BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
Was Tessa in the stands today? I wasn't able to watch the match.
The Shape Of Things To Come: Denis Shapovalov!
- Thread starter stringertom
- Start date
Was Tessa in the stands today? I wasn't able to watch the match.
Mark-Touch
Legend
And that would be because of what part of his anatomy?
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Yes, I think he could have changed it up more - try slicing Struff and forcing him to create his own pace. Struff is a basher. And, he kept bashing the ball at Denis which meant Denis had no chance to get into any kind of rhythm. He also served very well, and was effective at net. Denis could have gone to net more, but Struff probably would have passed him anyway. Denis is still in the doubles with Verdasco.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
What is it you think he could have managed better? It's easy to be critical, but what could he have done, that he didn't do?
ghostofMecir
Legend
It’s one of the monster holes in his game that will limit his peak achievements.
That one-handed BH return (huge liability for anyone compared to a two-hander ) is compounded by average return instincts (unlike someone like Federer who has good return instincts and serve reading ability that help ameliorate for a weaker 1 handed Bh return).
Additionally, being a lefty mean righty opponents (vast majority of the tour) target it on the first point of each service game on the righty server’s stronger side (the deuce court) whereas he, as a lefty has to start serve on the deuce as well, a lefty’s weaker serve side. Look at the serve stats on the ATP’s website about serve distribution and see how EVERYONE picks on that BH return on the first point and how Shapovalov struggles mightily winning those points.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
It’s not as much a function of him being a ohbh lefty as it is his underdeveloped return skill on that wing. He never slices the bh return into a neutral or better position and doesn’t exploit the advantage of a ohbh by not having the mixes of spins from that wing when rallies begin.
To me, Shapo is a lefty and rawer version of Thiem from 2015 and before with better fast court instincts and decidedly less weapons for slower courts. There’s a lot of talent there if he can get his head screwed on tightly by one coach that he sticks with long enough to flesh out ROS skills and some grinder mentality to complement the flash he already possesses.
If there was a lefty coach to tackle the project, even as a second voice to speak the “sinister language” while a more contemporary head coach does the daily work, we might see a real force emerge in 24-36 months. Otherwise, Shapo will continue to tread water, hanging around on the edge of greatness with some deep runs here and there but not storming the mountain. Daniel Nestor, I hope you hear this...come out of your retirement from playing dubs and into the coaches box to work with Shapo because it might be a chance to pull a diamond out of the rough.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
https://www.tsn.ca/tennis/video/sha...is-game-came-up-with-some-crazy-shots~1692002
In the video he suggests he'll stay with Adriano. And this quote of yours is what I fear the most for him. I see the potential in him, and he obviously words very hard, and dedicates himself to the task. But, he just keeps sticking with these old-style coaches because he trusts them. Tell me what you think after watching the video.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Stringertom: I'm going to address your comments, because I do worry about that outcome for Denis. However, I suggest you watch that video. Denis does one of the things that he consistently does which is why I still see a positive outcome for him. He is very aware of what he needs to work on. He says that Adrian is very tough on him and doesn't sugar-coat the areas that are still not working. He is also an extremely positive person who always tries to learn from his mistakes. He knows better than anyone how poor this clay season was for him, but he's still trying to take something good from it. He doesn't have nearly the experience on clay that many others have. And, he's still trying to learn. I give him high marks for that. I still believe his best results will come on faster surfaces though.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Not in Canada so I can’t view the vid.
I stated a week ago that the sooner clay is done, the better. On to grass, get ready for Stuttgart, where even one win is an improvement over 2018. Hopefully he doesn’t stop at that minor improvement.
Down_the_line
Legend
One thing about Shapovalov, and the more experienced tennis fans can correct me if I'm wrong: he seems to have too much energy out there. He looks to my eye like a player who really needs to calm down out there on the court and feel his way into a match. Does anyone else sense this?
Marius_Hancu
Talk Tennis Guru
@Marius_Hancu
@denis_shapo Denis, sorry, your strategy has been all wrong lately - you have Nadal-ized it, by staying back. Look where that took Dimitrov. Your weapons and temperament should lead you where Sampras was after 25 on 2nd serve too: at net. Struff saw the light.
You were 3/9 vs Struff's 17/21 at net after 2 sets. Not enough there and not good enough when there. Work on both, for you can become very successful with it. @TennisCanada
You were 3/9 vs Struff's 17/21 at net after 2 sets. Not enough there and not good enough when there. Work on both, for you can become very successful with it. @TennisCanada
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prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Interesting analysis.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Mindfulness meditation.
vernonbc
Legend
If Denis was smart enough to Nadal-ize his game he might win a match or two on clay, might even approach Rafa's record number of clay court titles, or one or twelve of his grandslams.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
I don't know who Marius is, but I agree with what they say. Denis doesn't change his strategy enough. He comes in with the same strategy almost all the time. Sometimes he will change it up such as his matches with Evans and Tsitsipas. Admittedly, those were both on HC, but still, he could have tried other things with Struff such as slicing him up the middle more to take the pace away from him. Or, soft-balling him, again, to take away the pace. Changing surfaces won't help Denis, if he continues to try and do the same thing all the time. His problems will translate to grass and hard courts if he doesn't learn to adapt more in matches.
Joseph_K
Hall of Fame
The draws for next week's grass court tournament in stuttgart have been made. Shapo is the no. 8 seed in the singles and in the first round will face... the German Jan-Lennard Struff, Shapo's conqueror in the first round in Paris two weeks ago. In the doubles event Shapo has teamed up again with the Indian player Rohan Bopanna. An unseeded pair, they will take on Bob and Mike Bryan, the no. 3 seeds, in the first round.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Shapo has been Karr-ed once again...plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.
Sorry, no accent marks @vive le beau jeu !
And earlier this year, too! Shapo better get his act together or else Struff will single-handedly destroy his ranking!
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Unbelievable. He gets the worst draws. I don't get it.
Pmasterfunk
Hall of Fame
Plus c'est pareil, at least in Quebec.
Stuff also beat him in Rome or Madrid, too lazy to look it up. I'm not sure I've ever noticed Struff do well on grass, but it seems he has the skills for it.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Denis beat him once. JL beat Denis twice. Struff has never done well on grass. 3R Wimbledon is his best. The odds look to be even.
Joseph_K
Hall of Fame
According to page 84 of this thread, Jan-Lennard Struff beat Shapo in the first round of this year's Monte Carlo tournament. That particular match was played on April 15, Shapo's twentieth birthday.
In their first meeting, in the quarter-finals of last year's Japan Open in Tokyo, Shapo beat Struff 4-6, 7-6,(7), 6-4, after saving a match point at 6-7 in the second set tiebreak
In their first meeting, in the quarter-finals of last year's Japan Open in Tokyo, Shapo beat Struff 4-6, 7-6,(7), 6-4, after saving a match point at 6-7 in the second set tiebreak
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Pmasterfunk
Hall of Fame
Forgot about Monte Carlo, in Madrid he did decently beating PCB?
Tokyo plays pretty fast I think, and Shapo wasn't doing particularly well at the end of the year, so some hope remains for Stuttgart.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
I think they are playing in Stuttgart, no?
dunlop_fort_knox
Professional
shapo can fall back on tennis when his career as a rapper takes levels off.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Rain out on Monday so Shapo vs Struff is scheduled for first match on Center Court when play resumes Tuesday.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
That's horrible. I can't watch him any longer. Watching this wonderful talent collapse like this is so sad.
Down_the_line
Legend
Yeah, disappointing result for Shapo today. The match was quite winnable but he just couldn't manage to break serve.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Nothing to do with that. He's collapsed mentally. He doesn't seem to have the discipline or mental toughness he needs to be a top player at the moment. He needs someone to help him develop that, or I think he will just always be a fringe player who never breaks through.
Musterrific
Hall of Fame
Is a Kohlschreiberesque career now the forecast for him?
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Hard to say. I thought his future looked bright several months ago. He had a cool, hard-working coach and was beginning to see results. Coach left. Career collapsed. What more is there to say? If someone doesn't step in soon, this thread will be about a has been or never was. Truly sad to see this happening.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Shapo and his partner Bopanna eked out a super TB victory over the Bryan Brothers today. 6-4 3-6 10-6.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Wow, that is a significant win as they're one of the top teams in the world. Good on them. Did anyone see it?
InvisibleSoul
Hall of Fame
Who are the Bryan Brothers? I've never heard of them. /s
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_brothers
They have fallen off a bit, but they're still a top-ranked doubles team. They've won a host of slams and Olympic medals.
They have fallen off a bit, but they're still a top-ranked doubles team. They've won a host of slams and Olympic medals.
InvisibleSoul
Hall of Fame
I was being sarcastic. This is a tennis message board. You really don't need to state that the Bryan Brothers are one of the top teams. Pretty sure everyone here knows who they are.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Oh dear. Sorry.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Playing doubles is good for him. He can't explode the way he does in singles, and it helps his ROS and net play. Maybe it's better for him to concentrate on doubles. I'm beginning to doubt he has the mental discipline for singles.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
It’s barely two months since a SF at Miami, earned with great resolve. He’s down but not out.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Well, he and Bopanna just defeated Pouille-Tsonga in straight sets. Good win. Good serving by Denis, but you can still see his poor ROS.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
That will be a tough match, I think. But, they already defeated two good teams.
flyinghippos101
Legend
It's a little concerning to see Shapo not making many inroads the last few months. Compared to Felix, his game is just way too inconsistent week-to-week.
If there's any consolation for Canadian Sports his week, it's Felix still in the tournament and the raptors winning the championship.
If there's any consolation for Canadian Sports his week, it's Felix still in the tournament and the raptors winning the championship.
prairiegirl
Hall of Fame
Yes, he could have done better in the clay court season, but I think his game is meant for faster surfaces. He's had some bad luck running into Struff three times in a row. Felix, on the other hand, has benefitted from easier draws, a walk-over in one tournament which got him into the semis, and playing a lot of older, washed-out players rather than the top-ranked players. Let's see how good he is against the top guns and that will tell us. He did beat Tsitsipas, but then so did Denis. Denis' game is going to take longer to mature. Felix has a very basic game - hit a hard serve and then just be patient with ground strokes until the other guy makes a mistake. Denis is far more aggressive and eclectic. He's also far more interesting to watch. I find Felix boring.
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