[-Sonic-]

"I'll just go out and play my game......" said the loser before the match....

Question 1:
Imagine this:

You are about to play a player who has beaten you 10 times on the trot, in straight sets each time. This player seems to love playing you.

You have a talk with your coach, what do you conclude for tactics?

Do you play your game, as you do for each match, despite this game earning you 10 losses, in the hope that they are having an off day, or that your game will be good enough today, or do you try something different, even if you're not as comfortable with it as you are with your regular game, just to try to show something else to the opponent so they get something they weren't expecting, even if its not your top game?

Question 2:

Do players these days go out and 'play their game' too much? Do they seem to think that their game is good enough to beat the opponent, no matter what their style is, what their ranking is and what surface the match is being played on? Which players are static in their games, and which change their game for each different surface and opponent?

 

[destructo_girl]

I don't know enough, to be able to answer the first question, or some of the last. But I do have a semi-opinion.

Do players these days go out and 'play their game' too much? Do they seem to think that their game is good enough to beat the opponent, no matter what their style is, what their ranking is and what surface the match is being played on?

I think it depends on the "game".
For EG(!), I'd say Martina could keep at it, and she can beat the power players, who are beating her so often, by playing her game.
But in reverse, I don't think a power player should keep at it, if they're losing to a player like Martina, if she's winning so consistently.

Of course, I'm probably being very biased in my views, but I really think that the brains may beat the brawn, depending on UEs and other things, but if the brain is so far ahead of the brawn, the brawn has to try something different, even if thats just beefing up even more.

Pfft, you may say of my opinion Well, me too. I have no idea what I'm talking about, either.

 

[destructo_girl]

Oh and BTW - what a cool title you've got, Sonic.

 

[Williams Rulez]

I think that if a power player of high calibre is on, then playing her game will win her the match for sure. If everything is coming at you within an inch of the baseline or sidelines, if every serve is hard and well place, I think you might as well pack up and go home.

If you've seen Pierce or Serena or Lindsay on, you'll know what I mean. There's absolutely nothing you can do. So I do think that you should try to play your game, but sometimes, when you are having an off day, you have to change up. A power player will psray balls on an off day, and that is unacceptable against a top ranked player. Maybe play to your opponent's weakness. If you suck at volleying, but your opponent sucks more at passing, then by all means, come to the net. You'll win the match.

So it all depends on a mirade of factors, and nothing is certain in this game.

 

[Volcana]

1) A lot depends on what 'my game' is. In 2000, when questioned about her game, the one thing Venus Williams always talked about was 'keeping my unforced errors down'. In other words, do the same things she did in 1999, only more efficiently. 2000 turned out to be a very good year for Venus.

But if this person has already beaten you on your best day, h_ll yeah, change it up. Come in behind those first serves. Use a lot of variety on the serve. Chip and charge. If you're up 40-love on serve, you can even try a drop shot from the baseline. (Your opponent will think you're relaxed and having fun.) It makes no sense to cede all control over victory.

2) Yes, today's players tend to stick to 'my game' a bit too much, IMHO. But some of that is the nature of the power game. The open stance forehand and backhand maximize hip rotation on groundstrokes. Hip rotation = power. This power is controlled through good technique. The worse your technique, the more UE's. So a lot of power player just try to get better at what they do, figuring they've been beating themselves. It doesn't help that Venus does it, and it works for her. This gives the idea validity. But in application, it usually fails.

Take, Jelena Dokic. Even on her best day, Jelena can be moved around the court by Martina or Jenn til they get the angle they want, and hit a winner. Jelena is athletic and talented, but not very experienced. Sooner or later, she's going to realize she can't rise much higher in the rankings if she doesn't broaden her game.

 

[Julian]

I think that the player should change their game in the match. For example, Arantxa lost to Martina Hingis 15 straight times! It wasn't until Amelia Island last year that Arantxa changed her mindset. I remember she said that she would act MORE aggressively and try to take the utmost advantage that she was given. And god knows Arantxa played UNBELIEVABLE that day, she was hitting winners, dropshots, going to net the best I've ever seen her play...(too bad she hasn't done that more often recently)

 

[Aci79]

ummm.. very interesting...

I guess what they meant by playing "your game" is to play comfortably and accordingly!

Most players have played each other so many times on different surfaces. I'm sure they know what type of game needs to be played each time.

I think it is just a matter of how well these players can play their game.