FiddlerDog
Hall of Fame
Last time I played this guy, I won 6-1 6-0
I was just hitting a bit heavier than he was used to, so his real game never emerged.
But, the match was closer than the score implied. Many deuce games, etc.
Knew it would be closer today, as I’ve not been playing much, etc.
Matched started off deadlocked.
0-0
1-1
2-2
3-3
4-4
5-5
I was starting to feel like this wasn't my day, and my fitness was worse than his.
Plus, he served first, so I was always serving to tie the match. Always catching up.
At 5-5, I remembered the Rafa/Korda match @ IW where he was down 5-2 and Rafa engineered 2 breaks in a row to stay in the match.
Down 5-2, Nadal forced two breaks in a row after losing the last 11 of 14 games.
Went for broke, stepped up to the baseline, and started attacking every 2nd serve, since time was running out.
Down 5-2 you can't grind a 55/45 style match. Time will run out on you. No, you need to flip heads 8 times in a row.
He basically played short stack tournament poker. He had to do a Hail Mary, and manufactured 2 breaks from thin air.
Well, I decided at 5-5 that I needed a break right there, or I was going to be mentally defeated.
I could not cope with anymore deadlock against what I felt was a weaker player.
Decided to attack the serves and swing bigger.
He's going to hold anyway, so nothing to lose, maybe some intimidation, etc.
Got the break! 6-5.
I then held serve for 7-5.
Won the 2nd set 6-0
Final score was a blowout, yet the match was anything but.
For the first hour, most of the match, he was always in the lead, and I was catching up.
The key thing about the 2 breaks was how it may have impacted him, as well.
It wasn't just me winning the game, it was also him losing the game.
That may have contributed to the 7 game win streak after the match was deadlocked for the first 10 games.
Or it may have all just been reversion to the mean. Who knows.
In any case, I deliberately activated 3.0 NTRP Nadal mode, at a very specific point in the match, and it actually worked.
I was just hitting a bit heavier than he was used to, so his real game never emerged.
But, the match was closer than the score implied. Many deuce games, etc.
Knew it would be closer today, as I’ve not been playing much, etc.
Matched started off deadlocked.
0-0
1-1
2-2
3-3
4-4
5-5
I was starting to feel like this wasn't my day, and my fitness was worse than his.
Plus, he served first, so I was always serving to tie the match. Always catching up.
At 5-5, I remembered the Rafa/Korda match @ IW where he was down 5-2 and Rafa engineered 2 breaks in a row to stay in the match.
Down 5-2, Nadal forced two breaks in a row after losing the last 11 of 14 games.
Went for broke, stepped up to the baseline, and started attacking every 2nd serve, since time was running out.
Down 5-2 you can't grind a 55/45 style match. Time will run out on you. No, you need to flip heads 8 times in a row.
He basically played short stack tournament poker. He had to do a Hail Mary, and manufactured 2 breaks from thin air.
Well, I decided at 5-5 that I needed a break right there, or I was going to be mentally defeated.
I could not cope with anymore deadlock against what I felt was a weaker player.
Decided to attack the serves and swing bigger.
He's going to hold anyway, so nothing to lose, maybe some intimidation, etc.
Got the break! 6-5.
I then held serve for 7-5.
Won the 2nd set 6-0
Final score was a blowout, yet the match was anything but.
For the first hour, most of the match, he was always in the lead, and I was catching up.
The key thing about the 2 breaks was how it may have impacted him, as well.
It wasn't just me winning the game, it was also him losing the game.
That may have contributed to the 7 game win streak after the match was deadlocked for the first 10 games.
Or it may have all just been reversion to the mean. Who knows.
In any case, I deliberately activated 3.0 NTRP Nadal mode, at a very specific point in the match, and it actually worked.
