In this post I want to have a quick look back at the US Open and especially the finals matches.
Men’s Final
Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal for the sixth time in a row this year to win the US Open title. Djokovic has still only lost two matches so far this year and the level of Tennis he is playing is absolutely superb! The end result was 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-1 and Nadal really only had a chance in the third set. For the rest of the match it seemed like Djokovic was always in control!
What Makes Djokovic So Good Right Now ?
Novak’s game has risen to an unbelievable level and as a result his confidence has also skyrocketed. There have been three major changes in Novak’s game that I believe are the reason for his success.
1. Djokovic Is Playing Super Aggressive
Today there are so many good players out on Tour that can play phenomenal on any given day. In order to be successful you have to play extremely aggressive. Of course doing so in every match over a long period of time is very difficult but Novak has managed to do just that this year.
He takes balls on the rise without hesitating, especially on the backhand. Going for big shots is now just a very normal thing for him. In order to be able to do that on a consistent basis you have to move incredibly well though, which is the second improvement in Djokovic’s game.
2. Djokovic Is In Better Physical Shape
Novak has always been a good mover but in the past he used to get tired a lot in the big matches. You could see him breathing hard after long rallies and he did not seem to have the confidence to go toe to toe with Nadal on a physical level for long periods of time. In 2011 this has certainly changed!
3. Djokovic’s Serve Has Improved
Novak’s serve has been shaky in the past. There were already stretches when he served really well but for the most part he couldn’t rely on the serve when he needed it. In 2011 he is serving well and doing that on a consistent basis!
What Does Nadal Need To Do To Beat Djokovic ?
Losing so many important matches in a row against one of your close competitors can be really devastating mentally. If one player can handle this kind of a situation though, it is Rafael Nadal.
The problem is that the answer for Nadal is not to fight harder but to play smarter!
He needs to make a few tactical adjustments in order to have a chance at beating Djokovic in this form. Here are a few tactical considerations for Rafa:
1. Play More Aggressive
2. Stop Slicing The Backhand
3. Stay Closer To The Line
4. Go For Big Shots With Forehands And Backhands
5. Run Around The Backhand Less
If Nadal is looking for the answer to the Djokovic puzzle he needs to look no further than the third set of the US Open final. Nadal won that set and what did he do ? He did pretty much exactly what I described above. He started hitting through his backhand instead of slicing it, he started going for big shots with his forehand and his backhand and generally he tried to take it to Djokovic instead of trying to counter-punch!
Click on the text link below to have a look at my article on the rivalry between Novak and Rafa!
Women’s Final
Sam Stosur beat Serena Williams in a big upset to become the 2011 US Open champion. Not many people expected Stosur to win this match and certainly not with a 6-2 6-3
score!
There were a couple of really interesting things going on in this match that are worth taking a look at!
First and foremost, Sam Stosur served really well and Serena Williams didn’t really get her serve going. The serve is a big part of the equation for Serena and it just wasn’t good enough in this important match. Stosur on the other hand hit quite a few big first serves, but even more importantly, she caused Williams trouble with her kick second serve.
Stosur is the only woman I know off that can really hit a heavy kick serve that troubles opponents. Serena usually punishes opponents second serves relentlessly, but she was not able to attack Stosur’s second serve the way she would like to.
Not serving as well as usual and not being able to punish the second serve left Williams in a lot of baseline rallies with Stosur and in those rallies Stosur simply outplayed Williams!
A key factor for Stosur’s dominance in those rallies is her heavy topspin forehand. She is able to hit this forehand with a lot of speed and topspin, similar to how the guys on tour hit it. There are not many female players yet that hit this kind of a forehand. Justine Henin was able to hit the ball hard and heavy and she used a similar technique with a lot of pre-stretch generated in the forearm!
Would be great to get a reading on how many rotations per minute Stosur’s forehand has. John Yandell from the brilliant website http://www.tennisplayer.net has taken these kinds of measurements in the past. I would bet that Stosur gets more topspin on the ball at a similar speed compared to many other female players!
With that combination of speed and spin, Sam can make her opponents move because she can hit better angles and get Serena out of balance. She can also get the ball up high out of Serena’s favourite strike zone!
Serena was probably a bit surprised at how well Stosur was playing and she ended up playing a bit too passive.
Last but not least I was quite surprised that Stosur seemed to have complete belief and the confidence that she can beat Serena in a Grand Slam final! I would have expected her to at least be a bit surprised that she plays so well and that she is winning, but it seemed like she expected nothing else!
I am very curious to see how Sam Stosur continues on after this big victory. Her game is certainly really dangerous and causes opponents lots of trouble. If she can stay strong mentally she might establish herself as one of the top players for the next few years!
