At What Point Should Fans Stop Emapthazing?

[jaap deboeck]

I speak of Amelie Mauresmo, a fan favorite, and by all clues a good and humble person too. My God, yesteday's match with #1 on the line as well as the Slam itself was her Waterloo, but inexplicable. She was consistent, played solid, jumped out laser fast, only to choke. Far worse than agaisnt Serena at Wimby or Elena in Paris or an 85% Henin in Athens. Far worse this. No bad calls, no injury issues, no Williams opposed, no Henin across the net. To lose 1-7 in the 3rd set breaker against a player who hit a bucket of sorry doubles and was in some apparently serious health trouble late. Amelie always at one high level without really ever able to put her foot on the gas. Hard to believe than in 1999 AM was considered a huge hitter. Has the game past her by as well? I sense now she will never rise to the occasion and must shoulder the blame herself without fan pity any longer. Is that cruel for a fan to assert? Clijsters is only 20 and has been to Slam finals and reached #1. Could the 1999 Aussie have been Amelie's high point? After over 5 years you'd think she'd evolve a champion calibre heart. I empathize more with Serena being robbed at racket point in the 3rd set down 4-5. As for Amelie, I formally give up.

 

[AAAA]

Jaap, Mauresmo hits with a ton of topspin, too much to achieve any telling penetration on hard courts against the better and big hitting baseliners. Dementieva is a very strong baseline player. I saw the end of their match and at that stage of the match Dementieva was ripping the forehand really hard. Mauresmo had trouble coping with the pace.

Perhaps in Mauresmo's case the high and heavy topspin is a sign of her lack of confidence, inability or unwillingness to go for more risky but more penetrating groundstrokes?

Dementieva did serve many double faults but with a tiebreak score of 7-1 she could not have served more than 1 df so at the crucial stage of the match Dementieva got her serve in when it mattered the most.

Alot of players, men and women, have lost tie-breaks 7-1 or 7-2 on at least one ocassion in their careers so it's not a real rare occurence.

Mauresmo just doesn't (yet) have the kiler-instinct. But she may improve. Having said that Dementieva also mentally fell apart in the French Open final against Myskina.

12 months ago I would never have thought Henman would have the mental strength to reach the French Open SF or be in a position to play for a place in the USO SF so Mauresmo with the right mental conditioning/counselling still has a chance.

 

[NoBadMojo]

having watched mauresmo practice and play a few times, i think she is a victim of having too many shot to choose from. she has soooo many shots in her arsenal and all very well struck. i think that is a common problem on tour these days...i mean..look at who is winning out there (other than fed and a small handful of others)..the one dimensional basline bashers who just have to worry about hitting hard from the back and picking the right time to pull the trigger. it's alot lower risk tennis than someone like a mauresmo who stays back, comes in, works angles, and almost no risk tenis compared to a s.v player. but i agree that something happens to her at inopportune moments and that her basic groundstroke isnt very piercing as AAAA points out and she stands too far behind the baseline for her naturally all court game. ed

 

[The tennis guy]

NoBadMojo,

Not true. The No. 1 on both sides (JHH, Federer) have every shots in the book, it seems they are not confused by shot selection.

On one hand Mauresmo didn't play her best, you can call whatever you want, on the other hand, everyone who got far in the Olympics lost early. Playing 6 matches in 7 days at the Olympics took its toll. I believe they are just mentally tired, not sharp at all.

 

[perfmode]

NoBadMojo,

Not true. The No. 1 on both sides (JHH, Federer) have every shots in the book, it seems they are not confused by shot selection.

On one hand Mauresmo didn't play her best, you can call whatever you want, on the other hand, everyone who got far in the Olympics lost early. Playing 6 matches in 7 days at the Olympics took its toll. I believe they are just mentally tired, not sharp at all.

Yea, I think the Olympics really messed up her run.