Querrey Wins Vegas

You'd think the words you'd use to describe a win by a player that 6'6" would be crushing serve, and powerful shots. You wouldn't think it would be steady, assured, calm. But that's the way Querrey played.

For a first time finalist, Querrey got a decent chance by playing Kevin Anderson, who qualified for the tournament, and was also in his first final. Anderson hits maybe a little harder than Querrey, but occasionally shanks shots that he shouldn't. Anderson is similarly tall, at 6'7". He's no stranger to the US, having played at the University of Illinois, even though he is originally from South Africa.

It's odd that both players hit from the baseline, but it goes to show you that serve and volley is dead as a playing style, outside of doubles. Today's serves are so hard that the player doesn't have the chance to get into net. The serve just gets there too fast. With most players ripping topspin shots on both sides, you don't see chip and charge that much.

Is Querrey ready to take the next step? He's been steadily improving. His speed isn't spectacular, but he gets to many balls. He seems pretty calm. I'm curious to see where his game takes him.

Querrey Time

Once upon a time, tennis players much above 6 ft were anomalies. Borg was right around 6 ft tall. McEnroe and Connors were about 5'10". Then, slowly, good players were getting taller on average. Becker, Wilander, and Lendl were all around 6'1". Sampras was around 6'2".

But there were a few tall players that really broke through. Todd Martin was a 6'6" baseliner. Most people in the 70s felt that a player above 6'4" was too tall. They would be slow to move, have so-so groundstrokes, and maybe a big serve. As tall as Yannick Noah was, his serve was not the best in tennis. It was periodically powerful, but not the threat that it should have been.

Todd Martin showed a player of height could stay at the baseline and be competitive.

Now, taller players are more common.

Sam Querrey stands 6'6" and plays from the baseline. A few weeks ago, he played Kei Nishikori, and had match points on him. Nishikori made Querrey look slow, as he zipped around the court. Still, Querrey was not bothered. He's young. He's looking to improve.

So he found himself in the semifinals of the Tennis Channel Open held in Las Vegas, facing Guillermo Canas. Canas is 30 years old, and is a throwback to the older days when players would get the ball back over and over and over again. Looking a lot like Marcelo Rios (i.e., looking like an Argentine thug), what was surprising was not so much Canas's fitness, but Querrey's.

Querrey was able to play 10-20 shot rallies and keep in the point, without pressing too much. He used his own serve to advantage, but mostly stayed patient, not hurrying shots, and not going for winners too often.

Querrey is in the finals, with his 7-5, 6-2 win as Canas became sloppier as time went along.

He'll face Kevin Anderson of South Africa, who played for the Illini in the final. Anderson, like Querrey, is one tall guy, standing at 6'7", and he knocked out resurgent Robby Ginepri whose rankings had been falling until recently making three semis.

Interesting that Tennis Channel is sponsoring a tournament. Hopefully bodes well for the channel.