Clay’s trials and tribulations
In all individual sports, to gain global recognition, getting into the quarterfinal (QF) stages of a known event is a must. Professional Tennis events are a knockout system. To reach the QFs, the possession of high end skills only is not enough. The ability to endure punishing challenges, mental stress, conduct matured tactics and sustaining personal disciplines are necessary. Tennis was never different, it has been always demanding.
The system of elitism has evolved over 100 years. In a major showdown like in Rolland Garros [RG], Paris, the best gets revealed in the QFs of the draw. Players there have sustained their efforts over a long period of time. Not surprisingly, many have disappeared, unable to sustain. Nature's rule of ‘survival of the fittest’ applies here too.
Roland Garros 18 Quarter-finals
Good players target to be in the event early 2nd week of RG. This is when the pre-QFs and the QFs are played. Some surprised the world appearing here, some expected but never made it.
The Women’s Singles will not have any new names in the Semifinals. Serena Williams did not look fit and subsequently withdrew citing injuries. With that, Sharapova moved forward. Americans Madison Keys and Sloane Stevens came with impressive Tennis and booked their berths in the Semifinals for the first time. Sloane Stevens is also the current US-Open Champion.
Marco Cecchinato the Sicilian
Cecchinato is the first Sicilian to be ranked and, in the 2018 RG he is a sensation. He entered the French-Open ranked 72 in the world. The 25-yearold is in his 8th year of the professional tour, and has only won 1 event. That was the HungarianOpen this year. In 2010, as a 17-year-old, he was ranked 1,291. In RG he became a sensation, beating Goffin of Belgium and Novak Djokovic. both in close tussles, amidst a partisan crowd against him. With a berth in the French Open Semifinals he has immortalised his name.
The Court and injuries
The red Clay of Europe is considered slow. Some of the longest rallies in both genders were seen this year. The number of 5-Set matches in Men’s and 3 in Women were seen in plenty. In Men’s, one rally exceeded 34 shots. A Tiebreak went on for 26 min. Many of the matches were decided by physical breakdown, than on skill level differences. The stress of labour made many players resort to safe tactics. The high intensity Tennis needed to win events, was a risky pursuit in RG. Two Women who engaged in high intensity game were current French Open Champion Latvian Osterpenko and Wozniacki. Both lost and paid their price doing it.
Among Men, 2nd Seed Zverev had to play more than his share of 5-Setters. In an interview he said that he is the king of 5-Setters, when Nadal was touted the king of Clay. In the QFs Zverev exhibited his exhaustion and physical breakdown and went down tamely to Thiem of Austria.
Time as tactics
The slow Court provides another tactical aspect. Time! In Men’s matches, big names who won the 1st 2 Sets, were eliminated in 5 Sets. The weaker players, unable to match the venom of good players, played to keep them on court in the 1st 2 Sets and, in 5 Sets, they beat them.
A memorable encounter with this was the match between Kevin Anderson of South Africa and Argentine Schwartzman, who is only 5'6" tall, and a mere 64 kg, and definitely one of the fastest on court. He is ranked 12 in the ATP and beat the marathon-man, known to win matches in 5 Sets, Kevin Anderson. The 32-year-old Anderson is ranked 7 and is 6'8" tall. Schwartzman played for time and extended the rallies. Anderson won the 1st 2 Sets very comfortably, while Schwartzman won the next 2 Sets. In the final Set, Anderson was so tired that the match fell onto Schwartzman’s lap like a ripe apple.
Del Potro and Nadal
The Argentine and the Spaniard are the other 2 in good form. Del Potro has served 200 aces this year. Nadal’s blitzkrieg-like operational game is in good tune. Due to the slow speed of the court, players do not surrender much space to their opponents. This makes hitting outright winners from the baseline a Herculean task. While Nadal is known for his ruthless Ground Strokes, with precision and in speed, Del Potro is armed with Service, well known cannon fire Forehand and a solid Net game.
Halep, Kerber, Muguruza and Sharapova
While the 2 Americans have secured 2 Semifinal berths in the lower half of the draw, 1 American in the finals is assured, while the other contenders for that in the top half are the 4 names above. In seeing through French-Open run-up events, I feel these 4 seasoned players have rationed their efforts in the early season, to play well at the FrenchOpen. All of them are looking very athletic and have their penetrative game in place. When it comes to maturity and all-round game, they are a league above the rest.