[After Simona Halep's loss to Sharapova at the 2017 US Open]
Simona Halep's push for Grand Slams and #1 - and I am convinced she has the talent and the shots for all, but she is not training the required variety, simply not preparing properly, to speak openly - has been unfortunately undermined, hamstrung, by years of less-than-optimal development and strategic perspective, and this continues to this day, for in spite of an admirable effort in the final of Roland Garros 2017, or in the recent matches with Muguruza and Sharapova, she came again short against a power player.
And the main reason is: her attitude and game have not been designed for domination. All the truly great players have that. Simona's attitude is wishy-washy: "let me feel great on the court." She never speaks of achieving consistent domination over her main opponents.
This is confirmed by an interview after the match with Sharapova:
"Many of the defeats I have suffered have been caused by the fact that I
don't believe enough I can win. Judging objectively, I think I have
given up too easily in some matches."
Successive Halep Teams (going through Wim Fissette and Darren Cahill) have failed to upgrade her means towards a Justine Henin-inspired system of domination against the power players, based on variety.
For if there is some progress in terms of intensity and maturity, her game has gone backwards since 2013-2014 in terms of variety and on-court intelligence.
I have not seen the new elements she promised in late 2015 to implement in order to use more variety This year, in her game: 2 volleys a match, 2 slices a match, 2 dropshots a match. What is that? SHOW ME THE GOODS.
My advice, in short:
1. Get Carlos Rodriguez or Justine herself as coach. Get on your knees if necessary, Simona.
2. PAY Horia Tecau, her old-time friend, a doubles champion, in fact a member of the former #1 doubles team in the world, to really teach her how to attack the net. Again, not a friendly service, pay him. "Brother, brother, but the cheese's for money" (Romanian proverb). We need responsibility on both sides.
Other than that, I'm sticking to what I'm saying basically for two years.
Unfortunately, the crucial matches lost during 2017 can only be called a major failure for Simona Halep and her coaching staff.
Yes. Fire Darren Cahill too. In Grand Slams (which is all it counts when you're number 2 - remember Safina?) he hasn't been better than Wim Fissette, which I have assumed might be the case quite a while ago. Both baseliner-player coaches, unable to lift Halep to levels and means where she is able to beat the offensive, inspired players on the day she wants to, at her own choice and will, forcing the issue as multiple GS champions would.
For no one can pretend that Pennetta is physically imposing, like Williams, Sharapova or perhaps Wozniacki.
This year, and as usual, Simona fed Ostapenko/Muguruza/Sharapova a steady diet of topspin balls, exactly what they like. Even more, until too late, she allowed her opponent the initiative in terms of taking the ball on the rise, she staying too far back. Hello?
This year, Simona didn't have variety: no slice. That could have been crucial in taking such players off her rhythm. Hello?
This year, Simona did not take the initiative at the net, by attempting only rarely to come there. Again, that could have been crucial in taking Ostapenko off her rhythm. Hello? Yes, I know she was (to some extent) injured, but those extended and repeated left-right baseline runs were even more taxing.
This year, Simona did not really use effectively the dropshots. Hello?
Throughout this year, Simona's serve was only slightly better than at the beginning of the year, but not to the extent she is capable of, or to the extent she boasts about improvements in it. Think about it: Henin at a comparable height had 117 mph, Simona 108. But Henin had a full shoulder-torso-body rotation, brought about by using Sampras's and Federer's platform stance (not the pinpoint stance, used by Halep), just like - surprise, surprise - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (again, same height), the current #1 in doubles, who served 117 mph at the 2017 Roland Garros. Federer's stance also imparts much more work on the ball, making it more difficult to return, and higher trajectory, for more safety.
And Darren Cahill was prompted on this alternative
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/great-hope-halep-how-far-now.510359/page-17#post-10690801
close to a year ago. We have heard talk from both him and Simona on serve improvements, but there are no signficant results.
This year, Simona's forehand could have benefitted from a full conversion to the ATP style of forehand, to which Henin switched in order to beat the big girls - and Henin managed to do so. Hello?
Thus, when great titles, glory, and millions are lost - including for coaching - it bears repeating what I have been saying for three years now:
Personally, if I were Halep, with all great results (including on the financial side), which I'd be blind not to see and appreciate, I'd change coaches right now, as I honestly don't see any progress on the crucial technical and strategical side this year:
- STILL no slice
- STILL no volley, no occasional S-V
- not enough dropshots
- STILL no plan B to speak of
- STILL no better serve (just a marginal change: she could not ace Ostapenko much)
- STILL no better conditioning (she entered injured in tourneys as a result of not protecting her ankles with ankle supports)
I had the same recommendation for Bouchard, even though her results aren't quite at the same level as Halep's.
Otherwise, she will continue to lack the variety of means to beat the best on a consistent basis, and will wear out her body, by her current insistence on staying parked at the baseline. She should change her style more toward's Henin's, than Clijsters'.
Am I too harsh? I don't think so. And I have had this recommendation for some time; as well, it's only confirmed by yesterday's match with Sharapova.
There is a time for everything, and this is the best time for it, before putting in the hard work for the next season.
Suggestions? Paul Annacone, Stefan Edberg (even part time would help tremendously; and he might become available), Carlos Rodriguez (I know he has that academy in China, and he left even Li Na in the lurch because of it), even Justine Henin (if Mauresmo coaches, why not her? she has a tennis academy).
A new series of coaches has passed Simona's way and have been dismissed since 2014, however the ideas do not seem to have changed in her camp, for her game plan A wasn't improved, and no plan B has become available (since November 2014 to this September 2017). In the meanwhile, she has scored painful defeats (as in the Australian, at Roland Garros or in even in Miami against Serena), together with some great success (Indian Wells). Let me be clear, it is a great achievement to be number 2 or 3 in the world, but it is not even by far the same as becoming number 1 at the end of the year, or winning Grand Slams, and this is the name of the game for someone of Simona's talent.
Simona Halep has the shots (the volleys, the dropshots, the high topspin, the slice) but she is not using them enough or at all, or in the right proportion, even though she has great hands. I am convinced that, like Bouchard, she is not training enough such variety, for having it available in matches, and for being mentally ready to use them. Not only that, but the opposition have caught up to her somewhat uniform style, and it is _them_ who are using first variety to beat her (Wozniacki, by slicing and coming to the net to volley, at Stuttgart; Mladenovic, by volleying and dropshotting her at Roland Garros; Pennetta at the USO). This should be a big warning sign for Simona.
I, for one, and being strengthened in my convictions by her latest results, continue to believe that only something similar with Henin's game, based on variety (in order to befuddle the opponents, to mess up their footwork and contact point) and shortening of the exchanges (in order to reduce the body wear), can be successful for someone of Halep's height, if she wants to be successful against Serena and Sharapova, or against other heavy hitters, such as Lucic, and if she wants to achieve that while having a long career in full health.
And yes, I appreciate the fact that at least the advice suggested here years ago of hiring a mental coach/psychologist for more clarity of purpose and general winning attitude has been followed (with some very good results).
A bon entendeur, salut!
Marius Hancu
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