Tennis

fez

fez

Caporegime
Joined
22 Aug 2008
Posts
25,092
Location
Tunbridge Wells
Again? A real shame considering what she achieved, but it seems she just isn’t up to it physically. She’s 19, she should be in her prime.

It doesn't work like that. The difference between a 19 year old and a 25 year old in a lot of sports is quite large. It depends how people develop. They are still playing under 21s international football. If all 19 year olds were fully ready for the rigours and pace of the professional game they wouldn't have that.

When she is a few years older and has had time to properly adapt to the elite level game we will find out if she has the body for it.
 
Caporegime
Joined
9 May 2005
Posts
31,712
Location
Cambridge
It does make you wonder when you see some of the greats who have played through much worse than half the stuff she quits with. It’s a shame, she’s no doubt got talent.
I see it in school every single day. Kids have ****ing zero resilience anymore. Everyone listens to every single one of the complaints they have about nothing. Teachers spend half their day counselling the fragile little poppets or their parents are screaming bullying. Or they play the mental health top trump which has now become a word for just not wanting to do something. Anxiety has become the new 'I have OCD'.
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Nov 2005
Posts
40,386
Location
Cornwall
My guess is she is rushing back to training/competing too soon after injuries. Hopefully she will be properly fit to play at Wimbledon.
This. She's spent way less time on court than the average 19 year old thanks to prioritising her education over tennis and now she seems to be playing too much, getting injured and losing confidence.

Once she finds a happy balance and her strength and fitness improve, I'm sure she'll be fine because she's already got the game to win multiple slams.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Jul 2007
Posts
20,612
Location
Various
I think it's somewhere in the middle. Yes, she will develop physically, and her first year on tour was always going to be tough. Equally though, the top players have a mental resilience which she appears to lack at present. Look at Rafa winning the French with basically half a foot, and his hands taped. Emma needs a decent sports psychologist, and to decide whether she's willing and able to make the sacrifices required of the genuine greats.

That said, tennis is an interesting sport in terms of just how mental it is. I've played to a reasonable level, and more than any other sport the smallest niggle can completely throw your game. If I play the day after a long run on slightly heavy legs for example, my serve is completely out of whack presumably because I don't jump as high or fast and the timing is all off. If I play with a sore finger my groundstrokes completely go. Small injuries don't affect other sports in the same way, in my experience.

Again, the top players deal with this kind of issue, and Emma needs to work out how to do so, but she's young, inexperienced, hasn't dealt with much adversity until this year, and I hope will learn and develop.
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Nov 2005
Posts
40,386
Location
Cornwall
Dan Evans won today, Murray lost in 3 sets. Considering Berrettini got to the Wimbledon final last year and is a beast on grass, a very close game with room for improvement has got to be encouraging for Murray.
 

fez

fez

Caporegime
Joined
22 Aug 2008
Posts
25,092
Location
Tunbridge Wells
Does Murray actually have a popsicles chance in hell of making any sort of comeback? He seems to have been struggling with injury and as a result form for about the last 5 years. Perhaps 5 years is an overstatement but its a long time.
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Nov 2005
Posts
40,386
Location
Cornwall
He made his comeback a long time ago and has been playing regularly this year. Hasn’t been making the later rounds of most tournaments but he’s up to 47 in the rankings and is still finding his game.

He picked up an injury in Stuttgart simply due to the amount of tennis he played. If it’s not too serious there’s no reason he won’t keep improving.
 
Back
Top Bottom