Kisavoitolla Draper nousis aivan Fritzin kantaan taistelemaan top4-seedistä Pariisiin. Tuo olisi erittäin arvokas sija koska tiedetään, et listan kärkikolmikko on ehkä paljon vaikeammin tuossa kisassa voitettavissa kun muut kaverit top kympistä. Ja sillon top kolmosen kohtaaminen mahdollisimman myöhään on tietysti jokaisen tavoitteena.
Top nelosen ulkopuolelle jää vielä eräs serbi, kenen RG-kunto kyllä aivan hämärän peitossa sitten aikanaan. Valmistava massakausi mennyt kardinaalisen huonosti ja Roomasta vielä vetäytyminen päälle ei nyt välttämättä kovin hyvää lupaa.
Zverevin kisakunto edelleenkään ei ole top-luokkaa, mut sittenhän sen näkee kuinka hyvin kunnonajoitus onnistunut kun isot bileet alkaa. Ruud valahti Barcelonan epäonnistumisen jälkeen ulos top kympistä sijalle 15, mutta korjausliike otettu välittömästi ja liveissä ollaan nyt takaisin sijalla 10. Kisavoitolla sijalle 7 ja se on mielestäni toinen iso vedenjakaja tuo top8, silläkin nyt väistää RG:n kaaviossa kärkikaverit aina sinne kvartseihin asti
Tossa Ruudin ajatuksia parin päivän takaa, pallot taas keskiössä
I talked with a former player the other day, a very experienced player, who said that, For me, since I came on tour, which was early 2000s, my game was working really well, but towards the end of my career it wasn’t working as well, and I really felt like the ball changed during COVID.
So players are, because I was talking to him trying to seek advice on certain things like, you know, I feel like the players are handling my heavy shots like way better now than when I kind of came on tour, which was pre-COVID, and they’re able to just step in and rip the damn thing back, and I’m kind of surprised how well people do it.
And he responded, Well, for me I felt exactly the same at the end of my career, and I personally believe it’s the balls. And I really never thought about that. He said that the balls are kind of easier to go at these days. Before they were more lively and they were more bouncy, and now they’re kind of all the same pressure, pressurized.
So, it’s good for commercial things, because you probably see more rallies and stuff. But I guess the new young generation who kind of came up after COVID are used to it. And if you look at the majority of the players who are young and good players already these days, they really rip the ball from both sides, I mean, there’s no really holding back. And that’s great, if they’re able to put the ball in aggressively, why not.
But I do feel like there’s been a real change in tempo because even when I play on clay, if I play like somewhat of a short shot, before I felt like, Okay, I will, the opponent’s not going to rip the ball back. But these days it’s like I don’t feel like I can do one slight little mistake, or hit one ball a little short before the opponent just goes full power and comes to the net or goes for a winner.