Budapest Semifinals
See Ma Long’s this pair of serving. (2:15-2:24)
After the first serve, why:
Ma Long served an identical serve again?
The two results were completely different?
https://youtu.be/b7dmkieIb10?t=135
Was it because Liang went down the net, so you think that was backspin?
The camera's angle let us see Ma's motion clearly, although it was fast. It seems that Ma seldom serves a ball like this with back spin. Personally, I think it was the same as the first one.
How about the 2nd question? Even if it had been back spin, why would Liang have not done the same?
Look at the complete swing motion on the serve. On the second one Ma Long comes more under the ball.
Even so, why Liang did not do the same?
Even so, why Liang did not do the same?
There are many possibilities, tactics is one of them eg. how you want to play the next couple of balls. If you pause and watch the first serve closely, at 2:16 - already when the ball is falling down Liang is pivoting around to play a forehand from his backhand side. He made a decision before the serve was completely executed. Maybe he read an early cue and was able to play a more powerful shot, maybe tactics or possibly just took a chance that paid off. Whatever you do, you want to be as unpredictable as possible. Easy to say though, quite hard in reality.Even so, why Liang did not do the same?
Well, Mizutani says ML is the best at serving because it's very difficult to read his spin as he uses near identical motions for every serve with a different spin.
The serve is maybe the same but it was received differently, the first one with the FH then with the BH. Maybe he just reads it better on the first one and was ready sooner. To me it looks like he was a bit late on the BH and coud not make good contact
It's quite beyond my expectation. Personally, I think Ma's serving is the weakest comparing with his other skills. I'll say FH looping is his best.
It's very hard to win points on the serve outright. What they try to create with the serve is an advantage to get a weak return to kill. As a receiver the hard part is to calculate the amount of spin.
What?Right. Liang really fought hard.