Andy Murray was able to finally break the stranglehold of Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal and win his first slam at the 2012 US Open. Afterwards Murray talked about working with Coach Ivan Lendl's former sport psychologist.

BBC article on Murray using sport psychologist

Have you been on the fence about using sport psychology, mental toughness or mental skills training? Please read the article. I think it will push you off the fence and ready to jump in to sport psychology.

Murray felt that the sport psychologist helped him more off the court than on the court. This is not unusual. Players need different things. Some players need to learn to slow down on court, take some deep breaths, and develop a between points routine. Other players are dealing with more off the court that affects them on the court. A qualified sport psychology consultant will be able to help the player determine what is most crucial to work on over time.



Often tennis players need that "3rd party" to listen to and counsel them. The sport psychology consultant is not involved in the daily pushing it takes to become a skilled tennis player thus removing all of the history and emotion that exists in the parent-player and player-coach relationships. So, players feel free to speak their mind without punishment or judgment.

Importantly, a qualified sport psychology consultant will have the ability to you identify core concerns and, more importantly, clear ways to improve your mental game. The consultant will offer practical strategies for being mentally tough and/or help you deal with "stuff" on and off the court. It may be just changing the way you see things or developing coping strategies to handle the things that are out of your control.

If you are looking to take that next big step in your tennis game, like Andy Murray did in 2012, then you need to do something differently or better than you were before. Using a sport psychology consultant help you find the edge. And, if that does not fit in your budget or you are not quite ready to meet with a consultant then take advantage of the resources on this site, as well as other good books, videos, and articles. It will give you an edge in 2013.

Dr. Lauer discusses youth football bounties on ESPN Outside the Line 
My part is not included in the link, however...

The show re-airs Friday, December 7 at 3 pm eastern on ESPN.

The podcast is also available on itunes search Outside the Lines

Go to larry-lauer.com for my thoughts on the show

Tennis Parenting Show with Lisa Stone

I had the opportunity to talk with Lisa Stone, tennis parent and writer, on the Parenting Aces show she hosts on the UR10s radio network. It was a fun and thought-provoking conversation that allowed me to summarize and discuss the tennis parenting research we have been doing at Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports.
Specifically, Lisa and I discussed a number of important topics including:

• How to communicate with your child when wanting to quit tennis,
• The reasons behind why researchers believe that tennis parents are more involved today,
• The #1 biggest mistake a parent can make in parenting their child in tennis,
• How to navigate the issue of sport specialization and when a tennis player should specialize,
• How to push and challenge your child while supporting them.

Please download the show and let me know what you think. Also, share it with other parents in tennis and outside of tennis. It was focused on tennis but many of the points discussed relate to all sport parents.

Tennis parents, there are at least five ways you can help your child play better tennis in matches, immediately. And, it does not involve hitting balls with them, providing extra instruction, having them lift weights, run sprints, or do agility training.

It does involve you regulating your behavior in a way so that your parent performance is better. What, parent performance? That is correct. You have a role to perform and when you perform it effectively it helps your child relax, have fun, and play like they do in practice.

So, on to five ways to enhance your tennis parent performance.

5. Avoid getting involved in on-court disagreements if possible. You know the situation. Your child's opponent is making dubious line calls. You are sure she is cheating. You want to say something. However, remember parents become furious when adults yell at or confront their children. It is the paternal/maternal instinct to react aggressively. Even if you just plain suggest that their child is cheating and go talk to that parent you may get into trouble. Instead teach your child how to deal with cheating.

How to Play Great Tennis when Your Opponent is Cheating


Thus, when the situation arises instead of being shocked, surprised, and confused your child will have a plan, execute it, and refocus on playing tennis.

4. Avoid boosting your child's confidence pre-match by telling her she will win. Instead tell her she will play well and remind her of the reasons why. She has been working hard in practice. Her backhand is improved. I know some will disagree with me on this, but here is the rationale. When you tell your child prior to the match that she will win or that she is better than her opponent what happens when she is still on serve late in the first set? Or, down an early break? Often panic. The child has been told she is better and feels no margin for error. Now she has to win to live up to the expectation. Focus on playing good tennis and let the outcome happen as it will.

3. Avoid comparisons and stop talking about the draw. Trust me players dislike comparisons to other players. Even if it is to help them learn an important lesson. And, especially prior to and right after matches. In contrast focus your child on his strengths and his game plan. This is what he controls.

Furthermore, stop talking about the draw whether it is to project who they will face later in the draw or the degree of difficulty in the draw. As a sport psychology consultant I want the player engaged in the moment. This is when he will have his best performances. If you are pulling him out of the moment to talk about the past or future it probably is just creating distraction and stress. Instead, help draw him in to the moment focusing again on what he controls.

2. Avoid nagging and allowing your nerves to stress the player. This is another parenting behavior that eats at a player's nerves. Think about the mindset a player wants to achieve prior to the match; relaxed, calm, confident, ready and sure of the plan. When you ask whether or not she has her shoes or enough water it only serves to irritate your child. Instead, talk to your child about what they like to talk about before the match, and if they want to talk at all. I like to have the players I work with visualize their performance prior to the match while listening to music so they are going to need their space to fully prepare for the match.

Just so we are on the same page, this is not a free pass for a player to be mean to his parents. Player and parent(s) need to understand the others' needs and idiosyncrasies and at the same time be flexible.

Finally, if you are concerned your child will not be prepared without some nagging implement a checklist. List all of the things that your child will need in his bag and the night before the match have him check off that everything is ready. This will make you feel confident that he has what he needs, and your son will not have to feel nagged at prior to the match.

This Bag Checklist and other great resources can be found in the USTA Mental Skills and Drills Handbook.

1. Avoid emotional reactions in the stands. I list this number one because players are highly influenced by their parents in the stands. Supportive, calm, composed parents in the stands can have a calming effect on the player in pressure moments. Fidgety, nervous, angry, distracting parents can distract the player and be embarrassing. In these cases the parent becomes another obstacle to hurdle. Do your best to stay relaxed and supportive in the stands even if things are not going well. If you think about your role as the person who helps keep them even keel then it will be easier to stay calm in pressure situations.

To improve your performance as a tennis parent you should do these five things immediately. Your child will appreciate it and you may just help them perform better in their next match.

Want to take a full online course on being a Parent Performer? Contact Mental Training, Inc. to enroll in the Parent Mental Trainer written by myself and the staff at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University.

Following media reports would probably lead you to believe that parents are more of a problem in today's world. In reality we do not know if parents are more violent, meddling in the coaches business more often, or more controlling of their children's sport experiences.

While many believe that parent violence at sporting events is on the rise, we do not have the evidence to verify it. One of the issues relates to defining parental behavior and how we track trends in society.  In fact, just following media reports can be misleading. Many media reports focus on parental violence but actually are misleading and are about booing or poor sportsmanship (3). Furthermore, with increased media exposure, focus on "shock news", and the explosion of social media the amount of news that is available to us is exponentially greater than has been in the course of history. So, it may be that many of these crazy parent behaviors happened in the past, we just did not hear about them. Finally, you must take in to account that high school and club sports have never had so much media exposure as they do today.

My gut tells me that bad parent behavior could be on the rise. Coaches, officials, and administrators will almost 100% agree. However, what is most important is how we work with parents. The mistake many coaches, for example, make is to treat the parents as the enemy, or at the least a distraction. Do not assume all parents are bad or that they should act perfectly. Instead, recognize these human beings who are invested in the success of their child. With direction many times they can provide a great deal of support to make a coach's season so much easier. Make them a part of the team, not the enemy.

Myth: Crazy sport parents, and just bad behaviors, are on the rise.

Fact: The craziness in parents could be on the rise, but we don't know. What is more important is to educate parents about the role in sport.

(1) Bissinger, B. (2008). Bench the parents. New York Times, Retrieved on September 13, 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/opinion/23bissinger.html?pagewanted=all

http://ayso1c.org/are-parents-ruining-youth-sports/

(2)  Mason,  J. (2012).  Are parents ruining youth sports. Retrieved September 13, 2012 from 

(3) Heinzmann, G. S. Parental Violence in Youth Sports: Facts, Myths, and Videotape
Retrieved September 20, 2012 from http://youthsports.rutgers.edu/resources/general-interest/parental-violence-in-youth-sports-facts-myths-and-videotape

NWCA Youth Sport Blog

Grappling with the Toughest Youth Sport Issues

Because Youth Sport Athletes Deserve Quality Coaching and Positive Parenting

Larry Lauer, Ph D

Director of Coaching Education and Development

Institute for the Study of Youth Sports

Michigan State University

lauerl@msu.edu

www.youthsports.msu.edu

www.larry-lauer.com

 

What makes Novak Djokovic a champion also may make him less likeable to tennis fans across the globe. More so than probably all of the top players on the Men's ATP tour, fans either love or dislike Djokovic. Why? He has amazing skills, conditioning and mental toughness. Novak wins when he should and has proven himself to be a champion. He also has been gracious in defeat. Djokovic should be considered a proven champion with the likes of Nadal and Federer.

Detractors of Djokovic will tell you that their dislike started early in his career. They talk about tanks, breathing problems, medical timeouts for less than appropriate reasons, and cockiness as evidenced by his post-match emulations of tennis stars' routines prior to serving. Certainly Djokovic taking a medical timeout prior to Murray serving out this year's US Open will only add fuel to their opinion.



But I say this opinion is full of flaws. Djokovic is not the only professional tennis player to have dealt with breathing problems on the court. And he seems to have overcome this issue. The guy played 6 hours of Grand Slam finals tennis against the toughest player on the planet - Nadal at the Aussie. Give him some credit!

Then there is the issue of medical timeouts. I really do not see Djokovic using these timeouts more than other players. In fact, I find Djokovic to be far better conditioned than almost all players on tour. In my humble opinion the Djokovic Detractors pick on those moments where he does call for a trainer to reinforce their faulty perception, but dismiss all of the times where he grinds out five sets of grueling backcourt tennis.

The cockiness issue; it is hard to counteract this argument. Novak has swagger and cockiness about his game, no doubt about it. However, I believe it is Djokovic's great self-belief and slight cockiness that has allowed him to break through Fed-Rafa stranglehold on the Slams. When Novak was still in pursuit of is first Slam many thought he would never win one. Then, when he beat Tsonga at the Aussie people used that as an excuse. He did not beat Fed or Rafa in the final. Since then Djokovic has proven himself to be a great champion. How was Novak able to believe that he could become #1 in the world when many players on the tour, let alone fans, believed that no one could overtake the Top 2? Self-belief bordering on cockiness. You have to have strong self-belief to envision yourself to be #1 in the World. This was especially the case for Novak coming out of war-torn Serbia. No Serb had won a Slam or been #1 in the world. Djokovic broke the ceiling and rewrote history because of his great self-belief.

So, dislike him if you will because he likes to have fun and has the confidence of a champion. Maybe sometimes it borders on cockiness. At other times he has been an agitator of the fans and media when he feels he is not getting his proper due and respect. Hey, he is not perfect, but wouldn't you do the same? It is time for even the detractors to respect the game and the man that is Novak Djokovic. He is mentally tough. He does show respect for his opponents in post-match interviews. Stop cherry-picking detractors of Djokovic. He is here to stay and will many more Grand Slams because of his great self-belief bordering on cockiness.

Maria Sharapova showed us the power of attitude in her 4th round match at the US Open versus Nadia Petrova. In a back and forth match, Petrova split sets with Sharapova and went up 2-0 in the third set. Petrova was on a run and Sharapova was in deep trouble. The US Open has not been her best tournament. Sharapova has a history of losing earlier at the US Open than in other Grand Slams. This includes memorable matches where she was a huge favorite like her defeat to Melanie Oudin.

With a history of first week losses at the US Open weighing on her like a 500-lb. gorilla Sharapova refused to give in. She was fortunate that the rains came and gave her a chance to refocus and talk to her coach. Her coach and father told her to keep fighting. And, that is exactly what she did. Sharapova came out of the one-hour rain delay with energy, intensity, and purpose. She was striking the ball clean and immediately broke Petrova to 2-1. Sharapova would roll from there and win the match. She can thank her comeback to her legendary focus and tough-minded attitude.
 
Learn more about developing a Game Plan for Rain Delays



When she returned from the locker room Sharapova repeatedly pumped her fist and imposed her intensity on Petrova. You could almost feel Sharapova intimidate Petrova through the television. I wish more players would use their intensity to change the course of matches. Andy Roddick has been doing it as well during the US Open. However, too many players seem to let fate take its course.

That is a tough statement because it is hard to know what is going through a player's head. In many cases professional players are better off not showing too much emotion or intensity because they do not respond well to it. Asking John Isner or Sam Querrey to act like Jimmy Connors is probably not a recipe for optimal tennis. At the same time may be a controlled burn is in order here? The ability to use your emotions to fuel your efforts, and impose your attitude on your opponent, while maintaining focus is a powerful weapon on the tennis court.

Serena Williams at times is awesome at finding the controlled burn. She vents positivity through fist pumps and yells on big points but does not lose it. Other times, like in her defeats the past few years at the Open, she let her emotions get out of control and she blew up at the umpire and lines people.

Therefore, it is a fine line to show emotion and stay focused. Not all players are Sharapova and Serena and can channel fierce intensity into composed shot-making. I guess tennis fans are fortunate that both Maria and Serena are still in the draw.

SAMANTHA STOSUR:  Yeah, I mean, I think out of the, what, nine that I missed, I didn't do too much wrong on at least half of them.  So that being the case, I think you got to just take it for what it is.  Okay, it's another point.  You're hopefully going to get another chance if you keep doing what you should be doing.  Kind of what I said to myself on the change of ends. Doesn't matter.  See where it gets you.  Disappointing not to have gotten in one of those other two games, but I still felt I was in a good position.

Q.  A situation like that could really rattle a player.  Would you say that was the most pleasing thing, that you were able to stay calm and ride it out?

SAMANTHA STOSUR:  It can get a little bit frustrating if you kind of let it get to you.  I think the more experienced you are, you don't let those things affect you.  Probably had a few flashbacks to a few matches last year when I had match points and couldn't close it out.  It's one of those things.  Sometimes it takes a few of them to get through.  Again, if you're not doing the wrong things on those points, you can't get too down on yourself.

Q.  Did you feel confident in that situation because of what happened last year?

SAMANTHA STOSUR:  For maybe half a second.  I think every time you play matches and you go through experiences like that, for sure it helps you the next times.  Like I said, if you're doing the right thing, then that's really all that matters.  Whether it's a match point, 15‑Love, whatever it is, that's the thing you've got to be more concerned about, I think.

It is clear that Stosur's thought process under pressure was to trust that she was doing the right thing and to just stick with it. Furthermore, Stosur credited her experience as a big factor in her being able to remain composed and focused, and finish Robson off. Do not underestimate the importance of match toughness. Most players need to play matches and compete in pressurized situations to develop the total trust and confidence needed to win a Grand Slam (or just even win a tour level match).

Therefore, under pressure take a lesson from Sam Stosur. Focus your mind on playing the kind of point that makes you successful. Go to the bread and butter pattern of play. And, put your self in situations often where you are in pressure match situations. It gives you an opportunity to work on your mental game. When you succeed in those situations it gives you a great deal of confidence and belief going in to future matches.

Andy Roddick announced Thursday that he would retire after the US Open. The announcement created a flood of polar opposite reactions, just like Andy and his game did for more than a decade. Some tennis enthusiasts will miss Andy as the stalwart of American men's tennis since Andre and Pete retired. Others will not miss him because they either think he did not live up to his potential, did not like his game, or did not like his swagger and biting wit.

For me, I will miss watching Andy Roddick after this Open. In multiple ways I feel Andy was a victim of his timing in American tennis and does not fully get the credit he deserves. Hopefully, he will be seen as a champion and get his full appreciation over the next few days. This certainly seemed to be the case in his match versus Bernard Tomic of Australia last night.

In my mind Roddick would have won at least 3 or 4 grand slams if it was not for than man known as "Darth" Federer. The two champions played some amazing matches; most notably the longest men's final at Wimbledon in 2009 where Roddick had the match on his strings. Although Federer holds a 21-3 lifetime record against Roddick this should not be a point of disregarding Andy's excellence. Instead, it is just another statistic that points out that Roddick was competing at the same time as the greatest tennis champion.

Roddick was a victim of playing at the height of Federer's dominance. Their paths often crossed in finals and unfortunately Andy was unable to get the win at Wimbledon or the US Open. Roddick was also a victim of falling in tow with a line of American champions going back a long time in history. The American tennis public thought Roddick would be the next great champion following the lines of Ashe, Connors, McEnroe, Courier, Sampras, and Agassi.

With hindsight we know now that crowning Andy as 6- or 8-time slam winner was a bit hasty. He won the 2003 US Open and looked as though he could dominate the top of the game with his huge serve and forehand. But, then something peculiar happened. Timing was not in Andy's favor again. Just as Andy became #1 in the world the game evolved quickly. Several young players started entering the tour that were able to block and return Andy's huge serve and actually outhit Andy on the forehand. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray would put a brick wall around the grand slam weekends and with Federer begin to create the Top 4 phenomenon.

So, timing can be cruel but also give you a window of opportunity. Roddick capitalized on his window at the 2003 US Open. Maybe he should have won more slams, but it does not taint the amazing career that Roddick has amassed. In the top 10 for a decade and 32 tour titles are not something to dismiss, but instead something to celebrate.

What I like most about Andy is that he would not make excuses for his career. He won a grand slam but simply lost to great players which kept him from multiple slams. So, as we look back on Roddick's career appreciate him as a champion and respect his professional approach to the game. Whether or not you agree with his game style or disputes with the media, Roddick was a professional who understood what it meant to prepare and work hard.

“I was pretty good for a long time,” Roddick said, when he was asked what he was most proud of. “The reason I gave earlier about not feeling like I could be committed to this thing a hundred percent, that's one of the things I'm proud of. That for 13 or 14 years, I was invested fully, every day. I've seen a lot of people throughout that time be invested for a year, kind of tap out for a year, come back. I've been pretty good about keeping my nose to the grindstone.” (heart speaks, Roddick listens)

This quote epitomizes another thing about Roddick I admire. Andy was a professional and understood the dedication, commitment, and hard work it takes to stay at the top of the game. How else was able to stay in the Top 10 for so long? So, while some want to poke holes in Roddick's career I say we appreciate it and learn from Andy Roddick to not make excuses for your results and to be a consistent professional.

Kim Clijsters' great career ended today at the 2012 US Open. British 18-year-old, Laura Robson, played an aggressive style to pull off the upset. Too bad it was in front of a small crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium. More importantly, Clijsters will be remembered as a champion and a great person - and maybe not in that order. So, you can be a great person and competitor. There is no need to be cold or unfriendly to try and intimidate your opponents.

Clijsters' attitude was not always embraced as positively as it is today. Before winning her first Slam many thought Kim was not mentally tough enough. In my opinion that statement does not give credit to the great Justine Henin who often stood in Clijsters' way for a Slam. Kim did get nervous in some early Grand Slam opportunities but she has more than overcome any issues with nerves. And, that is not a knock on Clijsters. The great Roger Federer has admitted dealing with nerves especially early in his career.

Three US Open championships later and Clijsters is now held in high regard as a competitor. It is hard to believe this but the last time Kim lost at the Open was 2003 against Henin. Twenty-two straight matches. Amazing, especially over a nine year span.



What I have appreciated about Clijsters is her ability to be mentally tough despite not having a big weapon on the forehand, backhand, or serve. Her weapon is her movement and ability to play defense which is great, but you have to hit a ton of balls to win that way. Where Serena can serve her way out of any break point situation, Clijsters usually has to grind her way to victory. That takes a strong mental commitment and trust in your game.

Ultimately I think we learned two very important lessons when we think about Kim Clijsters. First, you can be a nice person and finish first. Second, just because your mental game is under attack early in your career you can develop your mental toughness and become a model of it to other players.

On Day 1 of the 2012 US Open the most impressive player on the day had to be Jack Sock of Nebraska. He dominated Florian Mayer the #22 seed and won in straight sets. Sock locked confident and composed throughout the match.

I think my serve was definitely pretty reliable when I was down.  I was down Love‑30 once or twice, down Love‑40 once.  Came up with some good serves, first‑ball combos.  I think that was definitely some turning points, not letting him get a break and not letting him get some momentum back. (from USOpen.org)

There has been talk that maybe Sock is not in the greatest shape. John McEnroe talked about it during the telecast. The interesting thing on Monday was that Sock outlasted Mayer who had to retire in the third set. Sock was convincing in the win, and looked the superior player throughout. Could that be due to the injury or fatigue of a long summer for Mayer? Quite possibly. Still, it is difficult to dominate at the professional level. A player has to have weapons to be able to beat seeded players and beat them handily. Sock has a huge serve, can back it up from the baseline and also threw in some serve and volley. His serve helped him keep the momentum on his serve and allowed Mayer very few looks at a break.



Watching Sock on Monday made me believe that he could have a bright future on the professional tour. During this Open Sock has a chance to go in to the second week. In the next round he plays Cipolla. With a win, which I think he could be the favorite in the second round, he would then potentially face #11 seed Nicholas Almagro who has not been a lock at all in the past at the US Open. I think it is feasible he could make the fourth round and face Tomas Berdych or Sam Querrey.

The possibility exists for a new American male player to make a name for himself at the US Open. If Sock can show the composure and confidence he displayed against Mayer I like his chances to win at least one or two more matches. Oh, yeah, and the big serve helps, too.

John Isner is the highest-ranked American male tennis player on the ATP tour. He is known for being laid back and a very good sport, and yet, he has a fiery competitive side. This is nice temperament to have for a professional tennis player. Isner competes with the best of the tour, but he also is down-to-earth, good person. John credits his family for helping him become a mature competitor.

In the ATP's Deuce magazine John talked about how his mother supported him during his junior years living in Greensboro, North Carolina.

"My mom was the perfect tennis parent," says Isner. "She was not too demanding, but always supportive. She encouraged me to practise tennis and basketball but she never forced me into any sport." (from John Isner: The Fire Within, Deuce)

Isner adds to the evidence that you do not need an overinvolved and controlling parent to be a professional tennis player. A parent can develop a good person and a good athlete.

Furthermore, I would suggest that Isner's intrinsic motivation (or fire) to compete is partially coming from the balanced support he received as a junior. He was able to develop his passion for tennis, never being forced to do something that he did not want to do.

Parents please remember this story. The next time you are upset because your child may want to take a break from a sport and you are thinking about forcing them to play, remember that intrinsic motivation or the fire does not come from someone telling you to do something. In the long run it has to come from the athlete. Ultimately, you likely are not facilitating the development of a professional tennis player but you are facilitating the development of a happy, healthy, decent adult that has passion for tennis and can use that passion to stay fit and enjoy life.

The 2012 US Open is nearly here, but will you be watching? In my opinion there are a multitude of reasons to be watching the Open. Here are 10 reasons why the US Open is "must-watch" TV.

1. Can Serena continue to roll this summer? After winning Wimbledon and the Olympic gold medal, Williams is positioned to pull off one of the most impressive runs in recent history. Serena has been dominant, but she is a fiery competitor and must maintain control better than she did in the last two Opens. Can Serena control her anger and emotions if things are not going her way? Should be interesting to watch.

2. The Top 3 players in the Open draw are battling for supremacy over the 2012 season. With Nadal out, both Djokovic and Federer are posed to win two majors in 2012. If one of these champions is able to win seven matches he will likely secure the #1 ranking for the year as well. Meanwhile, it would be possible for Andy Murray to make a claim for having the best 2012 if he were to win his first Slam at Flushing Meadows. It will make for high drama on the final weekend.



3. Outside of the Top 3 in the draw who is most likely to make a run and win his first Open? I personally feel that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the player that could finally breakthrough. However, he must avoid periods of time where he loses his focus and stay locked in for two weeks. Tsonga is capable of winning the Open but he must believe in his game in the big matches for for 4-5 hours. That is what it is going to take to beat Djokovic, Federer, or Murray.

4. On the women's side, Victoria Azarenka was positively dominant the first several months of the season. However, with the resurgence of Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, the Australian Open winner has been kind of forgotten. Can Azarenka lay claim to being the best women's player in 2012? A win over Sharapova or Serena would prove once and for all that Azarenka is #1 and potentially the next great champion on the WTA Tour.

5. Is this John Isner's time? To me Isner has big enough game to win a Slam and it could happen now. Isner beat Federer in Davis Cup in Switzerland and is always dangerous. With a huge serve and great tiebreak record Isner is capable of serving his way in to the Final and winning it all.

6. American tennis has a lot to watch when it comes to young, talented female players in the draw. Last year American woman jumped in to the spotlight and this year I expect they could do well again. Christina McHale is a consistent player on the WTA tour and Sloane Stephens is showing signs of making a breakthrough. Look for young players like Irina Falconi and Nicole Gibbs. They could make some noise in the first week of the Open. But, just how far can they go?

7. During the Open there are two times of the day that I enjoy most. During the late afternoon/early evening you often will find matches deep in the final set. There is a buzz around the grounds as fans are moving to outer courts to catch the end of these marathons. Throw in the shadows and oncoming darkness and there is an air of intensity, especially on the Grandstand. The second, more obvious time, is night tennis. Some of the most memorable and prolific matches have happened at night in New York. Few matches have surpassed the drama of Agassi-Baghadatis in Agassi's final open. Or the special quarterfinals Andre played against Sampras and Blake at night. There is usually at least one late night that goes five sets. I am hoping there are four or five of those nights!

8. My players to watch who also my dark horses on the Men's side are Juan Martin Del Potro and Milos Raonic. Del Po is playing excellent tennis, but his wrist seemed questionable in Cincinnati. He is capable of beating any one on the tour and won his only Slam here 3 years ago. Raonic, like Isner, can hold his own against the top players with his huge serve but he needs to be more consistent. These are two guys to watch because they could win seven straight in New York.

9. Six courts of tennis on Directv on the big screen in the man cave. What more do I need to say!

10. It is the last Slam of 2012. Most of the big questions will be answered in the next 2 weeks. History will be made. Make sure you are watching.

Come back to the Tennis Mental Edge blog for more analysis throughout the 2012 US Open.

On August 25th I will begin blogging about the 2012 US Open the premier tennis event in the United States and the most attended sporting event in the world. Come back to the Tennis Mental Edge blog for match analyses, quotes, and mental game lessons from the world's best as they compete for the last Grand Slam of the year.

Congratulations to 18-year-old Dennis Novikov who won USTA Hard Court Nationals at Kalamazoo by defeating Alexios Halebian 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Novikov receives entry in to the main draw of the US Open and hopefully not in to the waiting arms of one of the top four men!

Serena Williams would seem to be the overwhelming favorite to win the Women's title. In the Men's draw it will be the top four again vying for another Slam. Check back here read about the mental game happening at Flushing Meadows.

"Every match here for me is like a final." - Switzerland's Roger Federer

The importance of the Olympics is not lost on Roger Federer, nor his opponents in the 2012 Olympic Tennis competition. The Olympics come around once every four years and the players are treating this competition with a specialness that may surpass the Slams.

"I am just happy to go through for my country. I hope I will continue like this." - France's Jo Wilfried Tsonga

With the amount of importance placed on the Olympics there is a corresponding rise in anxiety. Many seeded players looked nervous in their first round matches. Many survived the early round nerves, but not all. Berdych and Radwanska both fell in the first round and Djokovic and Federer survived scares.


Number one seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus also felt the nerves at Wimbledon:

"Your first match on Centre Court, there are always nerves, and today I couldn't get into the match in the second set. There were too many mistakes, but I'm glad I could turn things around and finish as strong as I started.

"I get more nervous when I play for my country than when I play for myself. Hopefully the next round will be much easier."(From www.independent.co.uk)

Often the first part of a player's game to breakdown with nerves are the feet. The feet stop moving and the player becomes to hit the ball while off balance. Another tell-tale sign that a player is nervous is poor decision-making. Hitting an errant drop shot from behind the baseline is often a look in to the brain and the body of the athlete; he or she is feeling tense.

Another source of anxiety in this Olympic tournament must be the draw. It is a 64 draw and most of the top players made themselves available to play. So, players knew they would have tough match-ups from the start of the tournament. Furthermore, the third round will produce top 16 match-ups. For instance, in the second round Tsonga plays young power hitter Milos Raonic from Canada. Now that is a tough second round match!

With everyone around the players talking about the importance of the Olympics and how they are treated with reverence it is understandable that the mentally toughest of players would experience nerves. Historically, the Olympic tennis tournament has been littered with upsets. Look for more of these upsets in the coming week as players not only deal with the pressure of winning in what may be there only chance at Olympic gold, but also for their country under the intense media spotlight.

Tennis is like a game of chess. Your opponent makes one move and you react and make your move. It is an ongoing battle of action and reaction. The ability to read your opponent and the situation is crucial to success. Those players that have great "IQ", "Smarts", "Court Awareness" are excellent at reading the situation and making good decisions.

Decision making, like many things in sport, is affected by a player's focus, stress, confidence, goals, game style to name a few things as well as by the opponent, momentum, score and so on. If a player can impose his or her game plan on an opponent chances are that he or she will win. However, if the opponent can dictate play chances are that you will lose.



I often see players come out with a very clear game plan only to lose it once they begun to struggle against their opponent. Maybe it is a panic response or a lack of focus and trust in the game plan. Likely it is all of the aforementioned reasons. Andre Agassi was known as a player who could impose his game on his opponent. He liked to stay in the middle of the court and work his opponent from side-to-side eventually wearing him down and/or hitting an outright winner. Agassi understood the importance of executing the game plan and how much joy a player can gain from being tested and still playing their game.

You have to have the mentality of executing your game when you don’t feel like there’s a lot of hope. I think the best feeling is when somebody pushes you to the limit and you dig down a little bit extra. By the same token, you also need a little luck. Sometimes they come together.

~ Andre Agassi

How can you stick to your game plan under pressure? When your opponent is controlling the play and you are feeling the weight of the pressure to hold serve? Trust is the answer. If you have prepared your self to play a certain game style, work a pattern of play and use them under pressure. Believe in them. They will help you get into a rhythm and begin to force your opponent to play your game. Encourage yourself to stick with the game plan and visualize it between points.

Players often stray from the game plan when they are feeling pressured and the plan does not work for a few points. Do not panic and rush between points. Take extra time, slow things down, and prepare yourself to play the next point with full focus, energy, and intensity. Take your cue from Rafa Nadal. When times get tough, compose yourself and prepare to play your game plan.

Roger Federer won Wimbledon because he attacked the net off of his excellent groundstrokes. Craig O'Shannessy's Brain Game blog on the ATP World Tour web site reveals the numbers (and the patterns) of Federer's success at the net versus Andy Murray.

Brain Game

As I posted last night it was Roger's willingness to be aggressive and go and take the championship that allowed him to win it. This stems from his belief in his game. For example, against Julien Benneteau Federer was two points from being ousted from Wimbledon. He missed numerous backhand volleys and struggled at the net against a player that does not hit a crushing passing shot. Fed gutted out that match as he did the match against Malisse.



Despite only winning 56% of the points at net against Benneteau, Federer stuck with the game plan of mixing in net rushes and coming forward when his opponent was deep in the court. And, in the Final against Murray he employed his aggressive tactic of first-strike tennis even more. He knew Murray was not as comfortable being aggressive so he took the net from him. None of this happens without full belief in one's self, strokes, and game plan. Take a lesson from Roger Federer. When you have a big goal you have been dreaming from within your grasp go and take it. Be aggressive, and smart. This is your best opportunity for success.

About a week ago Federer was playing Xavier Malisse and he was down two sets, and his back was causing him difficulty in moving. Everyone thought he was finished. I thought he still would come through and win that match and win Wimbledon. I was right, but truly it was based on a hunch. In fact I took these notes:

Roger 2 sets down, back issues, no way he is winning Wimbledon but yet I think he will

Here are 3 reasons why I think Fed will win Wimbledon:

1. First-strike ability
2. Coming to the net, all court game
3. He is driven win #7

Anyway, doesn't matter I didn't post it prior to Federer going down in history tied for the most Wimbledon singles titles. The more important story here is that when things were looking bleak for Roger he pulled a huge comeback against Malisse. How?



Federer had a full display of confident ball striking. He was crushing his forehand and backhand. His serve was awesome, especially with the roof closed. Federer was extremely mentally tough throughout Wimbledon despite the mounting pressure that this might be his last best chance.

What happened in the semis and finals was vintage Federer. He elevated his game when he needed it the most. He was aggressive and attacked Djokovic. His wide serve on the deuce side caused real problems for Nole. Against Murray it looked he had meet his match. Murray was pushing Roger around at the end of the first set. But, Federer was able to regain control with "first-strike" tennis putting Murray on the defensive and allowing Roger to use his forehand to angle Murray off the court.

Federer showed to us what we thought he had lost. The true belief, the total trust, the 100% confidence that has evaded him against Nadal and Djokovic in previous Grand Slam encounters. Not Wimbledon 2012. Federer played with a conviction to be aggressive that was impressive. He hit out on the ball like it was 2006. Roger took us down memory lane to the not-so-distant past when no one could out-rally him from the baseline. Total belief and conviction in his game allowed Federer to win a record seventh Wimbledon title.

Poor Andy Murray on the other hand. Murray played very well and did not lose this match, Fed won it. Andy has everything to be proud of from this Wimbledon final. He played aggressively. He stayed positive even as Federer grabbed the momentum late in the second set.

I think the problem for Murray is that it is more natural for him to play defense and move the ball around versus the "first-strike" tennis Federer is capable of playing. Murray sustained his aggressive approach in to the second set but I think he found it hard to continue this approach when Federer mounted the charge. I think the delay to close the roof hurt his momentum, plus Roger is still the best indoor player in the world.

The question I am sure many are asking is "Will Andy Murray ever win a Slam?" I think based on this performance I would say he can. On Sunday Murray ran in to a great champion on top of his game. But, the focus, positiveness, and aggression Murray showed during the Final will help him win his first Slam. And, who knows, maybe he wins Gold in a couple of weeks.

Sabine Lisicki is on another run at Wimbledon. She upset #1 Maria Sharapova in the round of 16 in straight sets. The formula of victory was similar to what we saw in Week 1. Big serve, big groundstrokes. Believe it or not Lisicki hit her way through Sharapova and is one match win from equaling her best run at Wimbledon (in 2011).

What were Lisicki's thoughts on the victory?

"I just went for my shots. I love the surface. It's my favourite tournament."
"I'm a fighter. I fight to the last point. The last game was tough but I fought it out."

What a great attitude to have in such a big match. Like Rosol the attitude that works is to go for your shots. Now, that does not mean hitting bombs from behind the baseline, but it does mean swinging through the ball and hitting with depth, spin, and pace.

If you fear losing the victory you probably will lose. Go for the win and great things can happen. 

Are upsets contagious? It seemed for a long time on Friday that Djokovic and Federer had caught the upset virus that plagued Rafael Nadal on Thursday. Federer and Djokovic survived and moved in to the the third round of Wimbledon but not without precarious moments.

Brad Gilbert made an interesting comment that upsets can become contagious. I would agree if a top player entertains the idea of being upset and lets it gain energy. Right around the time of Gilbert's comments Djokovic lost the first set to a dangerous net rusher on grass, Radek Stepanek. Djokovic righted the ship immediately in the second set and went on to play some outstanding tennis to win in four sets. After the match Djokovic was asked if he was thinking about how Nadal was upset. He said he was not, but you have to imagine it was hard to not think "this can't be happening to me".


In the evening Roger Federer fell down two sets to Julien Benneteau. In the third set Fed was within two points of losing the match at two different times . Federer stayed calm and found his way through a tight third set. After the third Roger was able to get on top of Benneteau early in the fourth and fifth sets and dominate on the way to victory.

Both Djokovic and Federer were able to counteract their opponent's efforts by taking control of the match, unlike Nadal who was being pushed back off the court by Lukas Rosol's power. Federer was likely feeling pressure because he has to be thinking about how many chances he has left to win Wimbledon. This is a great opportunity for him this year. He won't have to play Nadal.

Federer remained composed and continued to attack despite being within two points of losing the match. He looked calm and not flustered whereas Nadal was clearly showing the frustration. In support of Rafa, Benneteau was not hitting winners all over the court with the first swing like Rosol. Fed knew he could gain control of the match and thus it was easier for him to remain positive and focused. While I watched the match I noticed the Federer did not give Benneteau any facial expression or bad body language to let him know that he was frustrated. Roger did a great job of staying neutral in his body language.

Djokovic and Federer avoided the upset bug on Friday. I expect them to have an easier go of it in the fourth round and for them to face off in an epic semi-final. Then again maybe the upset bug will get them in the next two rounds. If one of them begins to dwell on or visualize the chances of being upset it can come true. It will be crucial for Djokovic and Federer to stay focused on playing their game and not allow the thoughts of losing to creep in and take hold of their mind. These guys are masters of the mental game so it will take an amazing effort like Tsonga's comeback in last year's Wimbledon to put doubt in to their minds.

Lukas Rosol shocked the tennis world yesterday defeating Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon. How did Rosol pull off the biggest win of his career? It was a combination of big tennis and fearlessness that enabled Rosol to knock Nadal out of the Championships.

Fate loves the fearless - James Russell Lowell

Rosol, ranked 100 in the world, had never won at match at Wimbledon; not in the main draw or in qualifying. Yet, he looked totally confident on Center Court. Rosol's tactics were to hit huge serves and groundstrokes and take the initiative from Nadal. Rosol's forehand and backhand were routinely clocked over 90 mph. He did not allow Nadal to control the points. Instead, Nadal was pushed back off the court in a defensive position. The "first-strike" tactic was even more effective because the grass is still slick during the first week and in the fifth set they played the match with the roof shut.



Despite going for huge shots, Rosol made 20 winners and 2 unforced errors in a super clean fifth set. It was some of the biggest, cleanest tennis I have ever seen. And, he produced this brilliant tennis after taking a 45 minute break and having to win a one set winner-takes-all against Nadal. What an incredible effort.

Rosol's attitude of going for it is exactly the kind of tennis that is needed for this kind of upset. If you try to rally with Nadal he is going to punish you. Rosol did not allow Nadal to get in to a rally. To play "first strike" tennis you have to play with great confidence. Rosol was exuding confidence by the fifth set. He knew Nadal was frustrated and that he was playing the best tennis of his life. And, instead of letting the moment get to him he went with the flow. He continued to hit out even in a pressurized fifth set.

One dynamic that aided Rosol was the fact that his expectations were not too high. He was just hoping to be competitive against Nadal, as he said in his pre-match interview. When you are not expecting to win it can take the pressure off and allow you to open up and hit out.

Still, Rosol could have tightened up as many players have in the past when in a winning position. He could have backed off his strategy and hoped that Nadal would make mistakes and give him the match. That, of course, will not happen. Nadal gives you nothing. Rosol knew he had to keep his foot on the gas pedal and he showed the courage to do so despite the inevitable tug from your brain to not blow the match. Rosol stayed aggressive and he was rewarded with the biggest upset in recent years.

Nadal's ousting opens up a tough half of the draw. Andy Murray knows he will not have to play Nadal and potentially just Djokovic or Federer to win Wimbledon. However, Murray is in the nastiest part of the draw with Roddick, Del Potro, Cilic, Raonic and Querrey all seeing an opportunity to play deep in to the second week. If Murray survives the next few rounds look for him to make the final.

The Wimbledon fortnight is just about upon us. Players are probably feeling nerves as I write this the night before the main draw begins. The first round is often the most nerve-wracking round, especially for the top players as they try to get in to the rhythm of the Championships. Already John Isner and Venus Williams crashed out. Who is next?

Who is going to come out with the coveted Wimbledon title?

Tennis.com Profiles of Top 12 Contenders for Title

In my opinion Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic are the obvious favorites on the men's side. They have the confidence to go all the way. Fed especially is driven to win another Wimbledon and set himself up for a run on the same grounds for the Olympics. To say that these guys, specifically Federer, will be feeling the uber-importance of the next month is an understatement. History will be made and one of these guys could stand above the others in history if they were to win Wimbledon and then Gold at the Olympics. Who has the most pressure on him? Andy Murray of course. This could be a defining moment for Murray or more disappointment. I will be watching closely to see how he handles this huge opportunity.

On the women's side the field is open. My favorites are everybody's favorites - Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams. Sharapova has the look of confidence again, and Serena can beat anyone when she brings her full game. Grass accentuates Williams' big serve and groundstrokes. Petra Kvitova will try to defend her title. Watching her in the first round she looked nervous. Hopefully she can get comfortable and give herself a great shot at repeating. Beyond those three players you have to consider Victoria Azarenka and Sam Stosur has the other players that have a great opportunity to win Wimbledon. Big games in different ways, but both can control a match with their power.

Wimbledon has a mystique and a pristine atmosphere about it. The players feel the importance of this tournament, probably more so than any other Slam. To win Wimbledon is to be etched in to history forever. However, the pursuit of the Wimbledon trophy is as anxiety-provoking as any situation you will find in tennis. From the grass and how the wear and weather affect the bounce of the ball to the difficulty of breaking serve, players are feeling the pressure. It will be exciting to watch how they handle such an awesome opportunity and the mental dynamics that they are confronted with as they pursue the Championship.

Wimbledon qualifying has begun! The main draw starts on Monday, June 25. I will begin blogging my reactions to the events happening at Wimbledon.

Can Roger win one more? Will Rafa and Nole meet in the Final again, and has Nadal surpassed Djokovic? Will Sharapova continue her dominance? Will one of the Williams' sisters make a run? Or, will we have another surprise winner on the women's side? Can Isner breakthrough and get to the final weekend? Does Roddick have another Wimbledon run in him? So many questions waiting to be answered.

The blog will focus on key matches and the mental dynamics that occurred in those matches. I will attempt to show how players were able to mentally win or lose matches and then boil that in to lessons for junior players, coaches, and parents.

Only a few days from Wimbledon. I can't wait to see what will happen on the grass.

David Nalbandian kicked his way in to infamy Sunday at the AEGON Championships. In the second set of the final match against Marin Cilic Nalbandian was up a set but down 3-4. Nalbandian was clearly upset about losing the point as he sprinted towards the sideline. Then he kicked the barrier in front of the linesman. What Nalbandian may not have realized is that the barrier in front of linesman Andrew McDougall was not made to block anything but maybe a slightly struck tennis ball. The kick bloodied McDougall and ended with Nalbandian being disqualified from the match.

See the Nalbandian kick on YouTube

"I never intended to hit him (the line judge), it was an unfortunate reaction in which I wanted to let off steam after losing a point," Nalbandian's statement read (ESPN UK site). 

Indeed it did not seem that Nalbandian had an issue with the linesman and acted with intention to harm him. However, this is why your parents tell you to count to ten when you are angry. Acting without thinking can create real problems.


Am I surprised this happened? Sure I am, but not as surprised as I am that Nalbandian blow up to this degree when he was in a winning position (up a set at that point). Clearly Nalbandian did not stop and think about his actions. This is a great example of acting off of the emotional mind and how it can lead to serious consequences.

In the heat of the moment you want to be in control of your emotions, not allowing your emotions to control you. So, even though he was quite upset, had Nalbandian taken a moment to calm himself this incident never would have occurred and he could have bounced back and still won the championship. Furthermore, had Nalbandian been at the net he probably whacks the net or slams the racket, but he would not be disqualified for those actions.

Ultimately, athletes want to be respected and this action does much to hurt Nalbandian's reputation. To his credit Nalbandian was apologetic immediately and showed concern for McDougall but it does not wash away his lack of control in that moment. If you are a tennis player reading this post use this as a reminder to get in control of your emotions so you can maintain or enhance your reputation as a player and a person. Learn to relax and compose yourself under pressure, and even change your thoughts about a negative situation.

You should have at the very least 3 ways you can calm and compose yourself on the court.

Want to learn more about enhancing your emotional toughness under pressure on the court? Check out the USTA Mental Skills and Drills handbook or contact me for a personal consultation.

Maria Sharapova was dominant at the 2012 French Open. She handled surprise finalist Sara Errani and completed the career grand slam. The new #1 in the world has retaken her place at the top of the WTA tour and should be a threat for years to come.

The French Open site posted a brief, but very nice piece on Sharapova the champion. The post references Sharapova's excellent mental game.

Maria Sharapova, French Open Champion and All-Time Great



Sharapova, despite some struggles in recent years, is becoming once again the best and most consistent player on the tour. Her trademark focus and tenacity set her apart from many of her opponents. Sharapova has consistent habits and routines that allow her to stay focused and be ready to play her best most points. She also displays good positive energy like bouncing on her toes or a reserved fist pump, and gives off very little negative body language. Sharapova, more than most of her opponents, is willing to hit out on the ball under pressure.

Sharapova has come all the way back from a major shoulder injury that could have ended her career. Despite bumps on the road back to greatness, Maria remained dedicated to training and believing in her self. Now it has paid off with the career grand slam. Congratulations Maria!

Sam Stosur talking about her French Open semi final loss to Sara Errani, "You're always going to be a bit nervous going into a semi - it's the semifinal of a Slam, of course you're going to be nervous." Stosur overcame those nerves to play brilliant tennis and defeat Serena Williams at the 2011 US Open. Today, however, it was her opponent than managed the nerves better.

Peter Bodo at tennis.com gives an interesting take on the match between Stosur and Errani (French Open Errani d. Stosur). His opinion is that Errani won with her mind. Despite it being an up and down affair, in the end Errani held strong as she broke Stosur and then won four straight points to serve out the match. Errani held her nerve despite losing a break in the third set.


Bodo also wondered how Stosur could play so mentally tough at the US Open to defeat Serena, but then "choke" as he called it (he said it not me) again at the French. First, my reaction is that Stosur is less confident on clay and it takes her out of her comfort zone. Djokovic deals with a similar issue. He is not as confident with his movement on clay and so when push comes to shove Djoko is not as amazingly confident on the dirt as he is on other surfaces. This does not mean that Stosur and Djokovic cannot win a slam on clay, it just means that it is more difficult for them.

Another point is one I made previously on the Tennis Mental Edge blog (Does a Mentally Tough Player Suffer from Nerves?). Mental toughness is not a permanent trait. It can come and go. A mentally tough player will still deal with nerves, some days better than others. The greatest such as Steffi Graff, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert were able to be mentally tough more often than not. However, no one is perfect, and no one owns mental toughness. You always have to work at it. Errani did not try to hide her nerves, but seemed to feel she managed them better than Stosur.

"I was very nervous but at the same time I was really focused on the game. Maybe she had more pressure."

The flip side of this point is that there is always hope. Players not considered to be mentally tough can develop it. The mental game can be won even if you have failed in the same spot in the past. Sara Errani has developed a belief over the past two weeks (and this season) that she can defeat top 10 players. On a surface that suited her more than Stosur, and being on top of her game, she had to go into this match believing she could win. 

What will be very interesting at the Final is if Errani continues to believe in herself and can see herself as a French Open champion. Can she envision herself holding the trophy after defeating Sharapova? Time will tell, because like I said each situation challenges your mental toughness and belief. I hope Errani comes to the Final trusting her game as she has all year and continues her remarkable run.

Maria Sharapova provided us a clinic on how to serve out a match today at the French Open. In defeating Petra Kvitova, Sharapova won her way in to the French Open final to face Sara Errani. If you missed Sharapova serving out the match try to find it on You Tube or watch it on French Open Tonight. For a tennis mental coach it was awesome to watch!

Sharapova broke Kvitova to go up 5-4 in the second set and to serve for the match. Instead of rushing to get the balls and start the game, Sharapova turned her back, looked at her strings and prepared herself for the next game. There was no huge outburst after breaking and seemingly no doubt about it. Sharapova meant business and served it out at 15. She made four of five first serves and never looked like the outcome was in doubt.

What can all of us learn from Sharapova? First, Maria clearly had a plan for dealing with the situation of serving out a match. You might think this is a ridiculous statement since she has won hundreds of matches and all tennis players, if they play for much time at all, are faced with the situation. However, many tennis players have no plan for how they want to work through the serving out situation. It seems players without a plan have a chance to serve it out and they think "oh wow, here I am what now?" Who knows what happens next. If you do not have a plan you leave your hopes of winning to chance. Sharapova leaves nothing to chance. She immediately went to a pre-planned routine. What she was thinking, I don't know. Just as important, though, is the fact that she had a plan to compose herself and to be ready to serve it out.

The next thing I liked about Sharapova's serve it out game was that she took her time. She did not rush to get the balls or to step up to the line. She took her time. Sharapova went at a pace that was comfortable to her in the situation. Her pace created a composure that you could feel through the screen. Just watching her made me believe she would serve it out.

Along with that last point was Sharapova's body language, very confident and controlled. Her face looked determined but not agitated or nervous. She stood tall and looked strong. Sharapova seemed loose and not tense, and at the same time intense and focused.

Finally, and the thing that I look for to determine a player's focus, Sharapova focused her eyes in select points of the court.  Prior to serving she looked down at the racket, up at the other service box, then back down as she was bouncing the ball, and then as she was raising the racket to serve she almost rolled her eyes back. Then, boom, she cracked the serve and her focus was narrow and external - on the ball.

Even between points Maria kept her eyes on her strings and within her area behind the baseline. No looking around at the crowd. No looking to her box. It was an exhibition of great confidence. She knew what she had to do and knew she was going to do it. She did not need moral support from her player's box. Sharapova trusted in her game and controlled the service game with the pace she wanted. Her approach was not affected by the emotion of the situation. Furthermore, her body language was sending the message of total confidence and her eye control kept the distractions out of her field of focus.

What a great exhibition of confidence and focus. All because Sharapova had a planned routine that she has practiced.

#1 in the Novak Djokovic was down two sets to Andreas Seppi of Italy. About that same time Roger Federer was down a set to lucky loser David Goffin. Earlier in the day Victoria Azarenka was sent packing by Dominika Cibulkova. A wild Day 8 was underway. Later in the evening both Tsonga-Wawrinka and Del Potro-Berdych would be suspended due to darkness.

Djokovic and Federer would survive the fourth round, but not without some anxious moments. Seppi was within two games of defeating Djokovic in the third set. Djokovic seemed uncomfortable with his footing at different times throughout the match. His uncertainity aided Seppi's excellent play. However, like a champion, Djokovic played with more conviction in his shots from the third set and on and hung in the match. Eventually, Seppi's play dropped just enough for Djokovic to pull away. It would not have happened though had Djokovic lost his focus and dropped his intensity.



As Federer did with Goffin, Djokovic was able to raise his play enough, even if it was not his "A" game to take control of the match. Azarenka, in contrast, seemed unable to grab control and lost momentum as soon as she got it at 6-5 in the second set. Unlike the men, Azarenka was not afforded the luxury of losing two sets and still having a chance to win. She was unable to hang around and finish off Cibulkova in the second.

The fine line of hanging around and making balls and being aggressive is difficult to find for all players. Federer and Djokovic have the ability to find that line more than others even when the pressure is on. Azarenka was excellent at finding the line at the Aussie Open as well as most of this year.

What is the lesson here? It does not make sense to go for lines when you are missing. You need to put more margin of error hitting inside the lines more and higher over the net. At the same time, if you become to predictable or just hit rally balls you will give your opponent the opportunity to control the match. You have to be smart when to pull the trigger and when to keep it in play.

What does the less than best play from Djokovic and Federer mean for their future in this slam? Nothing. All players go through matches where they struggle. Both players are resilient and will play well on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Azarenka she will not get the chance. No worries, she still one of the favorites for Wimbledon and the US Open.

How did Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland find the zone down 2 sets to 1 and 1-3 in the fourth? Gilles Simon of France was riding the home crowd energy and pushing toward the finish line. However, Wawrinka found another gear and eventually won the match going away in the fifth set.

For much of this match Wawrinka dictated the outcome of the points having far more winners and unforced errors (in fact 82 winners to Simon's 23, and 88 unforced errors to Simon's 49). Gilles Simon attempted to play more aggressive and finish points by coming forward, but the "easy power" of Wawrinka allowed him to control the court. In particular his backhand down the line punished Simon time and time again.



Thus the issue for Simon in this match; he did not have the weapons to dictate against a powerful baseliner Wawrinka. Despite this, Simon was able to gain the lead and seemed on the way to victory playing very solid, consistent tennis. This game plan worked until Wawrinka stopped making errors, became more consistent, and hit a flurry of winners. In the fourth and fifth sets Wawrinka flipped his winners to unforced errors ratio; he had 28 winners and 21 unforced errors.

The question still remains, how did Wawrinka get into the zone after nearly 3.5 hours of tennis? First, Wawrinka must be in tremendous condition. Simon forced Wawrinka into long rallies throughout the match including grueling Sets 1-2 that took over 2 hours. Wawrinka continued to move his feet and get in to position to strike the ball late in the match even though he expended tremendous effort in the sets prior.

Second, Wawrinka was able to find the zone because Simon was playing great tennis and gave Wawrinka a chance to elevate his game. Simon is not going to hit you off the court; hitting winners is not his game. This gave Wawrinka a ton of looks at the ball, he got into a superb rhythm, and he was able to maintain that for the last nearly hour of the match. The zone or flow state can be achieved when the challenge is optimal. Wawrinka was challenged, but not so much that would cause a decrement in his play. That is a problem when you play his countryman Roger Federer . Fed is not going to give you that many looks to get into a rhythm.

A third reason I would speculate that Wawrinka found the zone in the fifth set when most players would have been just trying to hold on physically, mentally, emotionally - Wawrinka was composed and did not waste extra energy throughout the match with emotional outbursts, fights with the officials, or yelling at himself. Wawrinka, even though his play was a little bit of a rollercoaster, did not allow his emotions to take him on a rollercoaster ride. In doing so, Wawrinka was in a good mindset despite being down 1-3 in the fourth. He still believed he could win. He just had to start making more balls, something he controls. And, like I wrote before, Simon was not going to hurt him too much so Wawrinka knew the match was on his racket. Wawrinka's emotional toughness allowed him the opportunity to find his "A" game in the most intense situation.

In the round of 16 Wawrinka will have a rematch from last year's French against Tsonga. Wawrinka was down 2 sets to 1 in that match as well. He will have great belief he can win this match. If he plays like he did the last hour of his third round match the rabid French fans will likely be disappointed again.

Day 5 of the French Open ended with a marathon classic between John Isner and Paul Henri Mathieu. Mathieu won in over 5 hours and 40 minutes because he stay composed and made fewer mistakes. In contrast, Isner struggled with his forehand much of the match and eventually his penchant for unforced errors and ill-timed drop shots cost him.

Throughout the match both players were showing signs of frustration in their reactions and body language. Mathieu was frustrated by Isner's ability to serve away break points. Isner was just plain frustrated. He hit his racket on the ground several times and even shook his head in disgust after a winner.



Needless to say a marathon match is going to cause negative emotion and body language. In the end Mathieu handled the situation better. Despite showing frustration at times, Mathieu bounced back quickly the next point. He showed positive energy bouncing on his toes and moving forward when the opportunity presented it's self. Mathieu, despite injury problems that have kept him off the tour for some time, showed the belief that he could defeat the #10 seed. Maybe this belief was bolstered by being in his home country and having the support of the crowd, but also it was bolstered by Isner's negative energy. Isner did not exhibit the confidence and energy that he normally shows.

The problem for Isner was that his negativity in body language gives Mathieu belief and he hampers his own game. If you expect bad things to happen, bad things will happen. But, give Isner some credit. He fought hard and found a way to get it going again. While looking negative Isner many times found a way to fight through it. And, he continued to go for his shots. His forehand was huge in the match. Isner either hit a winner or unforced error, but he was able to control the points, especially on his serve.

Isner obviously could have won this match despite not playing his best, but his shot tolerance was very small. After about two balls Isner went for the winner. Not a bad a strategy for a big guy not comfortable on clay, but he was making tons of unforced errors. In this situation making a few more balls may have made the difference. It is hard to say; Mathieu was super consistent throughout the match and was wearing Isner down late in the fifth.

The real issue occurred late in the fifth set. Looking tired, Isner began shortening the points even more by going for the winner on the first ball. The last few games on Mathieu's service Isner seemed to barely go for several points. With darkness covering Philippe Chatrier, Isner could have slowed down, tried to conjure up all of his energy for each point, and attempted to hold on until darkness caused play to be suspended. Instead, Isner went faster, almost rushing between points. In several occasions Isner waited at the service line while Mathieu toweled off.  Isner attempted to hit winners straight off the first ball and with fatigued legs made a string of unforced errors to seal his fate.

As darkness fell, Mathieu's composure despite losing six match points and Isner's fatigue and impatience were the difference. Congratulations to Mathieu for getting back to a level where he can compete with top ten players.

Rafael Nadal looked unbelievable in his 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 win today over Denis Istomin. Nadal was never in trouble and finished the match on his serve with crushing forehand winners. Rafa looks ready to win his seventh French Open title to pass Bjorn Borg. Besides Federer, Djokovic, and Murray can anyone derail Rafa? Even these three players would be underdogs.

I believe there are a few guys that could catch Rafa by surprise and give him real problems. Nadal's only loss at the French was to Robin Soderling who was hitting winners off both sides. Soderling put Rafa on the defensive with an aggressive, first-strike style from the baseline. Is there anyone in this draw that can give Nadal similar headaches in the 2012 French Open?



Under the right circumstances I feel there is a short list of players that could beat Rafa on the clay. Now, let's step back and think about this. I am writing about guys who "could maybe" defeat Nadal if everything goes right. That, in and of itself, is a compliment to the brilliance of Nadal on the red clay. Nonetheless, here are the guys that have the potential to trouble Rafa:

John Isner

Last year Isner had a 2 sets to 1 lead over Nadal. Rafa never seemed more frustrated at the French than in that match. Isner was the first player to take Nadal to five sets in his career at Roland Garros. Isner has the ability to give Rafa the same kind of problems with his big serve, forehand, and ability to move well for being a big guy. Experience would not be on Isner's side. Nadal and Isner would meet in the semifinals and you would have to think that the physicality of playing on red clay would put Isner at a disadvantage. Plus, Nadal is far less likely to be unprepared and not playing well at the end of the tournament. Isner would be better served to see Rafa earlier in the draw.


Milos Raonic

Like Isner, Raonic gives his opponent's nightmares because of his first strike, huge game. Raonic can serve anyone off the court. You are seeing a pattern here I'm sure. Big player, big weapons, that moves well. This is a good recipe for giving Rafa problems. He unable to dominate and control the points from behind the baseline. However, Raonic has been inconsistent and again experience would not be on his side. Raonic and Nadal would meet in the Round of 16 which is good for Milos in some respects; try to catch Nadal early in the tournament before he is totally dialed in. Based on today's performance by Nadal it may already be too late to hope for an unprepared Rafa.

Tomas Berdych

Of the four guys I am listing here Berdych has the most experience. However, this experience has not been all good in the Slams. Nonetheless, Berdych has the ability to smack winners from all areas of the court and has big shots. He also moves well. Berdych, like Soderling, could control the match with his forehand and being aggressive, although Berdych needs to exhibit the focus and intensity to overcome a player of Nadal's stature. From Berdych you do not always see the consistent urgency and discipline that Soderling displayed in beating Nadal. Berdych is on the other half of the draw and has a brutal list of potential opponents - Anderson, Del Potro, Federer, Djokovic. If Berdych was able to get to the Final it would be a miraculous effort.

Juan Martin Del Potro

Del Potro is in the same part of the draw as Berdych, so he has that same tough list of guys to battle through. With Del Po's questionable knee I thought of keeping him off this list of potential Nadal-beaters. However, Del Potro is the only man outside the Top 3 to win a slam in what seems to be a decade. He has the ability to beat anyone in the world but clay is not his best surface. Del Potro is the best of the four guys presented here. Big weapons and has the mettle to hit out under pressure. It is hard to foresee Del Potro making it through the draw with a hampered knee. If he did Nadal would punish what would probably be an ailing Del Potro.

That is my list of guys outside the Top 4 that could beat Nadal. I am not saying it will happen, but if one of this match-ups occurs watch closely. It will be dangerous for Nadal in his pursuit of French Open championship #7.

Did you realize that between May 27th, the start of the French Open, until September 9th, the final of the US Open, the men and women will play three Grand Slams and the Olympics?

The French Open which started Sunday begins the trek. Then, next comes Wimbledon followed by the Olympics at Wimbledon, and finally the US Open. Do you think Rafa will show up for Davis Cup vs. the United States the week after the US Open? Don't bet on it.

If you break it down that is 6 weeks of Grand Slam tennis and at least 1 week of Olympic Tennis. In the 15 weeks or 105 days during this time period. There is the potential for players to compete in a Slam or at the Olympics in 27 matches. That is more than 1 every four days! And, that does not account for the hot summer grass court tournaments in Europe, and the usually sweltering summer stops in the United States.

I would expect upsets, retirements and injuries, and no one to run the gamut. It is asking way too much for any player to win all of these matches. Let's just hope that players can avoid bad injuries. Agassi won 24 straight matches in the US summer tour only to lose the final match at the US Open to Pete Sampras. Agassi felt drained and talked about how he really was affected for some time by losing that match.

If you a tennis fan this is the best stretch of tennis ever! Fed at Wimbledon during the Olympics? Amazing. The pressure and the stories will be off the charts.

Focus is the key at the French. It was the difference between players struggling but surviving, and some players like David Nalbandian getting ousted in the first round.

The first two days of the French Open mostly played to form. Seeded players handled their unseeded opponents, routinely in many cases. However, what is the future for Juan Martin Del Potro and Victoria Azarenka at the French Open? Can they reel their games in as they go along at a Slam?

Del Potro struggled mightily to get past Albert Montanes in four grueling sets. Give Montanes his due; he is an excellent clay court player. But, what does this mean for Del Potro's form? What about his physical state? He looked like he was limping and not sure of himself. Fortunately for Del Po Montanes lost his focus and his game allowing the Argentine to roll in the fourth set. Credit to Del Potro for not panicking and keeping his focus when Montanes was rolling, but he will need more to move deep in this tournament.



Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka also struggled with Alberta Brianti, who is ranked outside the top 100 on the WTA tour. Azarenka was down a set and 4-0! How does that happen? Well when you hurt yourself with errors you can lose to anybody, trust me. First round matches are always tough for players as they get used to the court surface, but I think even more so for Vika. She is learning to live with the expectations of being a grand slam champion and the #1 ranked player in the world. Her focus must improve if she plans to continue her winning ways.

Gilles Simon and Ryan Harrison got after it in a very interesting first round match-up. Harrison was playing great early on. He was up a set and nearly had the second set, before getting broken. It seemed Harrison lost his focus and intensity a little, and frustration starting to creep in too much. Simon, on the other hand, was able to become even more focused and consistent forcing Harrison to hit for more and more. This game plan worked in the favor of the Frenchman who is an excellent competitor despite not having any huge strokes. Simon is living proof that your brain can win you matches.

Late in the evening Brian Baker, in his first French Open at age 27, also worked hard to keep his focus to finish off Xavier Malisse. Baker has been on a roll making the final of Nice and winning a wildcard from the French federation by winning a USTA playoff. Baker was in control for much of this match. He was the aggressor and really had Malisse behind most of the day. Malisse did battle in the second and third set, even when down a break. Baker mentioned he lost his focus for a couple of games in the third allowing Malisse to work his way back on serve. Baker would win convincingly in the third set tiebreak. He looked far more confident than the crafty veteran from Belgium. Winning matches does wonders for the confidence. Baker was composed in what could have been a very anxiety-provoking situation. What an opportunity and Baker did not let it slip away. He was aggressive and took the match from Malisse. Good for Baker. Even on clay the aggressor is going to win if he puts the ball away.