Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes
Stepanek is one of those guys you don't want to see in the first week if you don't have to. Given his current ranking he's probably going to be an ugly first or second round match for someone.
I'm jealous you've gotten to go to the US Open so much. It's still on my list of things to do: night matches in the first week. Watched a lot on television. I remember some classic Aaron Krickstein matches.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyssa
I tend to forget about Stepanek. I wonder how the field sees him? I agree he can e a dangerous player at times....SNIPPED...
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Yep, Stepanek is the definition of a pro journeyman player, of which there are a ton of out there. Ooodles of talent, but never quite out it together besides an occasional deep quarter run. Still, I feel he is for sure one of the guys the top dogs hope to avoid in the first week.
Yeah, I been damm lucky with being around so many Opens. Seen some incredible matches, met some awesome folks [my idol Mac near the USA booth one year during a night rainout on Grandstand...forget Super Saturday and the Finals - best action, purest US Open experience is first week/mid second week, Grandstand squatting all day/night]
My usual sched at Flushing Meadow is first Friday/Saturday day session, then must see night session on Wed or Thursday. Awesome
@afa: Nah, 28 is nearly ancient in men's tennis.
I hear ya, and it may be true in other sports, but rarely [I think never really] do you see guys dominating beyond 30 these days. Fed didn't peak too early - he peaked just at the right time - 16 majors, with a couple more to come, I am sure. Not too shabby right? And of course, a helluva claim to GoAT.
He will need to pull out his best tennis now, all the time, hitting 5th gear right from the start of a match instead of how he could cruise to demolition victories [in large part because 90% of the field he faced during those platinum years had already mentally given up the match in the lockeroom against Fed]. That sheen of pure invincibility is severely tarnished now - I don't think Fed has lost his edge as much as the rest of the field has gotten much closer to him.
He will need to play more aggressive, shorter points though IMO and he has to come in a lot more, accepting he's gonna get passed. I think in his "prime" period of dominance, his ego drove him to beat guys down by being better at their own games. Can''t really do that so much anymore, not with the depth and quality of the guys out there.
The guys have smelled blood in the waters for a couple of years now but lately, they have also gotten a taste of the Fed stuff.
We will see.