[selesfan1]

her game isn't as exciting to watch anymore.

I guess this is what I mean. When she was winning slams, number 1 etc. her game dominated in other words, she did what she wanted with her game to the other players. Now, by just watching I get the feeling she kind of has a more defensive brand of tennis. Like she has to play this way to get herself out of trouble , not play thsi way because she can or wants to. In the last 3 matches, including today you have similar stats back from 2000, 2001, etc. as far as unforced errors, service percentages but you don't see her beating players with her game but rather it's more like she's saving herself with her game. Am I just crazy or has anyone noticed this as well.

I just want to quickly reiterate I am not bashing Martina. She is one of 2 reasons i got into tennis. I saw her play Monica at Family Circle cup in 1997 and was wowed by both. I am glad to see her back as she was my first celebrity crush. I was only 13 at the time and she just seemed so cool that i wanted to put blue streaks in my hair like she did. I am glad she is back and hopes she starts winning big events again with her smart tennis.

 

[RR-87]

Modern tennis is much powerfull than in Hingis's era, so Marti is trying to destroy her opponent game, to make her to do one mistake, then another and finally player gives up. I think it's clever tactic from Martina and it reminds me Myskina three-four years ago

 

[SvetaPleaseWin.]

i only really got into tennis after hingis had retired and i was expecting more of a schnyder style game from hingis than the sugiyama style she currently has.

im not insulting her-her tactics seem to be working but i just thought her matches would be a bit more interesting

 

[kaki]

I saw her playing yesterday and what I have to say is that I wasn't impressed at all by her game,she didn't use much variety like she used to.

 

[thrust]

The way Maria was hitting the ball yesterday, few players would have the time or power to respond the way they would like to. Martina needs a stronger serve to get into the top 5. She is, I think, a sure top ten in the near future.

 

[dinhd82]

You cannot be playing the game she played years ago, although it was a thing of beauty it would be killed with today's power. Martina is trying a different approach and she's improving so I'm sorry you feel that way, Martina is beating a lot of players this way so I'm happy for her. Only thing is she needs to quit hitting those short in the court shots and really work on her serve for real!!!

 

[hdfb]

I didn't see the match, but I'd agree with thrust. I saw all Martina's matches AO, she was by far the most entertaining and had the most variety.

 

[mike/topgun]

Martina was outplayed by Masha. Masha played great, copied Davenports tactics from 98-2001. She reminded the Lindsay Davenport from 98 USO or 2000 AO when the American bashed Martina. Hingis' never really had a tactic to overpower those opponents who played as well as Maria did yesterday, who could step in and dictate their own pace, style and precise.End of the story. The serve needs to ger better though to avoid those kinda situations like the one which was in the first set up to 5-1 in Marias favour.

 

[Veenut]

Her game is same ole, same ole to me and not one that I enjoy either. Getting balls back and basically relying on your opponents errors to win is a yawn for me. Of course when the big hitters have off days and make lots of unforced errors her chances to win increases but if they are playing well her chances evaporates quickly. Some people enjoy this style of play and good for them but I enjoy those who dictate play and create winning shots.

Hingis style of play cannot consistently win against the big hitters. She will get occasional wins but I just can't envision her defeating 3-4 big hitters consecutively to win a major. She would need the help of others to take out some and clear the path for her. She can win, but she would need the help of others to clear the path for her.

 

[Ms Tracy Austin]

her game isn't as exciting to watch anymore.

I guess this is what I mean. When she was winning slams, number 1 etc. her game dominated in other words, she did what she wanted with her game to the other players. Now, by just watching I get the feeling she kind of has a more defensive brand of tennis. Like she has to play this way to get herself out of trouble , not play thsi way because she can or wants to. In the last 3 matches, including today you have similar stats back from 2000, 2001, etc. as far as unforced errors, service percentages but you don't see her beating players with her game but rather it's more like she's saving herself with her game. Am I just crazy or has anyone noticed this as well.

I agree with you 100%. Davenport beat herself, when she hit the ball in in the second set you saw what happened. The match versus Safina put me to sleep and I turned it off, and the match versus Sharapova was only mildly entertaining. Hingis will only be fun to watch when she is playing someone that she can toy with, running them around, hitting drop shots and lobs, making them look silly. I also noticed during the Davenport match there were no dropshots by Martina, because she rarely had the time or comfort to do so... a sign of how the game has changed since she left.

:wavey:

 

[-VSR-]

I like watching her play.

 

[crazillo]

I also think that variety like she had before simply isn't enough any more. She still has her skills, but she knows that other things have become more important. Other skill players became problems the last few years (Farina-Elia, Martinez, Maleeva) and I guess Martina saw that, too.

 

[gugak]

I agree with you. With her current style of play, she can't beat the top players without their help. If she wants to dominate the field again she has to be more aggressive.

 

[spencercarlos]

her game isn't as exciting to watch anymore.

I guess this is what I mean. When she was winning slams, number 1 etc. her game dominated in other words, she did what she wanted with her game to the other players. Now, by just watching I get the feeling she kind of has a more defensive brand of tennis. Like she has to play this way to get herself out of trouble , not play thsi way because she can or wants to. In the last 3 matches, including today you have similar stats back from 2000, 2001, etc. as far as unforced errors, service percentages but you don't see her beating players with her game but rather it's more like she's saving herself with her game. Am I just crazy or has anyone noticed this as well.

I just want to quickly reiterate I am not bashing Martina. She is one of 2 reasons i got into tennis. I saw her play Monica at Family Circle cup in 1997 and was wowed by both. I am glad to see her back as she was my first celebrity crush. I was only 13 at the time and she just seemed so cool that i wanted to put blue streaks in my hair like she did. I am glad she is back and hopes she starts winning big events again with her smart tennis.

It depends on the day, the day she beat Sharapova at Tokio she had more winners and fewer errors than Maria. Maria is just playing really well right now, you can´t expect Martina, a non power player, who retired for 3 years, to comeback and handle the power the way she used to (2000-2001). She is doing extremly well, ranked in the top 25 already with just 7 tournaments, its incredible.
Beating a fair share of power players and two top ten players along the way, this just in 2 and half months of play. Do people remmember when Venus Williams went blank in top ten wins for more than a year from 2004-2005?.... I think she is doing pretty well, of course, she will need to change a couple of things, and be more agressive, and incorporate some net play in a consistent basis to her game (she is been very successful at net on this comeback).
Honestly i love to watch her, but surely yesterday´s match was really bad for her, only producing 8 winners, its not that good. But im sure she will work on that, she knows that if she wants to beat this top players, she will have to produce. We´ll see.

 

[spencercarlos]

I also think that variety like she had before simply isn't enough any more. She still has her skills, but she knows that other things have become more important. Other skill players became problems the last few years (Farina-Elia, Martinez, Maleeva) and I guess Martina saw that, too.

Dont even try to put this players on the same category as Martina.
Martina used to overpowers this players.. enough said.
Martina has shown that her game is still competitive, still not GS winning tennis form of course, but she has shown already with 7 tournaments that her game still makes some impact. 5th ranked player in the world in the race for year, is way better than expected for her... game .. which people always said was old and not able to compete today..

 

[spencercarlos]

Martina was outplayed by Masha. Masha played great, copied Davenports tactics from 98-2001. She reminded the Lindsay Davenport from 98 USO or 2000 AO when the American bashed Martina. Hingis' never really had a tactic to overpower those opponents who played as well as Maria did yesterday, who could step in and dictate their own pace, style and precise.End of the story. The serve needs to ger better though to avoid those kinda situations like the one which was in the first set up to 5-1 in Marias favour.

When Masha is on she can be very tough to play against, because she hits so hard, and serves well too, i think Martina can lose to a player playing this way, is very understanable.
Serena lost like that at the Wimbledon final, Masha made her look really bad. Lindsay has been dominated in her meetings with Masha.

 

[wally1]

I tend to agree with the thread starter. In her comeback (and the latter part of her "first" career) I get the feeling the much vaunted variey in Hingis' game is a case of the Emperors new clothes, and a hangover from when she first appeared on the tour. Now she wins by consistency more than anything else. The very odd drop shot in a sea of baseline rallies with hardly any trips to the net doesn't equal great variety in my book...

 

[spencercarlos]

Now she wins by consistency more than anything else. The very odd drop shot in a sea of baseline rallies with hardly any trips to the net doesn't equal great variety in my book...

First she is a consistent player, a defensive player, who of course relies on that to win matches. I think she already has realized where she is, the question is where she wants to be... and if that top is her goal, she will have to add a more agressive attitude in her matches. But...
To deny that she has a variety game is :retard:
She and Henin are the only ones to employ different shots, really well at any time. Great net play, great touch, great defensive playm slices.. i mean the whole package, that variety is the one that has kept Martina far in tournaments.

 

[pepsigal]

well, she's not the one to blame ... seriously

 

[Rachel_]

Against accomplished top 10 players Marti is playing out of her comfort zone being forced to run forever and hit big.

HOWEVER Marti is probably the only player that can let these big guns beat themselves with her immaculate consistency.

As she is the only player on the tour that can play a set of tennis without making an unforced error and that in itself is a very big advantage as it makes the opponent i've got to go for the lines to beat her. Hence play more low percentage shots and make more errors.