tennis

What a fantastic semi final line up we have for the US Tennis Open. The first heavyweight bout will see the number one seed Rafa Nadal take on the ever improving Andy Murray. The other semi final will see Novak Djokovic face Roger Federer in a second vs. third seed tussle for a spot in the final.

Djokovic will face an uphill struggle against Federer and not just because the former Swiss number one seems to have rediscovered his form. Djokovic was booed off the court after defeating American Andy Roddick and will now almost certainly have the crowd on his back for the remaining time he is in the tournament.

It was not just because he defeated the last remaining American in the men’s draw that got the crowds back up but the verbal assault he directed towards Roddick. The American had earlier made a quip regarding Djokovic’s injuries but the Serb took the comment the wrong way and lashed out, only to later apologise. Federer will undoubtedly have the overwhelming support of the crowd on his side and this will be a great psychological test for Djokovic who will also have to contend with his injury problems.

The matchup between Nadal and Murray will see a battle of the biceps with both competitors cutting a muscular figure. Technique plays a huge role in tennis but being able to combine this with power can make a player unbeatable. In terms of conditioning to produce maximum hitting power and speed, resistance training is absolutely essential.

Nadal has developed a style which combines flawless technique with immense power so when he hits the ball it consistently ends up in the right spot of the court at a frightening pace. To fill in any gaps he may have in his game he has a huge engine, which allows him to tear around the court for hours on end.

Murray has worked hard to mimic Nadal’s style and he has significantly increased his power and fitness levels so should be in a better position to face the world number one. Nevertheless Murray will still have his work cut out as Nadal currently leads their head to head’s 5 games to 0.

The beauty of sport is that nothing is ever certain but don’t be surprised if the final is played out between Nadal and Federer. If this is the case let’s hope for another cracker of a match like the epic that was the Wimbledon final.

	Author:	The Sports Nut (The Sports Nut's profile, The Sports Nut's blog)
	Posted On:	Fri, 2008-09-05 16:52
	Tags:	tennis
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