What I Hope to Learn this Summer, Part III

The new Roger Federer - the one who makes mistakes, occasionally fails, and realizes his limitations - is much more interesting than the old one. Last year’s Wimbledon between Federer and Nadal featured superior tennis but this year’s match between Federer and Andy Roddick was equally as tense.

To complete the French Open-Wimbledon double, Federer needed to honestly re-evaluate his game in order to improve it. At Roland Garros, his improved ability to slide on the baseline was paired with a new drop shot; at the All England Club he was forced to serve impeccably and persevere as his best shots were foiled.

Federer defeated Roddick because he knows how to overcome adversity and change. On the bright side, Roddick is finally a threat to win Grand Slams again because he has evolved his game to become more versatile. Increased mental and physical fitness also helps his cause.

The development of Federer and Roddick over recent months signifies that no athlete should ever stop improving. When the opportunity to increase their level of physical skill passes, an athlete can work on the mental side of the game.

Self-actualization demands continuous learning and I endeavour to learn more from other sports over the summer. There are many excellent resources and it is simply a matter of locating them, reflecting, and adapting them to the appropriate sport.

Managing My Life by Alex Ferguson another example of a thoughtful and persistent triumph. The Manchester United manager experienced a mixed bag of success and failure as a player and rose through the coaching ranks steadily. He was almost sacked as manager at Old Traffold a couple of times but persisted and attained the level of elite achievement where he resides currently.

In his mind, one of the integral components of his philosophy is his tendency to deconstruct every failure and learn what could be done better. Another tenant is the belief that no player, manager, or club should be satisfied with less than their best. Ferguson’s coaching career is forty years of learning from masters, treating others how he would want to be treated (sometimes a professional, sometimes a person), and continually moving forwards. He is a role model for all sorts of coaches and managers. Even his offensive strategy for soccer, based on rhythm and ball possession, contains elements that could influence a basketball coach.

Ferguson’s work the most eloquent book about sport that I have read. It shatters the stereotype that jocks must be dumb and challenges other athletes and coaches to do better. There is never any reason not to communicate in a dignified and respectful fashion.

I am also scheduled to read Scotty Bowman: A Life in Hockey, Inner Skiing by W. Timothy Gallwey and Robert Kriegel, and Football Scouting Methods by Steve Belichick because they emphasize sound coaching, mental training, and game preparation respectively. In the month of August, when I work on Task 4: Nutrition and other units at the National Coaching Institute, I hope to base my work on a theme such as “What Basketball Can Learn from Other Sports.”

French Open 2009

The triumph of Roger Federer’s win is not in the compilation of fourteen Grand Slam titles but his recovery from adversity and the adjustments and evolutions that he has made to his game. Rafael Nadal has displayed phenomenal athleticism and power during his six Grand Slam wins but he has never exhibited the consistency shown by Federer in three areas:

Consistency: Federer has always played the entire year and wins during each season. Like Tiger Woods - another blue chip brand name athlete - he wins about half the time. Federer has made every Grand Slam semi-final for the past five years. The Swiss player has displayed both the regular success of Pete Sampras and the ability to win on all surfaces like Andre Agassi.

Adjustment: In the 1990s, Federer first realized that he needed to become more mature and ceased arguing petty line calls. Since then he has always been gracious and is often cited as an excellent example of sportsmanship. On the court, Federer continually enhances his game, most recently adding an effect forehand drop-shot to use against baseline players like Nadal. He is never satisfied with himself and pushes himself to get better.

Adversity: The past year has been trying for Federer as he lost the Wimbledon crown to Nadal but recovered to win his fifth consecutive U.S. Open Crown. He lost the final of the Australian Open but won the French Open (also returning from a dismal showing in the final last year in Paris). A clown rushed on to the court but Federer never lost his focus. Nadal has been influenced by negative crowd reaction but Federer normally seems confident. During the 2009 season, Federer did show some emotion but his determination permitted him to overcome his weaknesses.

Both Federer and Nadal are highly skilled players and among the best of all time but I think that it is Federer’s mental ability that makes him stand out.

Pour toute la gloire du monde

Rafael Nadal finally beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon. After five consecutive championships, Roger relinquished the crown in five sets. Even McEnroe finally beat Borg in 1981. Nadal’s game has the sense of inevitability about it: his athleticism, the longer rallies, Federer’s unforced errors, the sense he gets the ball back (with a lot of power and spin) and the opponent screws up….

Eventualy, it all caught up to Federer. Had he taken advantage of his break points, he would have been in a much better position. But he needs to develop new strategies to face Nadal; it was always the Spaniard who had the championship points in their Wimbledon final. As the match wore on, Nadal’s focus was tenacious, Federer seemed to lose control at times.

Occasionally, Federer was deep in a rally and went for too much. He felt that he couldn’t win the point unless he did something extraordinary. I think he should try to break down the matches into smaller pieces, game by game, point by point. There are many little things that Federer could practice which would enhance his highly skilled game by adding a little more power.

Federer had a clear advantage in serve and volley and aces. I think it would benefit him to try to shorten points, with more angled serves, deeper backhands, more spin and slice shots. I think he could go to the net more and he shouldn’t run around his forehand as much. Federer’s number two in the world now but he’s not as far back as the public believes.

Federer def. Roddick 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-2

Reminiscent of that Sampras-Agassi match in the 2001 - which was also regrettably scheduled for the quarter-finals due to a poor draw - Roger Federer ousted Andy Roddick from the U.S. Open in straight sets last night.

Like the classic match half a dozen years ago, the first two sets were played without any breaks of service. However, Roddick could not match Federer’s relentless play. At key times, it seemed that Roddick made poor judgments or tried for too much; Federer remained focused and played his (superb) game.

In the 2001 match, Pete Sampras prevailed because he possessed a more well-rounded game, which proved more consistent in the tie-breakers. Likewise, Roger Federer won because of his shot-making and determination. Not only is he the best tennis player in the world, he knows he limits, and plays within them.

Federer always gets the ball back and makes his adversary hit and extra shot. There is something to say about consistency throughout an entire game, race, or match and letting the opponent make mistakes. Federer was aggressive at times (during his service games, tie-breakers and break points, and when Roddick came to the net) but he was always in control.

Andre Agassi provided a number of salient points on commentary; it was certainly enjoyable to listen to insightful sport announcers (a rare occurrence).

1. One comment concerned Andy Roddick, who has yet to match the Grand Slam success that he achieved at the 2003 U.S. Open. During that time, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Marat Safin have won all of the Grand Slams. While it may be reasonable for Roddick to have a mental block against Federer, Agassi insisted that he should focus on leaving it all on the court. Playing a game with no regrets and losing wouldn’t contribute to his mental and physical struggles with the world’s top player but playing tentative and losing would.
2. “When you get around a weakness by avoiding it, it just adds to your struggles when you have to face it. The best thing to do is to tackle it head on.” - Andre Agassi
3. Agassi also suggested that Jimmy Connors’ biggest accomplishment since he began coaching Roddick last year was convincing Roddick that he had improve, irrespective of what actually happened.

P.S.: Why do athletes grimace or grunt while playing or lifting weights? It consumes energy which could possibly be a factor in longer matches. Does the psychological feeling of comfort and security enhance performance? In the end, the quiet player won last night.

The Appreciation of Andre Agassi

On Monday, Andre Agassi won under the lights at the U.S. Open. In 1990 a different Andre Agassi lost to Pete Sampras in the U.S. Open Finals. Once Agassi was seen as a gifted under-achiever; now he’s admired as the epitomy of a professional athlete. Substance replaced style and successes replaced failures on the biggest stages as Agassi won the career Grand Slam.

Agassi’s career path mirrors the development of many student-athletes as they progress through High School. Often the game is more mental than physical, work ethic can trump raw talent, and consistency is critical. Agassi still possesses tremendous groundstrokes but now he controls points more from the baseline. He used to skip the Australian Open early in his career, later he won the tournament thrice in four years because he was in the best shape on tour.

Likewise, student-athletes frequently join the Junior Varsity team with great expectations and an attitude that surpasses their ability. Reaching one’s potential takes self-discipline that one acquires over the years. As Grade 9s or Grade 10s, they have yet to learn the tricks of the trade.

They may not know how to train or how to practice. But like Agassi, anyone can change.
Agassi didn’t care in the past: it was more important to practice barefoot at Wimbledon with Brooke Shields than win the Championships. Image was everything -- now winning is paramount. Could’ves (Andres Gomez/French Open/1990), Would’ves (Pete Sampras/U.S. Open/1990), Should’ves (Jim Courier/French Open/1991) gradually became Been Theres (Andrei Medvedev/French Open/1999) and Done Thats (Todd Martin/U.S. Open/1999). The same opportunity to improve exists for all athletes, irrespective of their particular situation.

Out-working opponents during the off-season, pre-playing the game in advance, and giving one’s best every day; skills that are not difficult to duplicate but difficult to learn. It took Andre Agassi almost ten years as a pro to add them to his immense skill. It takes others longer. Yet when prodigies become mature they become winners.

On Monday, Andre Agassi won once more under the lights at the U.S. Open. Bad back, down a set, and approaching retirement he persevered and won his first round match. On Thursday, Agassi will play Marcos Bagdatis, who will offer a stark contrast in style. Serve and volley vs. service returns, youth vs. experience. One more chance for Andre to apply the lessons he learnt over time and demonstrate his skill.

Marcos Baghdatis and Andy Roddick

Watching Marcos Baghdatis upset Andy Roddick at the Australian Open, I realised that tennis is a metaphor for other sports. First of all, I share commentator Dick Enberg’s opinion that the reason we all love sports is because anything can happen. Secondly, this match illustrated a bevy of non-sport related fundamentals that are relevant to any athlete or coach

What I learnt from Andy Roddick: Roddick’s body language was appalling. He looked like a loser, quibbled with the umpired, and at times did not seem to be in a ready position. There are things you can’t control - the arena roof closing due to the weather, net chords, crazy Greek fans cheering in the stands like a soccer match - but you can always control how you carry yourself. Keep your head up and your shoulders erect. Play your game, ignore the umpire. Do your best and play until the last point.

What I learnt from Marcos Baghdatis: Baghdatis came into the match with a gameplan and stuck to it. He was very aggressive, playing inside the baseline and forcing Roddick to back up. Although he was talented, he knew he needed to be disciplined the beat the world’s second ranked player. Baghdatis patiently constructed the points so that he could use his forehand as much as possible. He ignored the rankings, put himself on the line, and won a great match.

This match was won on the court, where Marcos Baghdatis out-worked Andy Roddick. But it was also won off the court because Baghdatis was not intimidated by his favoured opponent and out-prepared him. Had Baghdatis completed one task but not the other, the result may have been reversed. If Baghdatis didn’t work hard because he thought that he’d out-prepared Roddick and assumed that that was enough, the result definitely would have changed.

I truly enjoy basketball, but I enjoy the spirit of competition more. I love watching two athletes playing against each other in a major championship, doing whatever they can to win. Miniscule differences - mentally and physically - decided who was saluted by a stadium of cheering fans and who faced a “long walk” back to the locker room. The thrill Baghdatis experienced when he attained a new personal best (and the challenge of the work still needing to be done) makes the effort and sacrifice entirely worthwhile.

Night Tennis

James Blake and Andre Agassi played one of the better tennis matches that I have seen in recent years last night (and part of this morning.) The majority of the points were very well played, displaying the tremendous skill of both players. The match was intense and legitimately surprising as the momentum changed sides several times.

If there is a lesson that can be applied in other sports, it is to never give up. Down two sets and a break in the third, Agassi brought his game to another level and won the next two sets. Needing to break to stay in the match, Agassi elevated his play again, hitting a number of brilliant returns. Anything can happen: the match was on Blake’s racquet twice (at 6-5 in the fifth set and at 5-4 in the tie-breaker) but he couldn't close Agassi out.

Another interesting aspect of the game was body language. In the fifth set, Agassi seemed more energetic, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Blake’s shoulders were slumped and he seemed to be engaging in some negative self-talk. Although the match was decided in a tie-breaker, I was very confident that Agassi would win because of his confident attitude.