tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post2892251493830901236..comments2024-03-26T09:23:26.937-04:00Comments on ZooTennis: Hibi Takes Girls Title at ITF Grade 1 International Spring Championships; Kozlov Keeps Record Perfect Against Wiersholm to Claim Boys TitleColette Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14905215531491180014noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-52023047602087955962013-04-10T01:06:47.085-04:002013-04-10T01:06:47.085-04:00Well Said Russ, kudos.Well Said Russ, kudos.AJTnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-25022228736689054652013-04-09T17:01:58.089-04:002013-04-09T17:01:58.089-04:00Why is Larry considered a terrific coach - just be...Why is Larry considered a terrific coach - just because you coach top players does not make you the best or one of the best.<br /><br />He NEVER developed any of those top players - only had them when they were already multi-millionaires. The best coaches are the one how develops the player - not books practice courts at pro events. <br /><br />Makes me angry when he stereotypes American players as being soft without any justification. Sounds like he is completely out of touch with juniors, college, and professional players. <br /><br />Makes me angry when he says that crap in front of American juniors, coaches, and the press. <br /><br /><br /><br />junior coachnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-21727445853535576812013-04-09T14:27:27.703-04:002013-04-09T14:27:27.703-04:00Tennis, of all the sports, is a veritable rubik...Tennis, of all the sports, is a veritable rubik's cube of what it takes to become great. One element out of whack and you end up failing. And yet how often it is said that it's all mental. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it's the alchemy of gifts and talents that is lacking. We are all given gifts to play the game: physical, mental, spiritual, psychological. Some players have great will but have shaky backhands that undermine the will. Some players have the heart of a lion but are tortured by doubt. Everything has to be in sync and it ain't easy. If it was, we would all be champions. We all fight our demons, improve our weaknesses, and attempt to soar with our strengths. But sometimes the other guy just puts it together better than you. And sometimes in today's global age there are more good players than ever before. Ask the Bryans if they were soft in their match Saturday, or if Bozoljac just put together his game better than they did.<br /><br /><br />So what is soft, but the outsider's cheap conventional wisdom masquerading as definitive truth. Having seen my son's generation play juniors for over seven years I will never question their heart, their desire, their effort, their sacrifice. I respect them all far too much to ever call them soft.russnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-52618981640398388062013-04-09T14:26:14.475-04:002013-04-09T14:26:14.475-04:00lledgmcIt peeves me to no end to hear someone call...lledgmcIt peeves me to no end to hear someone calling players soft, and it's especially galling at a junior tournament. Being an ATP coach, Stefanki probably has no idea what goes on at junior tournaments. Is it soft to play in 100 + degree heat with the sun crushing your brain in San Antonio for four hours? Or in Florida on clay in the high nineties with unbelievable humidity when you can't drink enough water to replace all that you're losing? Is it soft when kids are carried out on stretchers and have to spend not just a night, but days in a hospital recovering from full body cramps, dehydration, heatstroke? Is it soft when kids are puking all over the court and keep playing? Sampras' puke becomes the stuff of legends when he does it once, but I have seen junior tournaments where this was a way of life. <br /><br />Or are these kids soft because they don't train hard enough to play in these conditions? I didn't hear anyone call Ferrer and Murray soft after playing only 2 hours and 45 minutes in Miami and they were both doubled over in pain and exhaustion. Juniors matches at the the national clays often go longer and they aren't playing for money; in fact most of them aren't even playing for a career, they're just playing not to lose that day. Is that soft? To give it your all for the moment of triumph that only you will ever know and cherish?<br /><br />How bout when poorly trained trainers can't diagnose injuries and kids play entire tournaments with stress fractures and muscle tears, popping pills to endure the pain? How bout when kids go crashing into the clay or concrete or umpire chairs and net posts ending bloody and bruised yet keep on playing? Is it soft when someone tears an acl or the ligaments in their wrist and keeps on playing? <br /><br />Is it soft to forsake school and home, to transplant yourself to some academy and live tennis morning, noon and night while your parents spend tens of thousands of dollars a year helping you chase a dream? Is it soft playing the futures circuit knowing that it is a losing financial proposition, and that there is a significant emotional, spiritual, psychological. physical toll being paid for staying in cheap hotels, eating nasty food, playing some of the worst courts you could imagine in some of the worst conditions you can ever believe and then losing the effing match because you have the flu, or you rolled your ankle the day before, or your shoulder is messed up because you had to go big the day before? Is it soft to weigh the pros and cons and decide that even if it's a million to one shot that you'll ever create a career that's financially rewarding, you're going to sacrifice your twenties for a dream?<br /><br /><br />Or is soft something else? Like choking in the clutch, or underperforming in a big match in a big tournament, or retiring so often with injuries that Roddick mocks you and everyone laughs in basic agreement. (There are still people out there questioning Djokovic's injuries, calling his rolled ankle in the recent Davis Cup exaggerated.) Are Federer, Murray soft for blowing match points and then losing? Did Federer tank the 2008 French open final when lost 1, 3, 0? That last set was as sorry a performance as I've ever seen and to think it was delivered by the "greatest of all time". Remember when Lebron was too soft and not clutch enough and now that he has won a title the question some ask: is he better than Jordan? Is that what soft is, the fan's frustration that x player or x country doesn't have the results that said fan thinks he should have? And does soft become tough and clutch when a player wins a major championship? And if major championships are the criteria, I don't remember Stefanki holding up any trophies. Was Stefanki too soft for not making it to the top? Was Roddick too soft after winning his only major and never being able to beat Federer? Or are there other elements in play here?<br /><br />to be continued)russnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-15073314319052547672013-04-09T01:08:10.943-04:002013-04-09T01:08:10.943-04:00Colette
thank you for your answer. The one thing...Colette<br /><br />thank you for your answer. The one thing that does not make sense to me is Roddick may had a willingness to change but never did or applied the change under Stefanki or even before him. <br /><br />Also I do not like when people take shots at American tennis without giving specifics. I do like that he is not afraid to speak up and voice his opinion but when you say a problem please give a solutionUS Tennisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-21732965170593457972013-04-09T00:19:24.719-04:002013-04-09T00:19:24.719-04:00Stefanki talked for over an hour, and in depth abo...Stefanki talked for over an hour, and in depth about Roddick's game and how they worked together to improve it. It was obvious he felt Roddick had a willingness to accept coaching that Monfils does/did not. But I don't want to simplify his comments too much, because context is important.Colette Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14905215531491180014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-22787124798120515432013-04-09T00:03:57.302-04:002013-04-09T00:03:57.302-04:00What Larry said about American Men being soft is a...What Larry said about American Men being soft is a generality of what the conception is so it is nothing new. I want to hear specifics. <br /><br />I hope Larry would be positive and give advice on how to improve American tennis rather than insult and tell how soft Americans are. <br /><br />Did he talk about how he could not improve Andy's game or get him to be more aggressive?<br />US Tennisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-66970208396496228242013-04-08T22:55:11.503-04:002013-04-08T22:55:11.503-04:00Jack Sock got another wildcard into a main draw ev...Jack Sock got another wildcard into a main draw event in Houston. <br /><br />Main Draw singles wildcards: San Jose, Memphis, Delray Beach, Indian Wells, Houston<br /><br />This is the 5th main draw wildcard in the 8 events he has played. The other 3 events he played - lost in qualifying. <br /><br />No wonder Larry thinks American men are soft.You Cannot be Seriousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-12589611255148687282013-04-08T22:23:24.914-04:002013-04-08T22:23:24.914-04:00Colette
Amazing he called USA players soft. Did h...Colette<br /><br />Amazing he called USA players soft. Did he go into detail into why he thought that?<br /><br />Now that Patrick MCEnroe, Jose Higueras, Jay Berger have been in charge for several years, what difference have they made in changing the culture in Men's Tennis? <br /><br />Larry is a great ATP coach but his recent player Andy Roddick never changed his game to succeed in his career. All the small tweaks was hitting his backhand down the line and getting in better shape. HIs court positioning was so far back and sliced all his backhands. He played like Ferrer and counter puncher. <br /><br /><br /><br />Regarding Larrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-59561709162899399322013-04-08T22:10:20.092-04:002013-04-08T22:10:20.092-04:00Interesting how Stefanki commented on how he would...Interesting how Stefanki commented on how he would NOT take the Monfils job because Gael would not change his game BUT he accepted Roddick's gig even when Andy told him he was not going to change the way he was going to play. Andy played the wrong way - too defensive for the past 6-7 years. <br /><br />Did Larry address that in his speech? <br /><br />contradiction.....noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10016685.post-87230438098203063202013-04-08T09:50:19.031-04:002013-04-08T09:50:19.031-04:00Duke women lost two more matches having to forfeit...Duke women lost two more matches having to forfeit at #6 singles and #3 doubles. They have another injury, so their newly added player, Lipp is actually playing #5 now.<br /><br />It's amazing how tough this season has been. Going from one of the favorites for the National Championship to just trying to field a full team.<br /><br />Maybe it's time for the Standing TKOTKO?noreply@blogger.com