In her May 8 FiendatCourt.com, Teresa Merklin tackled a thought-provoking topic that was encapsulated in the shirt message, “I’m just too creative to be limited by Smart Shot Selection.”
What exactly is the connection between creativity and smart shot selection?
This burning question is the title of a lengthy essay I just wrote. For this blog, I would like to start by quoting a great ancient statesman and general and a modern athlete and humanitarian. Both believed citizens have a moral responsibility to tackle political issues. Pericles said, “Just because you don’t take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.”
During Amanda Anisimova’s first-round loss to Shelby Rogers at the Miami Open, a Tennis Channel analyst informed viewers that this year she has hit 54% of her groundstrokes crosscourt. The tall, 20-year-old American was touted as a potential future star when, as a 17-year-old, she beat 15-year-old phenom Coco Gauff in the US Open girls’ final. Unfortunately, the untimely death of Amanda’s father and assorted injuries derailed her. Though she peaked at No. 21 in 2019, she currently ranks No. 47.
“Tennis should be at the top of the list for sports with the greatest athletes. I’m in awe of what great athletes they are.”
– Retired baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez
Recently, Tennis Channel analyst Jimmy Arias, while calling a match, said, “I think baseball is the least relatable [sport] to tennis outside of the throwing motion making for a very good serve.”
I have long admired Jimmy as one of our sport’s smartest analysts on technique and tactics as well as for complicated, off-court tennis issues and controversies.
“When you are a young man, you are looking for your own identity, and winning is a way of expressing yourself. When I lost, I wanted to die. And because I thought in victory I became somebody, in defeat, it followed, I was nobody.” – Boris Becker, who won his first Grand Slam title at the 1985 Wimbledon, at age 17.
One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of tennis if you’re a fervent tennis fan or a tennis writer and teaching pro like me is to try to predict which young players will become future champions. Sometimes it’s fairly easy. For example, Serena Williams, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, and Jennifer Capriati were all considered “can’t miss” kids at 11 or 12.
