French Open Day 4

Robby Ginepri lost his rain-delayed match, so for the first time in the open era, no American men have made it to the second round of the French Open. No sense in making excuses or getting superstitious. There's a challenge there. Kinda like a ditch that needs to be dug. You guys know the American way: just go dig it.

Of course the Europeans love their clay, especially that slow red clay of Paris. It is a disadvantage to the Anglosphere, especially Americans, and it showcases Europe's best talent. When you're the host, you choose the surface. To be a world champion, you have to master all the surfaces.

Doubles is (strategically) the same game game on any surface. Only shot selection sometimes changes, because you might opt for a setup shot in a particular situation on clay, when a finishing shot would score outright on a faster surface.

But singles is a vastly different game on different surfaces, so it isn't just a matter of learning to slide into your shots.

But as different as clay is, you still CAN hit aces and rush the net on clay. Andy Roddick seems to be saying that something is different about these clay-courters now than when Stefan Edberg was beating them by attacking the net.

It's just that you can't get away with so-so approach shots on clay. In my opinion, that is a large part of the reason why American men are having such trouble on clay. They like to wham crosscourt approach shots. And wham crosscourt net-rushing serves.

Fine if you nearly force an error because the shot is just too tough to handle. But otherwise...(hint, hint) look at the PASSING ANGLE. On a slow surface, your opponents will be able to take advantage of it better.

That ain't an approach shot: it's an attempted winner you follow up in case the ball returns. A low percentage shot. And if you press harder to make these pseudo approach shots more forcing so you don't get passed or drilled on your wy to the net, you start hitting a high percentage of them out. Catch-22. And you lose.

The goal of an approach shot is to draw an easy first volley. Nothing less, nothing more. There are other ways of accomplishing that besides whamming the ball.

The men who have advanced into the second round are: Roger Federer, Potito Starace, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Mikhail Youzhny, Tommy Robredo, Janko Tipsarevic (defeated Marat Safin), Filippo Volandri, Nikolay Davydenko, Michael Llodra, Gael Monfils, David Nalbandian, Kristof Vliegen, Guillermo Canas, Juan Monaco, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Novak Djokovic, Marcos Baghdatis, Jan Hajek, Juan Pablo Brzezicki, and Jarkko Nieminen. Ten second round matches remain to be completed.

Marat Safin is very disappointed:

Well, I'm 27 years old, and I'm already downhill on my career.... It really made me disappointed because I was very close to win the first set 3‑1, Love‑30. And he serve, slipped away, the set. And of course, he started to play much better, even though that I made a break the first game of second set. And I was just a little bit sad that nothing came together. Like I said, nothing, it didn't click. And then I start to be a little bit scared and had a little bit of pressure. He started to play much better and he was feeling that I'm not playing my best tennis. And altogether, I could analyze the situation, but I couldn't do anything against it. And that's why it was really frustrating for me.... I'm not really into playing between being around 50 in the world. It doesn't really motivate me to play good tennis and travel around the year. And the max we can make, second round, third round, and the position in the top 50. I make one semifinal somewhere in a small tournament and that's it. So it doesn't give me enough motivation to continue. But if it doesn't really click and it doesn't really make any radical changes and nothing comes up, then I will see. Of course, there is a hope. Of course I want to play tennis, and it would be a sad situation to leave with being a struggling player. So I really hope that that can change and play another three, four years. Why not? But those are ‑‑ depends on the mood. Maybe I don't want to play anymore next year, maybe in two years. I don't really know. But really, of course I wish to continue being not 24 in the world, being a little bit, at least, closer to the top 10.

I am struck by the diction, which you hear echo in many players. They seem to be fatalists. As though the outcome of their efforts is determined by the gods or something. Isn't there a happy medium between thinking you can do anything you put your mind to and thinking it's all up to fate? Between thinking that you control your destiny and thinking that no matter what you do, it won't matter?

Come on, Marat, don't listen to yourself. I love your game.


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