I played my best match so far in an Open Tourney!

says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
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Mar 2021
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Event: Provincial Open TT Tournament
Date:
1. Sat, 2024.09.07 ( Team Event ) where I only played MD
2. Sun, 2024.09.08 ( Individual ) where I played MS.
3. In the MD event, my team never got passed the first round. The top seeded team is in the same group as mine and that top seeded team in my group eventually emerged champion in the team event.
4. Meanwhile, in the Individual MS event, I met a higher skilled player who uses one side G1 and Victas Short-Pips with sponge on the other side even in R64. Even though I lost the match, I reckon this was the best match I ever played in an actual tourney. I will upload some of the memorable points. The match score was -10, -10 & -8 ( 3-0 ).

This one is my favourite point, in the spirit of Ryu Seungmin.
 
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says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
Well-Known Member
Mar 2021
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4,039
8,883
Hulking smashin'gud time. This FH smash would make Quadri Aruna proud.

Just a normal slow and spinny topspin shot, all in a day's work...

My opponent gave me an unexpected round the net return. It was superd.
 
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In the spirit of full disclosure: below is the whole match footage. Yes! I am looking at you @NextLevel
You are getting better for sure and the opponent's ball quality was in a good range for you. Since there are some good things in the video, let me point some of the bad things:

1. You are not spinning consistently on your forehand so it is going to be harder to get better against a lot of balls.
2. Your smashes mostly go to one location, I suspect if the opponent felt pressure to compete, he would block a lot more of them.
3. You don't try hard early in the point, you wait to expend energy after the critical phase of the point is over (first four shots), when it should be the reverse, you expend energy during serve and receive since those happen all the time, and then decided whether it is worth it to expend energy when things gets past serve and receive/third ball/fourth ball.

With all the good things, the question is whether they would be improved or get worse in the pressure of a competitive match. Because playing good points when there is no pressure has no requirement of performance.

All that said, even with all the above, it is clear that your ability to anticipate and control quality topspin has improved, probably with good practice with your coach. And your default style can work up to a good level, blocking the opponent around until he stops attacking and gives you a chance to attack. You just have to put in a bit more work to get into position when the ball slows down and learn to make a *consistent shot* that has quality, but may not be very powerful as well as your powerful shots. A part of me suspects that this power will break down under competitive pressure, but I could be wrong.

Congrats on a good match!
 
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says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
Well-Known Member
Mar 2021
3,646
4,039
8,883
You are getting better for sure and the opponent's ball quality was in a good range for you. Since there are some good things in the video, let me point some of the bad things:

1. You are not spinning consistently on your forehand so it is going to be harder to get better against a lot of balls.
2. Your smashes mostly go to one location, I suspect if the opponent felt pressure to compete, he would block a lot more of them.
3. You don't try hard early in the point, you wait to expend energy after the critical phase of the point is over (first four shots), when it should be the reverse, you expend energy during serve and receive since those happen all the time, and then decided whether it is worth it to expend energy when things gets past serve and receive/third ball/fourth ball.

With all the good things, the question is whether they would be improved or get worse in the pressure of a competitive match. Because playing good points when there is no pressure has no requirement of performance.

All that said, even with all the above, it is clear that your ability to anticipate and control quality topspin has improved, probably with good practice with your coach. And your default style can work up to a good level, blocking the opponent around until he stops attacking and gives you a chance to attack. You just have to put in a bit more work to get into position when the ball slows down and learn to make a *consistent shot* that has quality, but may not be very powerful as well as your powerful shots. A part of me suspects that this power will break down under competitive pressure, but I could be wrong.

Congrats on a good match!
If I may trouble you a little bit more NL, could you please elaborate on Points Nos. 3? Should I attack earlier? Seize the initiative much earlier? Is that your advise?
 
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If I may trouble you a little bit more NL, could you please elaborate on Points Nos. 3? Should I attack earlier? Seize the initiative much earlier? Is that your advise?
Get and stay lower earlier in the point even if you can't maintain it throughout the point. Being lower makes it easier to return good serves (fast long serves and low short serves), attack lazy half long serves, see racket angles the opponent is serving with, keep the ball low on serve return and attack many backspin serve returns. After the game opens up, you don't have to stay as low, though it can be a great thing if you do.
 
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says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
says Making a beautiful shot is most important; winning is...
Well-Known Member
Mar 2021
3,646
4,039
8,883
Well played Gozo lad! You are definitely improving! 💪
It does has an ol'skool charm to it, hasn't it? Just good old blocks, pushes and drives. No tutti-fruity stuff. Has a certain old school flair....


 
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