Technically, I'm probably much higher. . . a seven, or maybe an 8. I feel I can do anything technically. Mentally, a. . . six. For me, it's just a matter of making the right choice at the right moment. I can produce any shot I want, but sometimes I don't. I don't make the right decision, mentally. I don't know if you put that in technical or mental, but there it is.*
*
Mentally, also, it's kind of tough. One day I may be really good, one day not. some days I have really good concentration to be ina match, some days I come out there and feel I'm not in the match. Like today - I was feeling good on the court, but I realized I'm not thinking properly. I'm not in the match. Just not completely there. But there are days like this, it's always up and down. But I never would go below a six, I think.
Emotionally, I'm a little more mature now, so there I give a six or better, too. We play so many tournaments a year that I am experienced now, and understand that you cannot be on top of your game every day. When I lose now, I think there is probably something I can take from the losses that I will be able to use to my advantage.
Clearly this girl is a work in progress, but I'm struck by her modest assessment of her own talents and skills. Although I'm not sure it's easy to separate the mental and emotional, I'd be more inclined to give her 9 on technical, 7 on mental and 6 on emotional. If you take those numbers as percentages, the fact that she's as highly ranked while operating at 60-70 per cent of her maximum is pretty impressive.
This Kid Didn't Just Fall off the Turnip Truck -- In Roger Federer's post-match presser following a win over Nicolas Mahut, The Mighty Fed said:
I was in the room and my first though was: Man some dude is going to go running off to Rafael Nadal with that one! As it turned out, Bill Simon of California's Inside Tennis threw that quote right at Jet Boy in Nadal's very next presser, after he narrowly escaped Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7-5 in the third. Nadal answered:
I think Nadal probably knew that TMF's remarks were directed more toward the likes of, oh, Willy Canas or David Ferrer than himself. And in all fairness, the most critical part of TMF's quote is his concession that playing against guys with Gallic flair is "a bit easier", which in Federer speak sometimes means a whole lot easier.
TMF would have to be on an 0-11 run against Jet Boy for him to express such obvious sour grapes. I understand Federer's point; he has the soul of an artist matched with the competitive skills and appetite of a panther. But I'm still a little uncomfortable with the last bit in that analysis on logical grounds. Whose fault is it if you can't play "better" (presumably, more creative, diverse tennis) anyway?
If it's your opponent's fault, shouldn't he get credit for finding a way to win despite the fact that you're capable of playing "better" tennis (and isn't every pro capable of playing better tennis than any given opponent allows)? And if it's your fault (that is, if you blew those sitter volleys or open-court forehands), you couldn't have been playing "better" tennis, even if you're capable of doing it. All you did was fail to find your "better" tennis, which may deserve empathy, but not sympathy.
Look, I hate to see a grim, baseline grinder beat an artistic player like Federer, but I can't deny his due when he does it. To say a guy didn't let you play tennis that earned you style points is less a comment on the quality of the match than the unique ability of that opponent.
Besides, there's some truth in Nadal's response to Simon's slightly insulting follow-up: "So you think there's a lot of variety within the Spanish players, not just a tremendous baselines, but a lot variety within the Spanish players?"
Jet Boy replied:
Motormouth -- Jelena Jankovic is a delightful interview. The girl just loves to talk, and the funniest thing about it is that in the press room she's likely to end long, far-ranging, comical, extraordinarily frank interviews by saying exactly what some of the ink-stained wretches in the room are thinking while they massage cramping fingers or frantically pop in new cassette tapes. "Okay, this has gone on way too long, let me go now."
