Strategy Help 4.0ish vs 4.5

[johndagolfer]

Is it possible for me to win this?

I am USTA ranked as a 3.5. During our city league tournament I have beaten a 4.0 in 3 sets and have taken a former 4.5 who is now a 4.0 to 3 sets before hit quit. My question is do I stand a chance of beating a 4.5 in the finals? (He plays 4.5 doubles and was 2 and 5 this year

Tale of the tape

Me - Heavy spin aggressive all court player
Him - Flat Power Hitter, consistent strokes

Forehand - Tie we both can crush our forehands. He probably hits his harder but cannot handle my high spinners as well as I can handle his pace.
Backhand - He slices quite a bit, but rarely misses. He can flatten it out, but only if he has a lot of time. I am a little more erratic. I use a heavy spin to push opponents back and slice when I am in trouble. I would give him the edge due to his consistency

Serve - We both have good serves. He hits much flatter and probably with a bit more pace. He has a really strong kick serve that I can attack on the forehand side and most likely slice deep if on the backhand side.

I slice and kick serve really well. My flatter first serve isn't as fast but can give him trouble when mixed in well.

Return of serve - Pretty clear advantage on first serves go to him. He faces pace much more often than I do and keeps more in play than me. However if he hits to my forehand I can do some damage

Volley - We're both able volliers, he does so more due to his doubles background

Footspeed I would give the slight edge to me
Endurance I would give a very slight edge to me - he plays a very smart game where he doesn't have to expend a ton of energy. I run around my backhand quite a bit if I have the chance.

My main strategy is going to try to spin deep forehands to his forehand and try to get a short ball that I can attack. He will most likely try to move me around to open up my backhand.

In 4 sets the best I have done against him is 6-4, though i don't know how serious he was playing during that set. Though I am also in better shape than I was when we played that first set.

So what do you guys think, do I stand a chance? Any suggestions on a good strategy?

Thanks!

 

[Jonny S&V]

You're overthinking this. You know how to beat him, so go out and do it. If you can afford to, hit to his strength to open up the court, then hit to his weakness.

 

[mistapooh]

If he's going to slice his bh, I'd look into attack the net after serving to his bh or pulling him out wide. If he's one of those people that has flat groundstrokes, I'd imagine he'll be hitting even lower percentage shots if you can force him to pass you. I don't think you can win by out hitting him with topspin forehands though, sounds tiring.

 

[johndagolfer]

Results!

What a fun match!

I ended up losing 3 and 4 with only 2 breaks against me. The breakpoints were probably 10 to 5 in his favor.

My biggest weakness was probably the backhand - the backhand return to be more precise. When he threw anything to my forehand side I pretty much controlled the point.

My back hand wasn't bad, except for the return which was the big difference in the match...he has a more consistent return. The hardest thing I found against him though is that I don't face anyone at all who can serve with all the spin he does. He can hit an american Twist, slice kick, screwball down the T (looks like it was going to curve into my body on the ad side but bounce down the deuce side).

I really tried to move forward but his kick, american twist must have moved a good 3 feet laterally and kept throwing off my timing.

Is the only way to practicing returning these to face them over and over?

over all as a CR 3.5 I think I am going to have a fun year next year!

 

[LeeD]

As a 3.5, you have not nearly faced all the varied styles, techniques, and competition you will have faced after several more years, and a higher or two level.
You can only prepare to face more advanced shots by FACING those shots. Almost every 5.0 and above player can twist, top, slice, or any combo on any of their serves, and still get it in deep and with placement.
I've mentioned I have played a former Div1 who can kick and twist his second serves a full foot over my head, and I'm 5'11". Funny thing, at 6'5" or so, he HATES it when I twist one out wide to his forehand, about forehead height to him. He absolutely EATS UP my failed twists, the ones that bounce shoulder high to him, so he whups me pretty badly.
At least no top level (5.0 or higher) player bothers to slice it down low to our knees. That stuff is reserved for lower level players.

 

[johndagolfer]

So how do you handle someone with that good of a serve? I tried to take them early but was always guessing which way that dang ball would bounce

I know I won't face those serves in 3.5, but it would be nice to learn how to return these serves now.

 

[aphex]

Most people will say this certain strategy is incorrect. When I watched the pros they all did this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-hsNUbynY8[/youtube]

I won matches immediately have employing this into my game

This is the crappiest advice ever.

OP, do NOT follow this advice!

 

[LeeD]

Watch the pro women and men. First thing is to get more sideways than you do for any other shot, even back to the opponent, and hit the ball lower and harder than normal.
Getting sideways lower your shot, so you can swing out. Swinging out means YOU control where the ball goes, not allowing his spin to take effect.

 

[LuckyR]

Congrats on the good match, but you sound like a 4.0

True, you report that "computers" rank/label you as a 3.5, but my guess is some of your 3.5 victims are starting threads about sandbagging.

 

[KenC]

Congrats on the good match, but you sound like a 4.0

Sounds like it to me too. Congrats on making the intermediate levels. With a lot of quality practice you will soon be beating those 4.5's every now and then and then one day you will be beating them regularly.

 

[johndagolfer]

Congrats on the good match, but you sound like a 4.0

True, you report that "computers" rank/label you as a 3.5, but my guess is some of your 3.5 victims are starting threads about sandbagging.

I think my victims from last year are going to be saying that this year even more. Last year was my first year in USTA after a 10 year layoff. I never did much competitive tennis besides high school.

I came into the season at 250 (I am 212 now). I am moving better, hitting better, serving better than I did last season. I hope that by the time season starts that I will be 180 pounds. If I am I seriously hope that I can go to regionals at least.