Is Kei Nishkori proof against modern game ?

[Mike Sams]

Kei seems to appear indoors when the season is coming to an end. What was he doing most of this year because I certainly didn't see him after the AO.

[corners]

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

So are the experts wrong in saying that you have to be 6'4" and must have 130 mph serves and big time power as well as speed to win big tournaments and majors ?

Any experts who said this apparently haven't noticed that none of the big four are 6'4" and only rarely hit serves at 130 mph. Power, yeah, they have that. Speed, yep. But Kei has these things to, just in a smaller package. Smaller guy with big game!

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

Off topic but what tension does Kei string his racket at ? I like to duplicate it in hopes of playing just like Kei did in the final of Japan open.

I don't know what Nishikori's tension is but using his racquet or his tension is not what's going to make you play like him.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

5'9" or even 5'10" is indeed short for pro tennis these days. When was the last time a guy under 6 feet tall won a Slam or was ranked #1?

Rios and Agassi I guess would be the last unless some clay bunny like Gaudio was shorter than 6 feet tall.

[NadalAgassi]

Not really at all. I like the guy and happy he won a decent sized tournament for himself today, but he still hasnt come anywhere near cracking the upper echelon of the game. Not sure how high he can go, but his ever winning a slam would be a huge surprise.

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

Not really at all. I like the guy and happy he won a decent sized tournament for himself today, but he still hasnt come anywhere near cracking the upper echelon of the game. Not sure how high he can go, but his ever winning a slam would be a huge surprise.

I love this kind of post. Half the TT board EXPECT Raonic to win a slam, but Nishikori? NOOOOOO.

So, who won the event in Tokyo, again? And who did they beat in the final?

I LOVE this place!

[NLBwell]

Originally Posted by Bobby Jr

Rios and Agassi I guess would be the last unless some clay bunny like Gaudio was shorter than 6 feet tall.

Juan Carlos Ferrero is listed at 6', but I'd be surprised if he really is that tall.

(Sorry if I'm wrong, J.C.)

[nereis]

Originally Posted by dangalak

Agassi wasn't a great athlete. Connors is incomparable to the modern era. Chang didn't have great power either. Neither did Hewitt. Ferrer is strong, but his shots don't have explosive power either. Nalbandian has the power to do damage, but he also isn't a great athlete.

There are many different types of talent in the athletic sense, especially when it comes to tennis.

All of those guys hit far harder than their height would imply, Agassi and Connors especially. What all these guys have in common is incredibly strong trunks, good timing and great strength:weight ratio in general.

Connor's contemporaries included guys like Tanner, Ashe, McEnroe and the like who were all taller than him but could not generate the same kind of pace off of both sides.

Agassi's power is prodigious and a function of his father's Olympic boxer genes and incredible hand eye coordination. He emerged on the scene hitting harder off of both sides and earlier than just about anyone else in the sport.

Chang and Hewitt both could produce pace and crack winners. I'm not sure what anyone is saying about them being powerless. Both were evenly matched with the players of their day and could hit winners. Here are some examples of what kind of pace they can generate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=396qtU_GcnA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Yf1ZsWRQQ

Ferrer and Nalbandian likewise have stout strength and would likely be able to overpower someone like Djokovic in a straight up lifting contest. That both can overpower taller men off the ground (like Davydenko) is a testament to their ability to time the ball and generate lots of torque into the shot.

What these guys have in common is that they are all unusually strong, have great hand-eye coordination and that allows them to be evenly matched off the ground with taller men.

These type of men are very rare, and that means that there will always be less of them than 6'5 guys who can rely on their length of limb to generate pace.

[SoBad]

Originally Posted by jaggy

Or attack cities and eat their buildings

Kei Nishikori does not eat buildings.

[Razoredge]

Nishikori would be a much better player if the courts were faster than they are now.

Just look at his run through in Tokyo, where the court's are a bit faster, look at his match against Bagdhatis. Complete ownage.

[Razoredge]

BTW, the dogma of so called tennis experts is just that, dogma and nothing more.

Look at Justine Henin's domination before she retired, a chick that size with that game could never ever be a champion in the "modern game" they said. It's all about the Sharapova's and the Serena's they said.

Complete garbage.

[tennis_pro]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

I love this kind of post. Half the TT board EXPECT Raonic to win a slam, but Nishikori? NOOOOOO.

So, who won the event in Tokyo, again? And who did they beat in the final?

I LOVE this place!

Exactly, Tokyo. I think those who expect Nishikori to win a major are insane. I also think those who think Raonic will win one are nearly as insane.

[merwy]

Originally Posted by tennis_pro

Exactly, Tokyo. I think those who expect Nishikori to win a major are insane. I also think those who think Raonic will win one are nearly as insane.

Well that just depends on how good the future generation (the one after Raonic and Nishikori) will be. In time, the current top 10 will retire (I'm not looking forward to it) and the ones left will be players like Raonic, Nishikori, Dimitrov, Tomic, Goffin, Janowizc. If the future field stays that weak, Nishikori and Raonic might have a chance. Especially Raonic with his serve can try and win Wimbledon.

[Sabratha]

Nishikori winning the Japan Open isn't proof of anything. He just wanted the tournament more than anybody else.

[smoledman]

Kei is the modern Agassi.

[Sabratha]

Originally Posted by smoledman

Kei is the modern Agassi.

If the modern Agassi was a tier below his true self, then yes.

[Clay lover]

Well, Tim Lincecum, Pedro Martinez, Billy Wagner and a handful of other sub 6" guys could throw harder than the tall guys. A LOT of short guys could hit hard in tennis. I think they are not as successful because of their serve and their relatively smaller optimum hitting range.

[rufus_smith]

come on, think:
J. Tipsarevic (atp#9, 5'10" real height) ;similar game body and similar game

[citybert]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

I'm not saying that it's impossible to hit with power if you are not tall, but it's just easier to do so if you're tall. Guys like Del Potro and Berdych don't even appear to be swinging that fast but can still generate tons of power. If you're short, it requires more precise timing and taking the ball earlier. And of course, it's much easier to blast serves if you're taller.

^this, being taller gives you more torque on the backswing, hence more natural/effortless power. Look at baseball and also golf. shorter golfers need to rely heavily on their short game all the time. It's physics

Messi is an exception to short athletes what an amazing guy.

Perfect tennis height is 6'1-6'2 imo, gives power and doesn't hinder movement or trouble hitting slices.

Novak is 6'3 but he also has a long head and neck -

[NLBwell]

And 6'1", 6'2" or so has been the ideal size since the early days of tennis. Many guys have been shorter than that and won slams and been the top player.