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Bionic Poster
He's right. Nick Kyrgios and others are you listening?
https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/dimitrov-toronto-preview-2018-sunday
Dimitrov: "Talent Doesn't Win Matches"
- Thread starter Mainad
- Start date
He's right. Nick Kyrgios and others are you listening?
https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/dimitrov-toronto-preview-2018-sunday
Checkmate
Legend
Don't know why people say he tries to copy Federer.
Might just be his own natural game by a fluke chance.
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
Think it's a little too similar to be completely coincidental. I do think there's a certain symmetry between strokes that makes more likely you emulate shot b if you emulate shot a too.
Checkmate
Legend
I think he wouldn't make Top 100 if he was just 'fanboy-mimicking' Fedr's strokes. Have you watched any of his 5-9 yrs old videos ? Curious case this chap is.
coupergear
Professional
So by implication, he has as much, or more talent than anyone else. Sounds like in his mind he knows he could have already won multiple slams if he really wanted to. Um. Ok.
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
If you train long and hard enough it becomes your natural stroke, not to mention any decent pro could fanboy mimick any technique they like and wipe still wipe the floor with club players.
Im(moral) Winner
G.O.A.T.
He was mimicking Fed even back then.
Legend of Borg
G.O.A.T.
sadly, i feel like grigor's time is up
late 20's, not a single GS final appearance in 10 years, disappointing chain losses to the top 3, "shock" upsets at grand slams almost every time, etc.
when is he gonna get it together? in his late 30's? 40's?
chances for a stanimal like late career revival are rare and he doesn't have that kind of game to just blow people off the court
his biggest achievements are off the court
late 20's, not a single GS final appearance in 10 years, disappointing chain losses to the top 3, "shock" upsets at grand slams almost every time, etc.
when is he gonna get it together? in his late 30's? 40's?
chances for a stanimal like late career revival are rare and he doesn't have that kind of game to just blow people off the court
his biggest achievements are off the court
wangs78
Legend
It's not his strokes that hold him back, it's his mentality. This whole "focusing on the positives" is a very millenial way of thinking. And yes, it has its pluses (pun intended), but at the end of the day nothing motivates like pain-inducing hunger. That is what all the young guys need, but none of them have it because they are all too comfortable, with Dimitrov being the most comfortable of them all.
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HetTheGreaterer
Banned
Also, Neither the power physique as that of stan, nor the fighting mentality
heninfan99
Talk Tennis Guru
I knew this years ago when Nalbandian lost to Roddick.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
Massive talent coupled with limited physical conditioning sure worked for McEnroe. So Dimi is 100% wrong that "talent doesn't win matches." It sure as hell does, just ask Mac or Federer.
MasturB
Legend
Lol.
He made it to #3 in the world copying Federer's strokes.
His biggest weakness is movement. He's lankier than Rog. His footwork is not very good which is why he slides all over the place. His forehand is decent but it's still very limited once you know which parts of his forehand suck.
And one thing he doesnt do like Rog is net game. His volleys are not very good at all.
He made it to #3 in the world copying Federer's strokes.
His biggest weakness is movement. He's lankier than Rog. His footwork is not very good which is why he slides all over the place. His forehand is decent but it's still very limited once you know which parts of his forehand suck.
And one thing he doesnt do like Rog is net game. His volleys are not very good at all.
MasturB
Legend
Crazy to compare Mac's time at the top with the game now.
There's nobody you could definitively say in the top 100 or more that has limited conditioning and is getting by strictly on talent. Even Dimitrov is exceptionally conditioned.
True Fanerer
G.O.A.T.
It's hard to take anything like this serious from Dimitrov. If I were him I'd be off the record with anything people can smear me with or joke about. He's got enough problems. Already said he wasn't afraid of Fedal.
BringBackWood
Professional
agree with everything except I think he volleys pretty well. The summary is though that most parts of his game are suspect and temperamental. Used to think he had a great serve, now not so much. Ball toss can get away from him. Both FH and BH can desert him. Movement can be flashy but again can let him down.
Thinks he's actually done quite well considering all of that!
Mustard
Bionic Poster
Yes, that was annoying. But Nalbandian had other such moments, too. Nalbandian kicking that Aegon advertizing board into the linesman's shins in the 2012 Queen's Club final against Cilic, and getting defaulted despite leading in the match, summed up most of Nalbandian's career. He had an uncanny knack of turning close victory into disaster.
Mustard
Bionic Poster
Different era. Lendl's professionalism changed what McEnroe was getting away with. Other changes that harmed McEnroe were big servers like Curren and Becker, and big power forehands like Courier.
D
Deleted member 77403
Guest
That kick was the end of Nalbandian's physical peak, it was all downhill after that. A steep descendent.
Zetty
Hall of Fame
Millennial lol, you do know that Rafa and Djokovic are millenials?
George Turner
Hall of Fame
If talent was all that was needed Dustin Brown and Bernie would be top 10. Monfils would be on 10 majors, vying with Kyrgios for the number one rank.
While Ferrer, Anderson and Raonic would never have sniffed the top 50.
While Ferrer, Anderson and Raonic would never have sniffed the top 50.
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
From the Leif Shiras book of one-liners.
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D
Deleted member 756486
Guest
I feel like people just think talent = flashy shots
Don’t get me wrong players like Kyrgios are “talented” but not all players with talent do flashy trick shots.
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
D
Deleted member 756486
Guest
There’s a right way and there’s a wrong way.A bit like somebody thinking there is only one way to play football.
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
There’s a right way and there’s a wrong way.
D
Deleted member 756486
Guest
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
It's funny. My mate is keeping me updated on his progress on footy. 4 years into his game, he loves a challenge like me, so he uses PSG. :/ Anyway, he's won it all domestically, breaking records but still can't win the champions league.Bayern Munich have crushed him 2 seasons in a row in second round and quarter final. Managed by Lord Wenger. Still going strong in 2022. I just found it very amusing.
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
Grigor Dimitrov's problem is that his qualities are an overrated aspect of what people call talent.
His A game is absolutely great, but not unbeatable, and still very hard to execute
His B game is good, but nothing great
His C game is decidedly average
But really, people are usually just ****ing idiots when talking about which players are talented and which aren't. Not to mention talent is usually barely defined.
His A game is absolutely great, but not unbeatable, and still very hard to execute
His B game is good, but nothing great
His C game is decidedly average
But really, people are usually just ****ing idiots when talking about which players are talented and which aren't. Not to mention talent is usually barely defined.
Thundergod
Hall of Fame
Murray certainly isn't as talented as the Big 3, but he's still more talented than most of the tour.
Bobby Jr
G.O.A.T.
Because it is precisely what he did. When you see his strokes when he first came on tour they looked even more Federer-inspired. Over time his serve and backhand in particular have slowly shifted to be more different but there is no doubt at all - his coach (with his father's encouragement I believe) used Federer as a direct template for his main strokes.
Bobby Jr
G.O.A.T.
Not by a long shot. His biggest weakness is his tennis smarts, or lack of. He plays poor patterns too often and, worse, when he gets put under pressure he doesn't knuckle down and stick to the plan. Instead he goes for lower and lower percentage plays.
That is the main tennis-smarts area where he differs from the big guns. They know that under pressure the numbers game is the game to play most of the time and they do it so so well. Where we might see Federer looking like he hits tons of great winners the bulk of them he is still hitting to the percentage play location - he just does it really well. By contrast, Dimitrov will hit the low margin option too often and even moreso when it matters most.
His movement is just fine. It's not GOAT-worthy but it's definitely not what's holding him back.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
In your dreams. Dustin Brown is just an spectacular (but not effective or consistent) player. He is like Monfils in that sense. What the hell? No, even Monfils is more talented than Brown.
MasturB
Legend
He has to go for lower percentage plays... because his movement and footwork isn't good enough to get him in the right position most of the time to reset the point to neutral or take over the point. The guy has to play grinding defense too much, it's only natural he's going to go for more lower percentage shots. He doesn't have Roger's instant winner power on the forehand side or backhand. So he's going to try to go for winners from other parts of the court. Sometimes it works but when it doesn't he looks like an idiot. When he makes it well that's why his nickname was Hot Shot.
Roger's footwork even at 37 is better than Peak Dimitrov's. And because of that he doesn't fall behind in points like Dimi does.
I could make a footage reel of why Dimi's forehand is a major weakness and despite it looking like Federer aesthetically is nowhere near the weapon as Fred's, but it isn't worth my time.
Bobby Jr
G.O.A.T.
A backhand video would be easier to make. The changes he made over the years to his have basically made it progressively worse. Ditto for his serve.
oldmanfan
Legend
Nick Kyrgios?...although the way he's going he may not be top 100 too much longer.
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
His dad bought Fed DVDs......
wangs78
Legend
Djokovic grew up in a war torn country. He is not a typical millenial. And Rafa had a taskmaster uncle... so also not a typical millenial.
wangs78
Legend
Yes, exactly. Dimitrov is basically a much less precise version of Fed. Less precise footwork, less precise serves, less precise everything. All of this translates into a player who 'looks' like he could play like Fed, but can't (at all).
Purplemonster
Hall of Fame
Yes but both McEnroe and Federer were and are hungry respectively.
Zetty
Hall of Fame
Gonna shake your fist and tell me to get off your yard now grandpa?
donquijote
G.O.A.T.
He means he has talent but still losing to players with no talent.
Watch both back to back (pun intended) points in the 1st video.
Watch both back to back (pun intended) points in the 1st video.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
? Both Nadal and Djokovic also have talent, otherwise they wouldn't stand with double digits at Majors, and they wouldn't produce amazing shots. And McEnroe and Federer also have talent of course.
Dimitrov is wrong in confusing two words: suficient and necessary.
Talent is a necessary but not sufficient condition to win Grand Slams. You also need to take things seriously, at least to some degree.
Kyrgios, Monfils and the likes have talent but lack a serious mentality. Dimitrov has an untalented backhand, so he lacks talent to win Grand Slams (Dimitrov makes like 500 unforced errors per match with the backhand).
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