[smarties]

Surely it's more than a coincidence that Errani, Vinci, Schiavone and to a certain extent Pennetta are so strong mentally. They are not the most gifted physically or talent wise but boy they never give up and don't choke as much as, for example, most of the Russians. Is it cultural, is it the psychological support from the federation?

 

[dencod16]

I don't know about physically, their physic is up there.

 

[Tennis Fool]

No, I don't think it's mental, I think it's their game of good percentage tennis, lead by strokes with lots of topspin.

 

[Potato]

I love the passion they play with.. but yes, it is because they are grinders with a high margin- their game is less likely to go AWOL unlike the Russian ballbashers.

 

[Vespertine69]

I think it's part mental and part technique... if you play with more spin (as the Italian players generally do) then I think you are better able to control your shots when you are tight and nervous. Whereas if you play flat and hard (as with most of the modern players really) then your margins are slim and can less easily accommodate nervous tension.

 

[RNW]

Vinci is NOT STRONG mentally. That's a really weird thread.
We saw her so many times in front. Like in Paris Indoors, it was horrible.
She had no chance against Bartoli although she was the better player.
And then again and again.

Schiavone is a fighter, but she lost a lot of tight matches.
So did Pennetta.

 

[SVK]

Vinci is NOT STRONG mentally.

I agree with this, Roberta was/is known as a choker, she probably found a confidence now, when she is winning match after match, but I remember many matches when she blew a huge lead and/or lost because of her bad play in deciding moments. However, her latest results surely can help her.

 

[Shvedbarilescu]

I agree with this, Roberta was/is known as a choker, she probably found a confidence now, when she is winning match after match, but I remember many matches when she blew a huge lead and/or lost because of her bad play in deciding moments. However, her latest results surely can help her.

Things like mental strength come and go. A player can be strong mentally at one stage in their careers and mentally weak at another. Roberta is actually a good example of this. For much of her career she has had periods where she let quite a few winnable matches get away from her. But since her amazing comeback at the start of the hard court season against Wickmayer, Roberta has been playing with admirable belief in herself.

And as you say, nothing helps enforces mental strength more than winning a few close matches and nothing hinders it more than losing such matches.

And yet today's losing streak can always become tomorrow's winning streak and vice versa in this crazy world of tennis so even those that are struggling mentally at the moment might one day have their day when they too suddenly become mental GOATs.

 

[LoLex]

I'd rather ask what makes them so strong physically.

 

[smarties]

I think it's part mental and part technique... if you play with more spin (as the Italian players generally do) then I think you are better able to control your shots when you are tight and nervous. Whereas if you play flat and hard (as with most of the modern players really) then your margins are slim and can less easily accommodate nervous tension.

yep, never saw it that way; makes sense.

 

[Madoka]

pennetta and mental strenth in the same phrase ?

 

[Rui.]

Didn't schiavone lose like 10 finals before finally beating Meusburger to win her first title?

 

[Gutturnio D.O.C.]

Didn't schiavone lose like 10 finals before finally beating Meusburger to win her first title?

She lost 8, but still many. I don't really think Italians are mentally strong. Schiavone and Errani have good fighting spirit, Vinci has great technique, but when it's time to close matches, it's trouble. Think of Errani's 2nd service on 6-4 in 1st set tiebreak today Surely at the moment winning helps them win. It's matter of confidence.

 

[jrm]

i said it before, people underestimate a solid, consistent player (what Errani is)

 

[melodynelson]

Tiziano Ferro leads their way.

 

[tennislover22]

:lol:They are NOT Russians

Seriously thought, I would say they are more of overachievers than giant in mental strength.
They work extremely hard

 

[thegreendestiny]

No. They're not. Better question, why do all Italian top players (Fran, Sara, Robi), have the same built?