M1nd G@me$: The Future of Tennis

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Roger Federer, one of the best players of the sport, adds a rare spice to his unmatched game-something that most players fail to do. Some of Federer's closest rivals, including the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, fail to do this better than Federer. While many players play their strengths better, Roger exposes his opponents weaknesses to win matches with ease. Let's show you some numbers.

Player
Tournament
Strengths
VS Federer
Previous Match
Hyeon Chung
BNP Paribas Open 18
2nd Serve Return Points Won
43%
75%
Tomas Berdych
Australian Open 18
1st Serve Return Points Won
17%
50%
Rafael  Nadal
Shanghai Masters 17
2nd Serve Return Points Won
21%
55%
Grigor Dimitrov
Rotterdam Open 18
2nd Serve Return Points Won
20%
50%
Alexander Zverev
Halle Open 17
1st Serve Return Points Won
56%
82%

Performance Against Federer

  1. Hyeon Chung: 56%
  2. Tomas Berdych: 34%
  3. Rafael Nadal: 40%
  4. Grigor Dimitrov: 40%
  5. Alexander Zverev: 65%

                                                           


What's wrong with these players when they play against Federer:
  • Are they intimidated by the presence of a superior force on the other side of the net? NO
  • Do they choke whenever they play Federer? NO (That's not an imaginable coincidence!)
Well, I firmly conclude that Federer uses this one ingredient in his game that makes him a class apart. Federer understands that he cannot match the growing baseline demands of today's fast -paced tennis game. Instead, as a resort to longevity, he chooses to bring down his opponents strengths massively(as we saw from these numbers) and win points.

Comments

  1. Sid25 May 2018 at 06:45

    Interesting analysis. But exactly how does Federer accomplish this?

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  2. TeNps2 June 2018 at 03:20

    Federer studies his opponent's game in the initial stages. Then, he does exactly the thing that would neutralize the opponent's strength. For example, for good serves, Federer reads his tendencies to be prepared to receive it early. Also, some players like to play out wide while some others like it closer to their body. Federer studies these small aspects and ensures that he exposes their weaker zones. This, in turn, makes them falter even with their strengths in an attempt to try something different against a player who seems to have the answer to all their tactics!

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