Heineken Open (ELITE-TRIAL)

[Cerji]

QF : Cerji (Verdasco) def. TWM-Fox (Federer) 6/1 6/1



I think I played pretty well^^ I hit 26 winners for only 9 UE.
Fox had trouble adjusting to elite controls and I was lucky with deep shots so that's why the score is like that.
Also I think that Federer is really hard to play with in Elite control since he is an agressive player and that he doesn't have as much speed as Djokovic or Nadal...

[Clog]

GG man ! It's even more impressive considering the fact that you used Verdasco who's not the strongest character in the game...

[Ugadalou]

First match of the season for me and what a heartbreaker it was.

Ugadalou (Baghdatis) vs Vlad449 (Davydenko) 6-2/2-6/7-5

The result isn't as strange as it seems if you consider that the match was dominated by unforced errors.Vlad was a little sloppy in the first, in the second he employed a safer gamestyle and I couldn't dominate offensively making errors so we got to a decider.There vlad drew first blood,I managed to come back, he saved 2 match points at 5-4* but then cracked at 6-5*.


My first impression of elite mode in an official match is that the game gets too defensive-driven because it feels slightly unbalanced as far as its sensitivity is concerned.Elite appears to be very sensitive in short accels or volleys but doesn't punish as much counter shots or b1 shots even when your positioning is messy.
That results in the game becoming slower, with less risk-taking.
I'm not sure this match would have been as fun in simulation,it probably would have been one more casual encounter.Elite definitely made it more intense with stamina bars being fully empty at the most important moments and crucial points were decided by marathon rallies!
However, the flow of the point IMHO doesn't get more realistic with elite controls.On the contrary.

Stats:

[Martan]

Just 5 net approaches in whole game by Vlad?

seriously, even Nadal has more net approaches.

37 at Ugu sides seems cool but just 43% success? Its really hard at elite, right?

[C4iLL]

Hey Uga, if I have understood well, despite the fact you felt the game was more defensive, less creative, and despite the 100 faults you and your opponent did, you felt the match would have been less fun in Sim ? If it's right, I don't understand ^^

[Ugadalou]

Fun for me has not only to do with the gaming factor but with suspense and intensity as well.
So for me the gameplay is more fun in sim, but the more tactical and patient gameplay of elite has more potential to improve.
Obviously these stats could be different, don't know how much, if me and Vlad had adjusted better to the mode.

There are some major tweaks needed though imho in elite as I mentioned above.I like its' more hardcore and perfectionist approach but it just leads to rhythm-less and opportunistic tennis as it is right now.

[costiiforzaa]

G.Dimitrov (BUL) def. Martan (Murray) 7/5 6/3

My first win after 4 looses in a row. I will be honest, I didn't train at all before this match and I was in a bad mood so I didn't care for the result at the end and maybe because of this I make a good match for my level at the moment (without training). I was almost perfect mentallly. Why almost? Because after I broke him 2 times, he rebroke me in the next games, but I don't think that it was because I was еxcited.

For the gameplay: The match wasn't bad for me after 2-3 games were already past( I was playing really badly in the first games). I was attacking and defending pretty well( without guessing like some guys from the tour can only to do).

First set: I don't remember the match very good, because it was played yesterday night. I think that he broke me in the first game and the result was *2/1. I was playing badly and he won some easy points with the short slices( I don't know how to do them) On *3/2 I won 3 consecutive games( broke him twice), because I started to attack really well and I have no more problems with his short slices anymore and I was serving for the set on 3/5*, but he broke me with some nice returns from his side. Then we too held our serves to *5/6 when I broke him and won the first set.

Second set: I really found a good level and I broke him early, but he rebroke me in the next game. Then I broke him again and I was serving for the match on 3/5* and I won it.

For the Elite Controls: I didn't play from a long time ago and I didn't ever play before this match with Martan so there is no base for comparison between Elite Controls and Simulation Controls from my side. BUT I really like that its more difficult to do a short accelaration and I think that the rallies are more realistic than Sim, because there are more errors and the player position for good and strong shot have to be better. So I really prefer ELITE CONTROLS.

I don't have a demo from the match (maybe Martan have it), but here are the stats, you can see that my balance from UE/Winners is +8 and his balance is -14.

[Martan]

I am kinda ashamed I played with Murray, I am always trying to play active, attacking tennis but my net success with elite controls is about 20% so I choose Murray and tried to be as much defend as I can be and I see I still have 14 net tries


anyway, Dimitrov was very good, first set was really close but in second he was far better than me Wish you luck!

[costiiforzaa]

I am kinda ashamed I played with Murray, I am always trying to play active, attacking tennis but my net success with elite controls is about 20% so I choose Murray and tried to be as much defend as I can be and I see I still have 14 net tries


anyway, Dimitrov was very good, first set was really close but in second he was far better than me Wish you luck!

Thank you! Yeah, you just want to go to the net again and again.. You lost three points in a row with going on the net. When you see that it is not a good plan. Just before the point say on yourself : "NO NET RUSH" . Good luck you too.

[Martan]

I am just not defender, it is a coward game style

[costiiforzaa]

I am just not defender, it is a coward game style

And I'm not a defender, but sometimes you mustn't go on the net. You can do a winner without rushing the net.

[Ugadalou]

Cerji (Verdasco) def. Ugadalou (Baghdatis) 6-4/6-2

I got the feeling this match would be much more enjoyable and spectacular if we played with sim controls, because we both employed a low-risk conservative gamestyle and although we attacked the net often as well, the game was too punishing at the net.

I started well with breaking and consolidating but it seems Cerji was still adjusting to the controls and was constantly gaining momentum, holding easier than I did and got the break back at 4*-3.After that he was the better player and deserved to win.Good luck in your final!

Stats: