[NedStark]

It was the fact that Djokovic dropshotted too well today. Tsitsipas had to make like 50 sprints today, either to retrieve dropshots or to chase down the lobs after that.

And, after all, being 6ft4 is clearly not optimal for a dropshot-chasing battle.

 

[FlyingKite]

No, if It was the greek making those dropshots. Djokovic will still be as fit as daisy.

 

[doubletrollt]

Neither it is optimal to play tough SF/F matches the week before GS, especially the most physically demanding one, as was evinced by his 1R 5-setter.

 

[NedStark]

No, if It was the greek making those dropshots. Djokovic will still be as fit as daisy.

Then my height comment applies. Djokovic still has the optimal height to chase down balls consistently. Tsitsipas does not.

 

[Meles]

It was the fact that Djokovic dropshotted too well today. Tsitsipas had to make like 50 sprints today, either to retrieve dropshots or to chase down the lobs after that.

And, after all, being 6ft4 is clearly not optimal for a dropshot-chasing battle.

Pretty much proof that a dedicated athlete like Tsits gets gassed that the modern baseline game requires peak stamina and that time maybe age 26-36.

 

[guitarra]

Stef's court positioning on average 2 meters behind the baseline didn't really help him to reach for those drops shots. Just saying.

 

[tribalfusion]

Stef's court positioning on average 2 meters behind the baseline didn't really help him to reach for those drops shots. Just saying.

He has the baseline pattern of play to do serious damage to Novak as a matter of routine but he wasn't disciplined enough to stick with that all throughout. He's immensely talented but Stef needs more discipline and planning in his approach to big matches and not to just rely as much as he does on his ability to figure something out which often lets him have to come back from positions he shouldn't be in.

That's what makes him even more tired in my view.

 

[Roxitova]

I'm not convinced it was the droppers that wore him down at all.
They were key for Djok but I would have to watch the last few sets again to have a clearer sense of why he petered.
I don't think he has the kind of endurance the Big 3 have, period.
None of the younger ones do.

 

[Roxitova]

Pretty much proof that a dedicated athlete like Tsits gets gassed that the modern baseline game requires peak stamina and that time maybe age 26-36.

Another Big 3 slam final! Are you coping? hehe

 

[guitarra]

He has the baseline pattern of play to do serious damage to Novak as a matter of routine but he wasn't disciplined enough to stick with that all throughout. He's immensely talented but Stef needs more discipline and planning in his approach to big matches and not to just rely as much as he does on his ability to figure something out which often lets him have to come back from positions he shouldn't be in.

That's what makes him even more tired in my view.

Yeah, Djokovic was obviously smart to exploit Stef's court positioning via abusive usage of drop shots. It paid out in the end as since the middle of the 4th set Stefanos didn't have legs anymore. He managed to somehow clutch out the 4th but was physically done in the fifth.

I still think his game plan was not perfect today. Firstly, he should be more offensive from the get-go and not let Djokovic engage him in the longer rallies the majority of which he lost. He should try to take the initiative earlier, take cuts at some 2nd serves even at the expense of more unforced errors. Playing like he did he was always going to lose, actually only thanks to his incredible clutchness in the 4th and 5th sets and some brainfarts from Djokovic he took it to 5. The other tactical mistake was giving Djokovic too many opportunities to play the angles in which Djokovic excels engaging with him in too many BH to BH rallies which was a losing game.

But, Stefanos is a good learner so I'm sure he'll eventually learn his lesson and get there.

 

[tribalfusion]

Yeah, Djokovic was obviously smart to exploit Stef's court positioning via abusive usage of drop shots. It paid out in the end as since the middle of the 4th set Stefanos didn't have legs anymore. He managed to somehow clutch out the 4th but was physically done in the fifth.

I still think his game plan was not perfect today. Firstly, he should be more offensive from the get-go and not let Djokovic engage him in the longer rallies the majority of which he lost. He should try to take the initiative earlier, take cuts at some 2nd serves even at the expense of more unforced errors. Playing like he did he was always going to lose, actually only thanks to his incredible clutchness in the 4th and 5th sets and some brainfarts from Djokovic he took it to 5. The other tactical mistake was giving Djokovic too many opportunities to play the angles in which Djokovic excels engaging with him in too many BH to BH rallies which was a losing game.

But, Stefanos is a good learner so I'm sure he'll eventually learn his lesson and get there.

I totally agree. I think Stef has probably not had the kind of discipline the big 3 have had imposed on them (from others and from themselves) such that he will lose the plot in some of these matches. It doesn't matter as much when he's playing some players and he can get away with it with his gifts.

He should have been ripping the sharply angled backhands he can do so well to set up that angled forehand which is one of the best on the tour in terms of opening up the court with some pace on it. Further, what's the point of neutral backhand to backhand rallies? You're right about Djokovic and his angles and it should have been Stef doing that first and taking the initiative, even if he missed. It's the right way to miss and the right general plan.

 

[Haneul]

It's pretty obvious Stefanos was still injured from Hamburg, doesn't take a genius to see he was grimacing several times before the 5th. All things considered he did good enough last couple weeks. The problem was his brain freezing at all those missed bps in the beginning and dropping serve twice in a row from 40-0, that dumb umpire robbing him of a chance to break back in the 1st didn't help as well.

 

[smithy]

Tsitsipas: "Unfortunately towards the end of the match an injury that I had during my match in Rome came back. It was difficult to close the match in a fighting way, in a fighting spirit".

 

[NedStark]

I'm not convinced it was the droppers that wore him down at all.
They were key for Djok but I would have to watch the last few sets again to have a clearer sense of why he petered.
I don't think he has the kind of endurance the Big 3 have, period.
None of the younger ones do.

Dude, even Thiem, who is much stronger physically than Tsitsipas, got tired with endless dropshots from Gaston and ended up losing to Diego.

 

[Djoker]

Tsitsipas: "Unfortunately towards the end of the match an injury that I had during my match in Rome came back. It was difficult to close the match in a fighting way, in a fighting spirit".

Didn't know that he had an injury in Rome... that explains the Sinner match there all the better now.
However still a bit strange as he didn't overplay like Thiem in this rump season. He should be having better fitness at 22.

 

[MalwareDie]

Didn't know that he had an injury in Rome... that explains the Sinner match there all the better now.
However still a bit strange as he didn't overplay like Thiem in this rump season. He should be having better fitness at 22.

Maybe the coronavirus pandemic affected his fitness this year. He might not have been able to train as much as he wanted to this year. This is just speculation since I don't know where Tsitsipas prefers to train or anything.

 

[NedStark]

Maybe the coronavirus pandemic affected his fitness this year. He might not have been able to train as much as he wanted to this year. This is just speculation since I don't know where Tsitsipas prefers to train or anything.

You know what. As a football fan, I did notice that several players like Leroy Sane bulked up like they injected steroid into their bodies. Perhaps tennis players did not train enough.

Regarding Tsitsipas, one member commented in my thread on his serve that Stef spent most of his time practicing serve during the lockdown - if so, then he failed, because he is still unable to fix his serve toss and motion.

He need a new coach, a serve specialist.

 

[SithLord]

Lol at people questioning Tsitsipas fitness. He played a 5 hour marathon with Wawrinka here last year, so he absolutely has no issues with fitness. He was very much capable of pushing Novak in the 5th.

I think playing Hamburg probably cost him today.

 

[Roxitova]

Dude, even Thiem, who is much stronger physically than Tsitsipas, got tired with endless dropshots from Gaston and ended up losing to Diego.

Not a dude.
Tennis fans should understand what ova at the end of a name means.
Now that I've cleared that up ...
Thiem went inot the tournament tired, and yes Gaston gave him 5 tough sets and exasperrated him with all the droppers, it was a stradegy that worked well enough to make the match super close. The droppers contributed to the fatigue but it's not the one sprint to a dropper even 20 times that exhausts Thiem, it's the length of the match, and the long points.

 

[parerastarr10]

He has the baseline pattern of play to do serious damage to Novak as a matter of routine but he wasn't disciplined enough to stick with that all throughout. He's immensely talented but Stef needs more discipline and planning in his approach to big matches and not to just rely as much as he does on his ability to figure something out which often lets him have to come back from positions he shouldn't be in.

That's what makes him even more tired in my view.

Agreed. In full-flight his ground game is superb. I especially loved how he opened up the court with his one-handed backhand. Conversely, I was struck by his poor anticipation of the drop shot. He seemed stunned every single time. I think it threw off his game and added to his fatigue. He needs to dedicate himself to being there from the first ball. He could've won that semifinal.