Help me solve my MEP problem. Strategy Guidance Needed

[travlerajm]

ok folks. The Round 3 match-up is on the calendar.

I will be in the ATL for a conference later this week, and since I’m a glutton for punishment, no trip to Atlanta would be complete without a tennis match against the one and only MEP.

Rounds 1 and 2 did not go my way.

In the first match, I had the belief. But belief was not enough. I fell into an early 1-3 hole before finding some rhythm in the cat-and-mouse dink game and clawing back to even at 4-4. On break point on his serve with me having a chance to serve for the set, MEP nailed a perfect running passing shot winner by me as I left it thinking it would go wide. I collapsed into ill-advised hat-switching, racquet-switching and mental fog of regret after that, and by the time I woke up, I had lost 4-6, 1-6 after MEP had raised his level and took control with a more offensive slice game in the second set.

The second match, I did not even have belief. I was no match for MEP in his home court Hotlanta midsummer conditions, and I wilted fast in a sweaty mess of laggy missed overheads past the baseline. I stayed on serve early, but the cardio heat index took away my oxygen. A medical timeout to try to cool off my body temp in the bathroom before serving at 3-4 seemed to hurt worse than it helped. I went down meekly 3-6, 1-6.

This time I know what I’m up against. MEP, the always-ready competitor that he is, will be looking to slam the door on our rivalry and make it a clean 3-0 series sweep.

I am seeking help from the TTW faithful for strategy tips and suggestions to help me stave off this fate.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

You could take lessons from peoplespeace (Danish guy with a special method).

 

[Shroud]

ok folks. The Round 3 match-up is on the calendar.

I will be in the ATL for a conference later this week, and since I’m a glutton for punishment, no trip to Atlanta would be complete without a tennis match against the one and only MEP.

Rounds 1 and 2 did not go my way.

In the first match, I had the belief. But belief was not enough. I fell into an early 1-3 hole before finding some rhythm in the cat-and-mouse dink game and clawing back to even at 4-4. On break point to earn a chance to serve for the set, MEP nailed a perfect running passing shot winner by me as I left it thinking it would go wide. I collapsed into a mental fog of regret after that, and by the time I woke up, I had lost 4-6, 1-6 after MEP had raised his level and took control with a more offensive slice game in the second set.

The second match, I did not even have belief. I was no match for MEP in his home court Hotlanta midsummer conditions, and I wilted fast in a sweaty mess of laggy missed overheads past the baseline. I stayed on serve early, but the cardio heat index took away my oxygen. A medical timeout to try to cool off my body temp in the bathroom before serving at 3-4 seemed to hurt worse than it helped. I went down meekly 3-6, 1-6.

This time I know what I’m up against. MEP, the always-ready competitor that he is, will be looking to slam the door on our rivalry and make it a clean 3-0 series sweep.

I am seeking help from the TTW faithful for strategy tips and suggestions to help me stave off this fate.

Tap into your serve and volley net play. Channel Sampras and end it

 

[shamaho]

Can you boil down the essence of tactical plan for match 1 and 2 ? then why it failed...

 

[shamaho]

Then compare and contrast MEP's match with that 12 year old (who's execution seemed flawless, and was so super efective).

 

[travlerajm]

Then compare and contrast MEP's match with that 12 year old (who's execution seemed flawless, and was so super efective).

As a fellow self-taught strokes player, my game resembles MEP’s a lot more than it resembles the 12 year old’s.

 

[travlerajm]

Can you boil down the essence of tactical plan for match 1 and 2 ? then why it failed...

The essence is that I overestimated my abilities and underestimated MEP’s.

I know I’m going to have to execute my overheads well.

 

[eah123]

I think you should just follow Ian's playbook.

 

[travlerajm]

Tap into your serve and volley net play. Channel Sampras and end it

Back when I was younger, S&V was the absolute go-to play for me.

Now that I’m over 50, Serve-and-volley in singles feels like something a young guy should do.

 

[travlerajm]

I think you should just follow Ian's playbook.

I would have more confidence in the Ian playbook if the match were indoors.

 

[m0nroe]

i watch this guy 2 min just now.
he wins at least 2 points per game on first 2 shots. so serve and one more shot.
or return and then counter shot.
he redirect decent balls with slice in empty spots by taking fast pace of the ball.
that means his not exausting player but attacking one.
only one point per game he playes long.
not a biggie, make him play more of those
hes not winning there that easy as with 2 shot points.
so essentially he makes winning position in first 2 shots , thats the whole plan of his game, over and over again
long term.
he does that with slice
and thats problem to attack right away.
wawrinka does that same on return sometimes.
so just first 2 shots always play slice as well.
dont let him take away your fast pace first 2 shots with slice,
just go slice on slice right to middle
be that forehand or backhand.
only safe slice and move well after that.
after that he has no more inherit advantage.
and play regular point.
after first 2 shots he will lack pace to do his thing.
if he attack you slice then you counter amd attack. if he doesnt attack he will have a hard time moving you coz he cant counter slice .
so you will have way better position to attack after 2 slice shots.

 

[mcs1970]

Looks like some master reverse psych ops trick by trav knowing that MEP reads these forums as well. Try to get him to believe a certain game plan is what trav will try and then unleash a new one on game day.

 

[travlerajm]

Looks like some master reverse psych ops trick by trav knowing that MEP reads these forums as well. Try to get him to believe a certain game plan is what trav will try and then unleash a new one on game day.

If anyone is immune to psych ops tricks, it’s the green shirt ex Marine.

 

[Shroud]

If anyone is immune to psych ops tricks, it’s the green shirt ex Marine.

Double reverse psychology

 

[Shroud]

Back when I was younger, S&V was the absolute go-to play for me.

Now that I’m over 50, Serve-and-volley in singles feels like something a young guy should do.

Yikes. Defeatist attitude will be your undoing….

 

[LeastExhaustingPlayer]

You have already lost the mental battle. You don't see MEP posting here about how he should play you.

On a serious note, the worst match up is against someone who plays just like you but a little better.

However it is cooler now and the UV index is much lower, so you got that going for you. It may be a significant factor in your match.

 

[mcs1970]

i watch this guy 2 min just now.
he wins at least 2 points per game on first 2 shots. so serve and one more shot.
or return and then counter shot.
he redirect decent balls with slice in empty spots by taking fast pace of the ball.
that means his not exausting player but attacking one.
only one point per game he playes long.
not a biggie, make him play more of those
hes not winning there that easy as with 2 shot points.
so essentially he makes winning position in first 2 shots , thats the whole plan of his game, over and over again
long term.
he does that with slice
and thats problem to attack right away.
wawrinka does that same on return sometimes.
so just first 2 shots always play slice as well.
dont let him take away your fast pace first 2 shots with slice,
just go slice on slice right to middle
be that forehand or backhand.
only safe slice and move well after that.
after that he has no more inherit advantage.
and play regular point.
after first 2 shots he will lack pace to do his thing.
if he attack you slice then you counter amd attack. if he doesnt attack he will have a hard time moving you coz he cant counter slice .
so you will have way better position to attack after 2 slice shots.

Everyone has a plan to beat MEP until they play him. He is 4.5 for a reason.

2 mins of watching him doesn’t tell anything about all the solid players he regularly plays, quite a few of whom he has beaten to get to where he is at.

 

[m0nroe]

Everyone has a plan to beat MEP until they play him. He is 4.5 for a reason.

2 mins of watching him doesn’t tell anything about all the solid players he regularly plays, quite a few of whom he has beaten to get to where he is at.

he plays exact like pro player when they play with left hand.
same system.
they undersand long term implication of going in to point in certain way every single time. he doesnt play to win a point but to enter it with advantage. people cant comprihand that.
and slice is advantage on rec tennis, plus
ez to do.
non the less his quality is still quite decent,
but i did put advice how to deal with it easier.
if you want to win sole with my advice then
its not possible.

 

[mcs1970]

he plays exact like pro player when they play with left hand.
same system.
they undersand long term implication of going in to point in certain way every single time. he doesnt play to win a point but to enter it with advantage. people cant comprihand that.
and slice is advantage on rec tennis, plus
ez to do.
non the less his quality is still quite decent,
but i did put advice how to deal with it easier.
if you want to win sole with my advice then
its not possible.

What?

 

[m0nroe]

What?

non dominant hand.
one which they dont use for tennis.

 

[MGArchitect]

+1 to hitting down the middle more and S&V. MEP thrives on hitting on the run, especially his slice backhand. He likes to go back and forth and short and long. Don’t let him run around so much, even though that is what you probably usually do to win. You had some success with moonballs down the middle. On short balls to backhand he has that crazy good drop shot, so be ready to cover it anytime you hit short to his backhand. In your 2nd match, overhead errors got you, but you had success there in the first match, so keep approaching, but perhaps more straight down the center rather than to the corners where he is able to hit good passing shots. You want the lobs because your overhead is one of your best shots, but you were struggling with volleys. When you do volley, remember that his slice shot will want to bounce down off your racquet, so you have to open your face a little more and aim higher over the net. Also, he has no problems with what one YouTube commenter called your fruit ninja serve. He saw it coming pretty much every time , moved up and it was not a problem for him. I could see it causing big hitters fits, but not MEP. Stick with your more traditional serve, he wasn’t beating you with returns.

 

[travlerajm]

+1 to hitting down the middle more and S&V. MEP thrives on hitting on the run, especially his slice backhand. He likes to go back and forth and short and long. Don’t let him run around so much, even though that is what you probably usually do to win. You had some success with moonballs down the middle. On short balls to backhand he has that crazy good drop shot, so be ready to cover it anytime you hit short to his backhand. In your 2nd match, overhead errors got you, but you had success there in the first match, so keep approaching, but perhaps more straight down the center rather than to the corners where he is able to hit good passing shots. You want the lobs because your overhead is one of your best shots, but you were struggling with volleys. When you do volley, remember that his slice shot will want to bounce down off your racquet, so you have to open your face a little more and aim higher over the net. Also, he has no problems with what one YouTube commenter called your fruit ninja serve. He saw it coming pretty much every time , moved up and it was not a problem for him. I could see it causing big hitters fits, but not MEP. Stick with your more traditional serve, he wasn’t beating you with returns.

The fruit ninja serve is an adaptation to never learning how to serve when the sun angle is really bad.

It’s been a while since I used my serve offensively in a singles match. But if lightning strikes maybe this could be the time I dial back the clock a bit.

 

[TennisCJC]

the guys who have beaten him were all solid attacking players. they hit consistently but went to the net with good approaches and put the ball away. Ian, the pro at Ian's facility and even the kid in ATL who beat MEP all had very consistent strokes but could end points with baseline power, approaches, volleys and overheads. If you try to out MEP him by staying back, then the age difference will come more into play as he will just run you until your tongue is dragging the ground. Patient but take the shot when you get it and close out the point when you go on the aggression. By the way, if you can do that, that's good tennis and that's what it takes to beat MEP. Good luck!

 

[onehandbh]

I would have more confidence in the Ian playbook if the match were indoors.

The indoor courts with a low roof neutered one of MEP's biggest weapons, his lobs. It's like playing Nadal on clay vs grass.

 

[Dragy]

The indoor courts with a low roof neutered one of MEP's biggest weapons, his lobs. It's like playing Nadal on clay vs grass.

Did he actually hit the roof a single time? Cannot remember.

 

[onehandbh]

Did he actually hit the roof a single time? Cannot remember.

Probably not, but for sure defensive lobs are easier to put away indoors. No sun, wind, roof.

 

[shamaho]

the guys who have beaten him were all solid attacking players. they hit consistently but went to the net with good approaches and put the ball away. Ian, the pro at Ian's facility and even the kid in ATL who beat MEP all had very consistent strokes but could end points with baseline power, approaches, volleys and overheads. If you try to out MEP him by staying back, then the age difference will come more into play as he will just run you until your tongue is dragging the ground. Patient but take the shot when you get it and close out the point when you go on the aggression. By the way, if you can do that, that's good tennis and that's what it takes to beat MEP. Good luck!

yup! Attacking tennis BUT not kamikaze tennis ... going in on a good shot with him somewhat scrambling to get to the ball (that's the hard part, the point building and the decision on the right shot to go into the net).

You said your shots aren't like the 12 yo kid - that's not the point though, it's the tactics he employed, how he built points, when he decided to go forward, volley execution and placement.

 

[nyta2]

I play a few MEP's by me... irritating, but hella effective.
Main thing to remember is style (how they hit the ball) doesn't matter.
Must respect their placement, and be mindful of my own placement.
It's a stark reminder that placement is king.
Pace doesn't mean anything, if you can't put it where you need it to be.
Biggest thing I've learned from playing various MEP-style games, is that they never let you see the same shot twice... which works wonders to take me out of rhythm.
Something i'm learning to to incorporate in my own game

 

[mcs1970]

the guys who have beaten him were all solid attacking players. they hit consistently but went to the net with good approaches and put the ball away. Ian, the pro at Ian's facility and even the kid in ATL who beat MEP all had very consistent strokes but could end points with baseline power, approaches, volleys and overheads. If you try to out MEP him by staying back, then the age difference will come more into play as he will just run you until your tongue is dragging the ground. Patient but take the shot when you get it and close out the point when you go on the aggression. By the way, if you can do that, that's good tennis and that's what it takes to beat MEP. Good luck!

That’s why I still feel trav matches up well with MEP. Travs strengths iare his net game and overheads.

MEP has advantage on fitness and overall court coverage.

Given that their rankings are comparable, If the weather conditions suit trav, he can definitely give MEP a tough time.

 

[sureshs]

You could take lessons from peoplespeace (Danish guy with a special method).

Do you know how to sign up for his course?

 

[sureshs]

I would suggest use of topspin against @GSG. If I play him, he will not be able to touch my topspin balls and even if he does, they will go into the net because of the spin. Flat shots and slices will be impossible against my spin.

 

[fecund345]

ok folks. The Round 3 match-up is on the calendar.

I will be in the ATL for a conference later this week, and since I’m a glutton for punishment, no trip to Atlanta would be complete without a tennis match against the one and only MEP.

Rounds 1 and 2 did not go my way.

In the first match, I had the belief. But belief was not enough. I fell into an early 1-3 hole before finding some rhythm in the cat-and-mouse dink game and clawing back to even at 4-4. On break point on his serve with me having a chance to serve for the set, MEP nailed a perfect running passing shot winner by me as I left it thinking it would go wide. I collapsed into ill-advised hat-switching, racquet-switching and mental fog of regret after that, and by the time I woke up, I had lost 4-6, 1-6 after MEP had raised his level and took control with a more offensive slice game in the second set.

The second match, I did not even have belief. I was no match for MEP in his home court Hotlanta midsummer conditions, and I wilted fast in a sweaty mess of laggy missed overheads past the baseline. I stayed on serve early, but the cardio heat index took away my oxygen. A medical timeout to try to cool off my body temp in the bathroom before serving at 3-4 seemed to hurt worse than it helped. I went down meekly 3-6, 1-6.

This time I know what I’m up against. MEP, the always-ready competitor that he is, will be looking to slam the door on our rivalry and make it a clean 3-0 series sweep.

I am seeking help from the TTW faithful for strategy tips and suggestions to help me stave off this fate.

D

ok folks. The Round 3 match-up is on the calendar.

I will be in the ATL for a conference later this week, and since I’m a glutton for punishment, no trip to Atlanta would be complete without a tennis match against the one and only MEP.

Rounds 1 and 2 did not go my way.

In the first match, I had the belief. But belief was not enough. I fell into an early 1-3 hole before finding some rhythm in the cat-and-mouse dink game and clawing back to even at 4-4. On break point on his serve with me having a chance to serve for the set, MEP nailed a perfect running passing shot winner by me as I left it thinking it would go wide. I collapsed into ill-advised hat-switching, racquet-switching and mental fog of regret after that, and by the time I woke up, I had lost 4-6, 1-6 after MEP had raised his level and took control with a more offensive slice game in the second set.

The second match, I did not even have belief. I was no match for MEP in his home court Hotlanta midsummer conditions, and I wilted fast in a sweaty mess of laggy missed overheads past the baseline. I stayed on serve early, but the cardio heat index took away my oxygen. A medical timeout to try to cool off my body temp in the bathroom before serving at 3-4 seemed to hurt worse than it helped. I went down meekly 3-6, 1-6.

This time I know what I’m up against. MEP, the always-ready competitor that he is, will be looking to slam the door on our rivalry and make it a clean 3-0 series sweep.

I am seeking help from the TTW faithful for strategy tips and suggestions to help me stave off this fate.

Don't play the player, MEP, compete against yourself. Can I hit my target areas 86 % of the time instead of 80% of the time. You can't control the other player but through pratice you can control your target area accuracy.

 

[heninfan99]

I played someone like him very recently and edged out the win.
1. Expect to be made fool of a least a few times, you know this already
2. Don't force winners but go for shot quality and placement
3. Take over the net as much as possible

 

[heninfan99]

As a fellow self-taught strokes player, my game resembles MEP’s a lot more than it resembles the 12 year old’s.

You have some nice power on the forehand side at least in your baseline battles with Shroud.

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

You've played him twice, make the third unique. Saw a guy in postseason last weekend that , I know this sounds crazy, people pointed out he buys Wal-Mart rackets and uses them, lol, Spice it up, use a Wal-mart racket.

 

[tennis3]

 

[tennis3]

 

[tennis3]

I am seeking help from the TTW faithful for strategy tips and suggestions to help me stave off this fate.

From what you've said about yourself, you rely on your opponent to supply the pace and you just redirect the ball. You win points with a combination of opponents errors and redirecting pace into winning spots on the court.

When your opponent doesn't hit with pace and doesn't make errors, what does your skillset allow you to do to win points (and not make errors yourself)? Watching the matches above, I don't think you have any options that will win you the match.

1. You're definitely not going to hit through him.
2. You don't have Ian or Sean's net skillset (movement, overhead or volley skill)
3. You don't have the fitness or strokes to outlast / out maneuver MEP

I think @GSG is VERY comfortable with this matchup

 

[AnyPUG]

1 Play to your relative strength
2 The slices become more vicious as balls get older - to counter your opponent's stronger slices, make sure to open a new can of balls after the first 3 games and after every 4 subsequent games.
3 Be aware of the weather conditions - high 60s/low 70s - slices will be even more vicious than in hot summer
4 Place premium on depth and height
5 Enjoy - TTW cheers a good battle

 

[jmnk]

From what you've said about yourself, you rely on your opponent to supply the pace and you just redirect the ball. You win points with a combination of opponents errors and redirecting pace into winning spots on the court.

When your opponent doesn't hit with pace and doesn't make errors, what does your skillset allow you to do to win points (and not make errors yourself)? Watching the matches above, I don't think you have any options that will win you the match.

1. You're definitely not going to hit through him.
2. You don't have Ian or Sean's net skillset (movement, overhead or volley skill)
3. You don't have the fitness or strokes to outlast / out maneuver MEP

I think @GSG is VERY comfortable with this matchup

this is harsh! (I'm not saying wrong though )

 

[LuckyR]

ok folks. The Round 3 match-up is on the calendar.

I will be in the ATL for a conference later this week, and since I’m a glutton for punishment, no trip to Atlanta would be complete without a tennis match against the one and only MEP.

Well, you're clearly at his level (and thus CAN win) though it's possible he's just plain better than you.

As a high consistancy player, he's not going to give you anything, so you have three decent options. One is try to match his high consistancy game. True, you would be playing to his strength so you're likely to lose, but it should be pretty darn close and your chance of being blown out would be as low as you can make it.

Or you could go bigger and make him run (by playing within the Directionals aggressively). This could result in a win on a very good day and would keep your chance of being blown out to a moderate chance. This would be my plan A with the first option as my plan B.

The third option is to go crazy aggro (as many folks do), which is probably how he has racked up most of his wins. A quick win if you're in the Zone, a likely blow out loss if you're not.

 

[sureshs]

Why don't opponents crush his serves?

 

[travlerajm]

You've played him twice, make the third unique. Saw a guy in postseason last weekend that , I know this sounds crazy, people pointed out he buys Wal-Mart rackets and uses them, lol, Spice it up, use a Wal-mart racket.

The teaser point, where a friend filmed me playing a point on red clay in Paraguay in a March 2021 tournament, that I posted in OP of the original thread about my first ATL visit 2-1/2 years ago in April 2021, shows me competing with an aluminum Walmart racquet.

Unfortunately, that frame, which had a dedicated thread devoted to it (“Warped”) became so warped after that tourney that I didn’t bring it with me on that trip.

My MO is to bust out a totally new racquet setup for every special occasion.

 

[AnyPUG]

From what you've said about yourself, you rely on your opponent to supply the pace and you just redirect the ball. You win points with a combination of opponents errors and redirecting pace into winning spots on the court.

When your opponent doesn't hit with pace and doesn't make errors, what does your skillset allow you to do to win points (and not make errors yourself)? Watching the matches above, I don't think you have any options that will win you the match.

1. You're definitely not going to hit through him.
2. You don't have Ian or Sean's net skillset (movement, overhead or volley skill)
3. You don't have the fitness or strokes to outlast / out maneuver MEP

I think @GSG is VERY comfortable with this matchup

I respect your opinion, but can you clarify which of your 3 points and the concluding remark help OP stave off a clean 3-0 series sweep?

 

[travlerajm]

I respect your opinion, but can you clarify which of your 3 points and the concluding remark help OP stave off a clean 3-0 series sweep?

I think he was trying to help me clear my mind of any thoughts that I might have a chance to win, and I appreciate that.

 

[AnyPUG]

I think he was trying to help me clear my mind of any thoughts that I might have a chance to win, and I appreciate that.

If you are able to win a few games in the past, imo, you can trust yourself to win more games again and possibly win sets as well. I would discount any opinion to the contrary and get ready for the fight with a plan to win.

 

[travlerajm]

If you are able to win a few games in the past, imo, you can trust yourself to win more games again and possibly win sets as well. I would discount any opinion to the contrary and get ready for the fight with a plan to win.

I may call upon the local TTW Atlanta denizens to help prep me for battle in a Friday night session to test my new racquet setup in the conditions.

 

[optic yellow]

In addition to giving yourself a day or two to acclimate to temperatures above 60° I would recommend more manliness with the junkballing: go quickly to offensive slices and topspin droppers. Lean into your strengths but push the pace of the game away from the attritional battle that favors him.

 

[travlerajm]

Why don't opponents crush his serves?

This is a good question, but the answer is clear.

His lefty slice has zero topspin and a smidgen of underspin, so it bounces low, between knee and thigh height.

Attacking off that ball would be risky, and even if a hard-struck return lands in, he would probably be able to defend it. So the risk-reward ratio doesn’t favor the strategy for a 4.5 level player.

That said, executing an attack of any kind consistently enough to win the majority of points is a challenge against him, and that’s one of many reasons why he is so tough to beat.

 

[sureshs]

This is a good question, but the answer is clear.

His lefty slice has zero topspin and a smidgen of underspin, so it bounces low, between knee and thigh height.

Attacking off that ball would be risky, and even if a hard-struck return lands in, he would probably be able to defend it. So the risk-reward ratio doesn’t favor the strategy for a 4.5 level player.

So, like Nadal, the secret to his success is his leftiness? Life is unfair.