Next Best Hope
I only saw Peter Bodo for a few minutes here and there at Wimbledon, but he did mention as we said our goodbyes that he was going to do a post on Donald Young. It went up today, at Peter Bodo's TennisWorld, and for those of you who are interested in what a tennis writer that has been in the business for decades thinks of Young's career arc, it's a must-read.
And please, add your comments to his post. Most of you who are regular readers have much more familiarity with Young and his game than those who've commented.
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13 comments:
Collette,
Peter's take on Donald Young was an interesting one. However, when you next speak, could you ask him to explain how it is that Donald Young's 'beatings' on the ATP tour came about because he was offered wildcards and not because he accepted them (was advised to)?
Colette,
Peter Bodo is a great sports writer and has been around forever covereing tennis.
He is now back pedaling along with all the other tennis writers on Young.
Young was a CAN'T MISS to well we don't know.
Very interesting commnets from bloggers-- some are very knowlegable and some really aren't that familiar with Young.
Bodo got it wrong about the number of Grand Slam Championships that Young had, missed it badly.
Still, enjoyed the article.
All I hear is negative about DY. Why are so many people so jealous of his success? Sure, he's had more wildcards than ANY others. And, he's earned MOST of them in some fashion. Be it, winning a super national, la petite as, grand slam or winning rounds in other professional events. He's reached the semi's of a couple of challenger's and yesterday WON the Aptos Challenger...Whether he wins all the grand slams more than once as he has stated, give the guy some credit. He can flat out play! He may never be top 100 in the world but I won't be surprised if he is does accomplish some of his goals. Most of you are dreamers. He's living and WORKING at his dream. You gotta believe it to be it and most of you negative people are only talking him down because you don't have belief in yourselves, so you talk down others. Too bad...
If DY doesn't reach Top 100 in the world, how is it possible that he accomplished any of his goals. He would be considered a major bust.
He's almost top-200 already. Of all the players who have won a challenger and been top-225 by their 18th birthday, what percentage have *not* gone on to be top-100. Young's critics are rapidly losing ammunition to attack him with.
I said I wouldn't be surprised if he accomplished some of his goals. Obviously, if he did accomplish his goals, he was better than 100 in the world. Do you have a problem reading the english language?
"He may never be top 100 in the world but I won't be surprised if he is does accomplish some of his goals."
If you go back and read the above sentence, then you can see who has trouble understanding the English language.
In the same sentence you say that he may never be top 100, you add that you won't be surprised if he accomomplishes his goals. Nice way now to turn around and try to deny the first part of your sentence even though its saved.
Go back through Grammar School and then maybe we can engage each other in a conversation when you have finally gotten your English basics down. I don't want to be talking with somebody whose intelligence is much lower than mine is.
I can see why you're so jealous of DY. It must be very difficult to have such low self esteem.
anon 7/25/07
just because someone doesn't agree with you or thinks Young is not going to go anywhere does not mean he has low self-esteem,jealously, or being negative.
It just might mean -he doesn't think Young has the stuff to be a top player.
I can assure you that I am not negative, jealous, etc.
Yet, my comments from the other day are as follows:
Congrats to Donald Young on winning his first Challenger.
Just so there isn't any misunderstanding. I always said he had great hands, speed, smarts, angles, etc, his downfall is his fight and heart, not even his height to a great degree.
There is a great difference between being ATP #150, 100, 50 and top 20 and of course top 10 and 5.
I have always said he has the stuff to be top ATP 40-70. He is a good player, but not as good as everyone thinks.
I still don't think he has the stuff to be as good as the "EXPERTS" say (top 10 or better).
I don't think he will be a franchise type player (top 10) like most people think, but a journeyman. Not there is anything wrong with being a journey man - except you don't earn any money of note.
This is not said out of envy or being negative- it is just my opinion and every one is entitled to an opinion. This is what I see in Young as a tennis player.
The only caveat to my thoughts are-- he has to change what he is doing in reference to heart and fight, if he does change -that would be a different story.
Hey Anon 7/25/07,
The dude you're posting to hasn't even made an opinion about if Donald will make it or not, he's just pointing out the contradictions in your statements that's all. You might have just mis-phrased what you were trying to say, but he's just going by what you wrote down, not what you meant. So quit bashing him, all right unless he comes out and makes his opinion about Donald.
To Man in the Moon:
I have read almost all your posts about Donald (on all platforms) and agree completely. The guy has amazing talent (more God-given talent than Querrey, except size), but you're right, he has a tendency to throw in the towel when things aren't going his way. I was just wondering if he doesn't have the complete belief yet because in the Juniors when he dropped the first set, you could guarantee he would at least take it to the third (and usually prevail). Now he's more likely to throw away matches after he's dropped the first set. Do you think he just had more belief and confidence that he could pull it out (and in his overall game being better than his opponent's)? It just looks like he doesn't believe in himself as much though, to his credit, he seemingly has begun moving past this transition/ growing pains with his recent results on the Tour.
DONALD YOUNG FOR PRESIDENT!!!!
Anon 7/26/2007
You pose a very interesting question.
Donald is / was just outright better than most juniors (smarter, better hands, speed,etc). He would either get bored, lose focus and know down deep he could beat you in the juniors. He was just better.
Typically players with huge weapons- serve, forehand know they can take a point or two off and still come back with a winner.
Young's style of play typically does not allow for that to happen (not being there on each and every point ala the South Americans, really good clay court plaerys, Hewitt,and Chang.
Nadal and Fed are the top players in the world because they have all the stuff and still don't lose focus to often and when they do-- they get right back into it on the very next point.
The great pros (top 5 or 10) typically have something extra special- Sampras serve, Fed Ex everything, Nadal everything) and than add passion, fight, heart which is typically off the chart and than you have a world class player, who will win multiple grand slams.
In the Pros - Donald will never, ever dominate as he has done in the juniors -- so he must find the fight, etc. or he will be a journeyman.
The only thing that breeds confidence is WINNING on the ATP Tour. Losing 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 does not build REAL confidence. Just like your Mom or Dad saying you can be that guy, Johnny- that is just not going to do it.
The difference between winning and losing in a pro event ( tennis, BB, football ) is miniscule. In a 1 hour game of pro football the outcome could be on 1 or 2 plays.
You can't go to sleep for games at a time --like Donald would do in the juniors because the ATP Pros smell it and you are toast.
He really has to change his philosophy (mental approach) to do something in the Pros.
He will do OK- with what he has top 100 - 150 without much change in his game- maybe.
But to break the top 40 he is really going to have to change what he is doing.
This is compared to Roddick who even in his first 2 pro events (which I saw first hand) you could tell he really, really had something special and would be a top 10- 15 player in a relatively short time.
Anything better than top 10 - it depends on what is on the inside of the player-not the outside.
Even though I have been very critical of Donald -I wish him all the best and I know he is trying very hard - sometimes that is just not good enough to be the best in the world.
Unfortunatley most Americans only really notice the top 5 players in the world, and probably couldn't name the # 10 player in the world.
Man in the Moon, thanks for your assesment. I completely agree with everything you say.
I believe because Donald Young has been in the US tennis spotlight for so long (dominating the older US kids at such a young age) that people expect so much out of him. He won Easter Bowl 18s when he was 14, but wasn't always dominating the international juniors as much as people believe (i.e. only two junior slams).
I think people in the US are overating where he will end up in his pro career because he is American and they are desperate for an American champion (similar to Roddick). They won't be able to believe that someone as good as him won't be able to make it. Now I am not saying that he isn't going to make it, but he has yet to demonstrate that he has something that his other peers don't. Remember Kenneth Carlesen was the #1 junior in the world, but only cracked top 65 in the world. I think his case is similar to Freddy Adu's in soccer, people thought they would instantly dominate like LeBron did in basketball.
I wanted to make one last remark that Marin Cilic of Croatia whom I believe Donald finished ahead of in the Junior ranks in 06 has already has some success on the ATP Tour. I think it should be seen if Cilic and Young turn out to be like Baghdatis and Tsonga, finishing 1,2 in the junior ranks but have since gone on in different directions (though Tsonga occasionally appears when he pulls off the rare upsets but hasn't achieved the success of Baghdatis who further developed his game).
I hope Donald continues to develop his own game and add the intensity, fight, motivation, passion, and focus that Man in the Moon was talking about to achieve success on the Tour. Good luck, Donald.
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