How do I win points against this guy

[kevhen]

First time he wins 6-2 and he was up 2-0 in the second when he had some chest pains (he had a lung collapse a couple years ago) and had to retire. This time he wins 6-1, 6-0, 6-0. I was like 1/7 on game point conversions.

The kid is 24 years old, 6'1, 140 pounds, counterpuncher with excellent backhand, decent forehand, extreme wheels. He returns well and serves ok.

First time I played him I went with my strengths, backhand to backhand and slice approach to his backhand. The rallies went ok but his passing shots were way too good. So I attacked his forehand more on approaches and he made some errors.

This time around I stayed away from the backhand and then realized his counterpunching skills and started hitting the ball slower and more into the middle of the court but couldn't keep the ball deep enough to keep him from attacking with angles which he loves with his great footspeed and good placement so now I was doing all the running.

He handles my flat and slice serve well. I was able to hit some aces with topspin serves outwide to his backhand as he cheats to the middle to take more balls with his outstanding 2hbh.

He basically takes away my 2 biggest strengths, first serve and backhand. He doesn't really have weaknesses but does lack some strengths in not being a great volleyer (but it's hard to hit good dropshots because he is so fast) and he doesn't attack my slow weak second serves like most 4.5-5.0 guys would.

Next time I play him I am going to hit harder again and go at his backhand so it's my A game against his A game since my B game against his B game was pretty ugly double bagels last night. I do need to shorten the points somehow and maybe try to attack his serve (with dropshots?) which is just ok. I may throw up more lobs too as he hates slow balls and he just pushes them back.

Any other suggestions? I think I have a bad matchup in that all parts of his game are just a little bit better than my own. When I first met him I thought he was 3.5. Then I warmed up with him and thought he was 4.0. Then I played him and thought he must be 4.5. Now I played him again and starting to think he is 5.0. He did play D3 last year and had a winning record on a winning team playing at the #1 singles position.

[Geezer Guy]

Sounds like his weakness is the chest pains. I suggest that before your next match you treat him to a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, sausage, and potatoes.

[tommyho]

the result is quite severe to suggest a diff. tactic...
but you got to keep tryin'...!!!
my advice is always play your A game and try to get him to play into ur game rather than his...
seems like if u'd try to get him to the net more often, u'd get some free points....

[ChrisNC]

Sounds like his weakness is the chest pains. I suggest that before your next match you treat him to a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, sausage, and potatoes.

And then run him side to side, drop shot, then lob. Rinse and repeat.

[Dimethyl Sulfoxide]

The easiest way to beat anyone under 6.0 is the heavy topspin shots that land deep. It doesn't actually need to be too heavy as long as it goes high and deep. I watched my coach (6.0 player) work a 5.5 player by hitting very high to his backhand. Eventually it forces a short ball or at the very least you control the rally.

[golden chicken]

during the rally, take everything he hits at you on the rise and shorten up your court. this takes time away from even the fastest players, and also allows you to really be agressive on those short floaters--which you play to his forehand.

also, i'd suggest using your kick serve 90% of the time, as you said it was your most effective serve and he wasn't attacking it. its slowness will also allow you to serve and volley on occasion as a surprise tactic.

another thing you could try is to use your backhand and hit dtl off of his cc bh. mix up how you hit this shot. hit with slice, then with topspin, etc etc

[Thanatos]

First time he wins 6-2 and he was up 2-0 in the second when he had some chest pains (he had a lung collapse a couple years ago) and had to retire. This time he wins 6-1, 6-0, 6-0. I was like 1/7 on game point conversions.

The kid is 24 years old, 6'1, 140 pounds, counterpuncher with excellent backhand, decent forehand, extreme wheels. He returns well and serves ok.

First time I played him I went with my strengths, backhand to backhand and slice approach to his backhand. The rallies went ok but his passing shots were way too good. So I attacked his forehand more on approaches and he made some errors.

This time around I stayed away from the backhand and then realized his counterpunching skills and started hitting the ball slower and more into the middle of the court but couldn't keep the ball deep enough to keep him from attacking with angles which he loves with his great footspeed and good placement so now I was doing all the running.

He handles my flat and slice serve well. I was able to hit some aces with topspin serves outwide to his backhand as he cheats to the middle to take more balls with his outstanding 2hbh.

He basically takes away my 2 biggest strengths, first serve and backhand. He doesn't really have weaknesses but does lack some strengths in not being a great volleyer (but it's hard to hit good dropshots because he is so fast) and he doesn't attack my slow weak second serves like most 4.5-5.0 guys would.

Next time I play him I am going to hit harder again and go at his backhand so it's my A game against his A game since my B game against his B game was pretty ugly double bagels last night. I do need to shorten the points somehow and maybe try to attack his serve (with dropshots?) which is just ok. I may throw up more lobs too as he hates slow balls and he just pushes them back.

Any other suggestions? I think I have a bad matchup in that all parts of his game are just a little bit better than my own. When I first met him I thought he was 3.5. Then I warmed up with him and thought he was 4.0. Then I played him and thought he must be 4.5. Now I played him again and starting to think he is 5.0. He did play D3 last year and had a winning record on a winning team playing at the #1 singles position.

Kevhen, I know exactly what you mean. I have to same problem with this 4.5 guy. But the one thing I've realized is that he plays with more consistency and control then I do.

For example, several times during a match I have an easy put away or open shot. I end up missing it or just shanking the ball bc of poor concentration/focus and inability to control the ball during critical points.
I now work hard on hitting the ball cleanly and developing more consistency in all my strokes (volley, serves, fh, bh, overheads, etc.) I really think to beat this guy you need to develop more consistency (placement) and control of your shots. It will take time and a lot of practice. Good luck.

PS.
I still lose to this 4.5 player, but once in awhile now I'm able to take a set. Before it was a crushing 6-0, 6-1.

[kevhen]

Last two posts are right on. I need to continue to improve consistency and placement especially with my forehand, since he gets most of his short balls that way and even though I am pretty consistent, he doesn't make errors so I end up making the error or he runs me until he has enough court to hit his winners.

Moving inside the baseline is a good idea. He doesn't hit that hard unless I give him pace so I can take the ball early and hit with more angles. I do enjoy taking the ball on the rise so it's a fun strategy for me to try. Next time when we warm up I will just stand in front of the baseline and be all practiced up by game time. I would rather be the dictator than do all the chasing like last night, win or lose.

I did serve and volley some and won a few points that way but his passing shots were good and low and I did make some amazing shoe string volleys that landed deep but then he threw up some awesome lobs. I will go to net as a surprise and when I can slice low to his forehand.

Hit side to side, dropshot, lob, rinse and repeat is a good ideas too if I can pull off that variety of shots each and every point. He is so fast though that I do have to hit like 4 great shots to open up the court for a winner. I noticed that the first time I played him. Against most people I can hit a winner within 2-3 shots but with him it's always 4 or more which takes tremedous concentration to hit aggressive shots and know they will likely come back and then are forced to hit another one and another one and another one...

He is
5.5 footspeed
4.5-5.0 backhand
4.5-5.0 return of serve
4.5 forehand
4.0 serve
4.0 volley

Me
4.5-5.0 first serve
4.0-4.5 backhand
4.0-4.5 footspeed
4.0 forehand
4.0 return of serve
4.0 second serve
3.5-4.0 volley

[Burt Turkoglu]

.....you said that the guy had a collapsed lung before....then I'd smoke a cigar on the changeovers and blow the smoke in his general direction.....if that doesn't work, threaten to beat the livin' bejesus out of him at the changeover....see if that affects his play......

[Xevoius]

Strengthen up your volley and overhead, chip and charge and pay close attention to outcome percentages.

To get wins in the 5.0 arena, you are going to have to start sticking your volleys and the best way to do this is to schedule a doubles match as part of your weekly practice routine.

When you play, force yourself to think that you don't have to finish the point in one volley. Let that first volley force the other player to hit a shot where they have little time to set up with the pressure of someone standing right in front of them. Then try to finish the point on the second or third volley or overhead.

Think about getting as much depth as possible too on the volley as this can be murder.

I watched a buddy of mine go through a full and competitive 5.0 draw in Southern California like a hot knife through warm butter and it was like these guys hardly ever faced someone at the net.

His service game plan was to kick the serve to the backhand without much pace giving him time to get just inside the service line for the setup volley and then trying to put the ball away on the third shot.

Sure some of the guys who made the quarters and semis would at times in the match pass my friend with some extremely hard and well placed groundstrokes but the percentages always played to my friends advantage.

He has a really good ground game but he prefers to let the 5.0 level players try and rip balls by him. He has played some Open level players before and this was pretty much not the case. They could consistenly pass him if his approach was not that good.