Alexander Zverev's serve and forehand steal the limelight, but don't be fooled: It's his backhand that carries more of the workload, and is relied upon the most to elevate him up the Emirates ATP Rankings. Twenty-year-old Zverev defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Sunday, shaking up the pecking order in the tennis world and surging into the Top 10 along the way. Zverev's serve was impressive in the final. He hit seven aces, winning 84 per cent (27/32) of first serve points and 69 per cent (9/13) of second serve points. He didn't face a single break point for the match. The German's forehand was also strong with five winners, including a 161kmh (100mph)...
All he does is win. Rafael Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem 7-6(8), 6-4 in the Mutua Madrid Open final, moving to 15-0 on clay this season, with every aspect of his game operating like a well-oiled machine. Nadal's dominance was felt all over the court, but the following five areas were where he specifically created his separation. Long Rallies Overall, Nadal won nine more points than Thiem for the match (88 to 79). The Spaniard more than accounted for that margin just in the longer rallies of 10 shots or more, winning 12 more points (20-8) than Thiem in this specific area. The long rallies also served the purpose of fatiguing Thiem both physically and mentally, especially after such a grueling...
Rafael Nadal is a master illusionist. He makes us think he dominates the longer rallies. He makes us focus on his athletic side-to-side movement. We see the “Spanish X” practice drill when he competes, moving up and back in the Deuce and Ad court, hitting a medley of forehands and backhands. It's all just an illusion. Rafael Nadal defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-3 in the final of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Sunday by dominating the short points en route to winning a record-setting 10th Monaco title in just 76 minutes. You would naturally think that two Spanish clay-court specialists competing at sea-level on a cool, overcast afternoon would grind and grind, and grind some more. This match simply didn’t materialise...
Never compromise what makes you great. Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4 in a close Miami Open presented by Itau final, with Federer's forehand serving as the difference maker. Nadal's forehand, on the other hand, failed to have its usual impact in the match, primarily because he was not as committed to hitting it as much as he normally is – especially as the first shot after the serve. With Federer winning their past three matches, it's understandable that Nadal was looking for variations and creases to his normal strategy. It’s smart to look for counter moves, offer different looks and to try to rattle the cage in Federer's mind. But ultimately, Nadal adjusted too far and strategically lost...
The length of a rally tells you a lot about the personality and mindset of the player controlling it. Roger Federer defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5 in the final of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday by owning a very important slice of the match that most resembles the moves and countermoves of playing chess – the mid-length rallies of five to nine shots. Shorter rallies are all about striking first with the serve and return. Long rallies are all about patience and wearing your opponent down, both physically and mentally. Mid-length rallies are a thinking man’s game. This is where shot combinations come into play, and where Federer clearly gained the ascendancy in the match. 2017 Indian Wells Final -...