Strategy
Hi Alois,
A recent big upset is when Hugo beat Fan Zhendong 4-2
Unarguable that Hugo is playing very well in that match. Base know your years of coaching experience, what do you think that Hugo did to beat fan and what has fan did wrong in that match?
Hi Eugene,
I haven't watched the whole match but from what I have seen, Hugo played a lot of balls from his backhand corner down the line to Fan Zhendong's forehand corner. HE was often pivoting and wasn't expecting the ball in that position.
This is a common pattern in play that players play cross court and when the ball is played down the line it can be effective, even at this extremely high level.
Of course Hugo has to play extremely well still but this tactic seemed to be the base of his play.
When playing penhold players it is important to remember to first analyse your opponent as you would if they used any grip. What are their strengths and weaknesses? A common weakness of penhold players is their forehand block especially against a slow spinny topspin. Their backhand may be a weakness if they use the traditional style, or you may wish to explore the crossover point if they are using the reverse penhold backhand.
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eugene lu Posted 6 years ago
And also do you think that fan zhendong has became so much weaker this year? He is not as fast and his backhand flicks are not as deadly as before and he tends to make more mistakes. Of course he is still winning many titles but he seems rather weaker bow don't you think ?
I don't think he has become weaker really. He is still number 1 in the World.