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  1. wangs78

    Are there any definitive racquets from the past that’s better than what’s on the market today? Or what’s the best Iteration of your favourite frame/s?

    The Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 line is still an amazing racquet. Wilson ought to have both their 18x20 and 16x18 versions still in their sales lineup. The 18x20 is available but for some reason it's gotten bad reviews -- seems like the latest iteration feels different from the classic ones from...
  2. wangs78

    Wilson Pro Staff V14.0

    Thanks, everyone. From all the replies, I feel like maybe I should just stick with the RF97 and just work on my footwork and conditioning. I love everything about it except playing defense with it! As well as serving, but I think I can do some things to strengthen my arm, shoulder, wrist...
  3. wangs78

    Wilson Pro Staff V14.0

    RF97 user here who is starting his search for a lighter racquet bc the RF97 is just too unwieldy when I don't have time to get my body positioned (playing defense, on the run, or against hard hitting opponents). So my question is - is the improvement in maneuverability for the PS97 v14 versus...
  4. wangs78

    Wilson Custom Racquets. Are they worth it???

    I purchased a custom Pro Staff a couple of years ago and was very satisfied with the quality and also got a very good price for it (about $190 for a custom RF97 at the time). It depends though. I like classic colors on my racquets (red, black, etc.) and colors like copper/rust just turn me...
  5. wangs78

    The Arrogance of Alcaraz is and will be his undoing

    It was sustainable for Rafa...
  6. wangs78

    The Arrogance of Alcaraz is and will be his undoing

    But let's face it. It's become pretty apparent that Alcaraz is happiest when he is able to display his combination of speed, touch and explosiveness all on a single point. We've seen it time and again, that big grin and finger wagging happens when he wins a point doing all kinds of crazy...
  7. wangs78

    The Arrogance of Alcaraz is and will be his undoing

    Arrogance may not be the right word, but I agree that his shot selection is **** poor. When he makes those ill timed drop shots they look spectacular, but when he misses them at critical moments in a match like today where he was down for all of the match and needed to just lock down and force...
  8. wangs78

    Who wins Australian open now

    Sinner has spent the last couple of years showing that he is ready and then failing when the next big moment arrives. Him losing the WTF final after beating Djoker in the RR is the latest example. So, I would say he will fail once more at the AO. But then he will finally succeed at the next...
  9. wangs78

    Kygrios slams Becker over Alcaraz commemt

    You know the world is in a sad state when moronic insults by Krygios actually get air time. Then again, air time in the current online / social media era is cheap — even the old saying that something is not worth the paper it’s printed on no longer applies…
  10. wangs78

    How many of the pro's use leather grips ?

    I’ve found the TW leather to be just fine (when used under an over grip). Can’t imagine anyone using a bare leather grip today given the torsional forces created from modern day swing speeds and trying to impart topspin.
  11. wangs78

    Gut/4G thoughts?

    Found this old thread and thought I would add. I use natgut mains and 4g crosses in my Pro Staff 97. The strings really grab the ball and give the racquet a high launch angle. It's great for my one-handed backhand as my drives almost never clip the net and I am able to keep the ball inside...
  12. wangs78

    Carlos in a slump?

    Yeah, a player needs to have a 90-6 record or something like that. 90% win rate, 10 titles, #1 ranking, 3 out of 4 Slams and a second year that is pretty darn close to that too. Carlos hasn’t done it, not even close.
  13. wangs78

    Carlos in a slump?

    1. He’s good but he’s not big 3 good. Djokovic was not big 3 good at age 20 either, so we’ll see. 2. He probably didn’t expect to win Wimbledon this year so winning there kind of deflated the motivation and intensity a little bit. With his style of play, the last thing you want to do is...
  14. wangs78

    Did Federer have the match-up advantage over Djokovic?

    Federer was better in all areas except service return and consistency of play in key moments which can also be attributed to mental strength. In all other areas, Fed was ahead.
  15. wangs78

    Holger rune whining about being on court #5

    He's just trying to get his fans to come watch him. Maybe the "...in case you can find court 5..." has a hint of sarcasm but that's hardly whining. Anyway, he lost, too bad. Not sure why the NA hardcourt circuits has been an utter failure for him. Maybe it was the hideous t-shirt.
  16. wangs78

    2023 Cincinnati Final - Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic

    Djokovic will take this. It will be like role reversal of the Novak-Roger matchup with the older player winning more of the Bo3 matches but being unable to win again in Bo5
  17. wangs78

    Holger Rune Enters The Top 5!

    At the end of the day, tennis is still built on a foundation that consists primarily of movement/court coverage. It’s no surprise that Roger, Rafa, Novak and Murray were all top tier defenders on top having great offensive weapons (although Murray not so much). Alcaraz and Rune are the two...
  18. wangs78

    Recovering from brutal losses - a Federer special

    To expand a bit on my earlier posts in this thread. It’s not that I think Fed was mentally weak against Rafa and Novak. You don’t come from two sets down in the ‘08 Wimby final against Rafa to force a fifth set (especially after a brutal beat down at RG just a few weeks prior) or push the...
  19. wangs78

    Recovering from brutal losses - a Federer special

    That’s what I thought for a long time. But upon watching some earlier matches between them, it was clear that it started much earlier. Their first Slam final at the USO in 2007 (after Fed lost to Djokovic a few weeks earlier in the Canadian Open) showed just how tight Fed was against Djokovic...
  20. wangs78

    Recovering from brutal losses - a Federer special

    Federer had so much talent that against anyone not named Nadal or Djokovic, mental strength was never really an issue. But those two guys definitely got into his head. He was able to exorcise the Nadal demon at the AO2017, but could never do so with Djokovic at Slams (except at RG2011).
  21. wangs78

    Kyrgios wonders who Arias is ?

    When Kyrgios said a month or two ago that he felt he had nothing left to prove… that he had proven he could make the final of a Slam, I couldn’t stop laughing. First because I’ve never heard any sports professional (except perhaps in the Olympics) claim that being a runner-up is a career...
  22. wangs78

    Djokovic's father says he expect his son will retire next year

    There is no way Novak does not try to exact revenge upon Alcaraz. With that said, it’s not impossible that Alcatraz’s victory in the Wimby final does not bring about a blood in the water scenario where other younger players no longer fear Djokovic as much and turn the tables on him in close...
  23. wangs78

    Jannik Sinner on SF loss to Novak: "I felt like I was closer this year than last year"

    I don't know why people hype Sinner. He's a good player who does better on grass than other surfaces but is he any better than the other young, tall, skinny players? Not meaningfully. With Alcaraz, I think we are seeing that the best tennis is still played by players of medium stature and...
  24. wangs78

    Now that I have had time to calm down and think about it.. Djoker will get Revenge

    I agree with you that Djokovic will *seek* revenge. But time is against him as well as surface (he himself said grass was where he did not expect Carlos to mount a big challenge). So assuming Carlos stays fit, motivated and relaxed, he should do better against Djokovic if they meet at the USO...
  25. wangs78

    In hindsight - was it good for Alcaraz to have his issues at RG?

    Not sure if his cramping at RG had any direct impact on his performance at Wimby. I think what’s important is that his performance during grass season showed this is a mature, ambitious guy who WANTS TO WIN and setbacks (Ike at RG) only motivate him more. He’s still 20 though so who knows what...
  26. wangs78

    How long until Alcaraz reigns in Australia too?

    Well, I think the slower hardcourt at the AO will be hardest for Carlos to win because that is the surface on which most other top players play well. Doesn’t mean I don’t think he can win it, though.
  27. wangs78

    Carlos exposed the difference competition makes... can't be ignored

    I think grass has become the surface that fully rewards the players with the most well rounded games. 20-30 years ago it was mostly being dominated by big servers but the modern game seems to make grass require players who can play both offense and defense, engage in lengthy baseline rallies...
  28. wangs78

    Federer fans. Has today's final made you feel a little better about the 2019 Wimbledon loss?

    I was rooting for Alcaraz, so I was happy for his win and, yes, I would like to see Fed keep the record for some time. However, today’s match doesn’t really reduce my disappointment from the 2019 loss. The 2019 final could have been Fed’s signature match, much like his 2017 AO final was a...
  29. wangs78

    BOMBSHELL: Roger and Rafa have their own strengths and weaknesses but Carlos is very complete. –Djokovic

    It’s pretty obvious that Djokovic is aware of the holes in Fed and Nadal’s games given that he beat them so many times (and lost many times as well). The most obvious for Roger is his inability to close out sets, matches, BPs, etc. I used to think Roger’s mental weakness against Novak started...
  30. wangs78

    A question for Maestronians......

    Fed is the better, more skilled player clearly but in most of their Slam matchups in 2010 onward, Djokovic was mentally stronger and was able to “crack” Roger mentally in key moments. That’s the sad story (if you are a Roger fan) of their h2h.
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