This completely ignores all of the non-technique skills that determine match results like the 3 Fs [footwork, fitness, focus <mental toughness>, and spacing]. Someone could have ever improving technique on the practice court and be completely unable to utilize it in a match because of mental weakness, lack of fitness, poor footwork, etc.
You never acknowledge that these are factors, let alone critical ones.
Agassi said something along the lines of "When I thought about winning, I'd win about 50% of the time. When I didn't think about winning, I won about 90% of the time."
How can that be if his technique didn't change? The obvious change was his mental outlook. At least, that's how I interpret it.
I thought you wrote that you weren't going use the "T" word anymore.
Anyways, I disagree that he's tapping; it looks a lot more purposeful and dangerous than that but that's just my opinion as someone who has faced opponents like these before...at 4.5, BTW so there is no hard ceiling at 4.0. I played a guy I'm sure you would also classify as a tapper and yet he could hit FH slice winners from the BL. That ain't tapping in my book.
I'm sure
@GSG's technique has improved over the years as he has moved up the NTRP ladder, improvement you claim is impossible if he's a tapper.