at her disposal, she should be calling the shots. Again, boils down to neutralizing the first big shot (the return of her serve) - if she can get the ball back to the other side of the court with depth and maintain a position close to the baseline, good chance she wins the point. Easier said than done of course :lol: All I can say is drills drills and more drills. Also more aces definitely help. Exhibit A: Serena Williams.

Putting her foot down
Sam has been guilty many times of going a break up at the start of a set and then surrendering too easily and letting all her momentum go. She has to learn to put her foot down, take advantage of her good start and power on. That's what the top players do really well. The last thing you want to do is to give your opponents any hope they still have a chance in the match. Be ruthless and go for the early kill.

8) What's the one match you wish Sam had won, that she didn't?
RG vs Errani for reasons mentioned above – the lift she would have gotten from that win cannot be underestimated. Unfortunately, it was not too be. Damn it Sam! I had tickets for the final....I was going to fly over to watch you!:bigcry: Yes I am still bitter!

9) What was your favourite off-court Sam-related event of the year (e.g. press conference, picture, media piece, video, facebook message, dance routine)

Sam had a prolific year off the court. Loved her facebook posts and pictures but the Gangnam Style dance was just soooo left field and unexpected I just had to vote for that! Btw, if you guys haven't noticed....there are ABs(!!)on display in her latest post on FB. Just when you think you have seen it all with Sam ;)

10) Imagine that Sam is in a tennis class at school and that you are her teacher. Write a brief report card assessing her performance this year

Sam has been a very good student in class, does all her homework never misses her classes. Probably tries too hard. I want her enjoy her time in school rather that fret too much about results. Because when you are relaxed and enjoying yourself, good results are usually just around the corner.
Also, I know Sam’s favorite subject is PE but it’s all about finding balance. I suggest Sam signs up for yoga/medication to find her inner zen :angel:. Instead of her getting code violations next year, I want her opponents to get them instead. 2013 will be a success if more than 10 of her opponents destroys their racket Vera style while playing against Sam! :lol:

11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)?
Don't know how 2013 will pan out for Sam. The last few months has taken a toll of Sam both physically and mentally. Not sure if the 3 week break will be enough for Sam to pick up the pieces. On a side note, great to see her let her hair down and enjoying beach life @ Sydney. Poor kid needs it. A few weeks was all it took for Sam to bounce back after the mess of the Australian summer(that was the single most heartbreaking thing that could have happened to Sam after the success of the USO – so if she can bounce back from that, I am pretty certain she will be ok).

On the plus side, she has made quite a few improvements in her game so hopefully she can play herself back into form quickly with hopefully a decent draw and with a little bit more luck, who knows? I was looking at some stats of the top 10 players for 2012; one stat that Sam desperately needs to address is her 3 set win % when she losses the first set. Sam is at 5-8 (38.5%). All the other top 10 players are above the 70% mark, even Marion! The simplest way to address this, don’t let it go to three sets in the first place! If she can improve of this, the world is her oyster.

Since I am a glass half full kind of gal, here are my optimistic predictions for 2013:

- After her terrible run of luck with draws, she will get kinder draws in 2013! Starting with the Australian summer.
- Now simply a former US Champ rather than the reigning USO champ, she will be more relaxed going into the Aussie summer. She will
reach QF at Brisbane, get 2 rounds at Sydney and R4/QF of the Australian Open.
- She will lead Australia to Fed Cup victory against the Czech Republic beating Petra for the first time with some help from an in
form Jarka (who will lose against Petra and beat Lucie)
- She will do pretty well at Doha since she does seem to like the courts there and will finally beat Queen JJ at her Kingdom in Dubai.
- She will reach the QF at least in IW/and Miami.
- She will finally win her 4th title in Stuttgatt defeating Vika for the first time en route.
- She will avenge her loss against Sara at the QF of RG in a tight 3 setter, coming from one set behind to beat Sara 7-5 in the third,
defeat Maria in the SF and win Roland Garros defeating Serena (!!!) - because I will be there to see witness this!;)
- She will win more than one match at S-HERTOGENBOSCH.
- She will make it to at least R3 at Wimbledon
- She will have a decent USO series. Making one final possibly Toronto.
- She will make SF at the USO.
- She will finally make it past R32 @ Beijing defeating pushers along the way (I did say she will get kinder draws right?)
- She will qualify for YEC at position 7. Please qualify Sammy! I am planning to make a trip there before they leave Istanbul.
- She will team up with the Shredder for doubles sometime during the year and finally add the Wimbledon doubles title to her cabinet
after being the bride maids 3 times....

Will be interesting to revisit this thread @ end of next year to see how off the mark I was with my crazy predictions!
 
#23 · (Edited)
Hey guys sorry it took me awhile to reply on this excellent thread Silverpersian had created. So here is my entry - warning, its very long....too much time on my hands at work:
:worship::worship::worship:

It now needs me some time to read and appreciate it all. So great. Mote later. B.

SP: You have initiated some mega Sam tsunami with the present thread!
 
#22 ·
Wow!! What a great post, Annetcl! :yeah:

I probably agree with about 80% of what you said, and I think you are totally on the mark with your suggestions for improving her game. I'm really impressed with the obvious effort and thought that you put into this.

You're right....it will be interesting to revisit this later and compare results. Your post made me think of things I hadn't thought of before, so I'm sure I will be reading through it several more times in the future. :)
Now I have to run off to check the FB ab display you mentioned..... ;)
 
#33 ·
11) What do you predict in 2013 for Sam (ranking, tournaments, H2Hs with particular players etc.)?

Just gonna do this one. I want her to get back into top five and ascend to the top three. I hope she wins a clay Premier (preferably Stuttgart), RG and another hardcourt Premier/International to bring her titles to six! :sob:

Make top three first time in career, get wins against Vika, Petra, Maria, Aga, Venus and Serena.
 
#35 ·
Extract from the CNNSI article "Roundtable: WTA year in review"

Bold prediction for the 2013 season?

Nguyen: I have a few: Serena will complete the Serena Golden Slam by winning the Australian Open and French Open. ... Schiavone will retire at Roland Garros. ... The Brits will have a player inside the top 20. ... Li will win another Slam. ... The WTA will continue to struggle to find a title sponsor. ... Stosur, ranked ninth, will drop out of the top 20.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20121109/wta-2012-season-roundtable/#ixzz2BvDDiQHD

Ouch! Courtney losing faith in Sammy? I thought it was a really harsh - the pessimist in me thinks that even if Sammy does struggle in 2013, she should still comfortably remain in the top 20.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Shocking. She is unexpecting the unexpected. I just feel the opposite.
B.

EDIT:
I really felt Kerber at the USO Vs. Sam was her ultimate opponent and that her performance was absolutely not a fluke like Courtney thought at the time. Now she thinks Kerber is a real top 10 player. But if you look at the YEC, Kerber is the only player with a worse result than Sam: 3 losses. Sam aside, all the 2012 YEC players won at least one match, if I'm correct. Courtney should know Sam was exhausted since the Asian swing this year. I don't know for Kerber.
I don't want to extrapolate anything general here, I'm not a general WTA specialist, but there is nothing here to rationally "expect" Sam out the Top 20 in 12 months.
 
#38 ·
This is a ridiculous claim, based on nothing but a need to fulfill the request to come up with a "bold prediction". It would be different if Sam's current ranking was based on a couple of flukey results, but that's simply not the case.
 
#39 · (Edited)
I had a bit of a disappointment with uni, so I'm watching Sam's USO2011 final to pick me up. Always works a charm :worship:

I think Sam holding serve at 1-2 in the second set from 15-40 down might be the single most pride-inducing moment of hers for me :hearts:
 
#40 ·
I had a bit of a disappointment with uni, so I'm watching Sam's USO2011 final to pick me up. Always works a charm :worship:

I think Sam holding serve at 1-2 in the second set from 15-40 down might be the single most pride-inducing moment of hers for me :hearts:
Is everything okay?
 
#41 ·
^Yeah, I might just have to adjust my plans for the future a bit. Not the end of the world, just a bit disappointed at the moment.

Thanks for the internet concern :hug:
 
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