Alright, so I decided to spend some time really digging into the Taylor Fritz versus Sebastian Baez matchup. Not just watching highlights, you know, but really sitting down and trying to see what I could pick up from it for my own stuff.
First thing I did was clear my schedule for a bit. Turned off the phone notifications, got comfortable. I wanted to focus, not just have it on in the background. I pulled up some footage of one of their recent matches. Didn’t really care about the score at first, more about the dynamics.
Watching the Styles Clash
It’s pretty obvious right away, isn’t it? Fritz has that big serve, huge forehand. Just pure power tennis, trying to end points quickly. He steps in, dictates. Bam, bam, thank you ma’am. Then you’ve got Baez. Totally different beast. Grinding, retrieving, using angles, making the other guy hit one more ball. It’s like watching a sledgehammer versus a really annoying wall sometimes.
I started making notes, just simple stuff. Like:
- Fritz: Serve location, Forehand patterns (inside-out, down the line), Court positioning after serve.
- Baez: Return depth, Defensive movement, How he generates pace on the run, Use of drop shots or angles.
I spent a good hour just watching points play out, rewinding sometimes. Trying to see why a point ended the way it did. Was it an unforced error? A forced error? A clean winner? Who was controlling the baseline?
Trying to Apply It (The Hard Part)
Okay, watching is one thing. Doing is another. My own game, well, it’s nowhere near these guys, obviously. But I thought, okay, what small thing can I try?
I remembered struggling in my last hit-out with consistency when pushed wide. Baez is a master at resetting the point from defensive positions. So, I went out later, just hitting against the wall actually. Focused entirely on getting depth when I was stretched wide on my backhand. Not trying to hit a winner, just trying to get the ball back deep and central, give myself time to recover. Like Baez does, neutralizing the opponent’s attack.
It felt awkward. My instinct is always to try and do too much when I’m scrambling. Hitting deep takes discipline, takes trust in your legs to get back into position. Didn’t always work. Shanked a few, hit some short. But I kept the image of Baez resetting the point in my head.
Then I tried to channel a bit of Fritz. Not the massive serve, my shoulder would probably fall off. But his intention on the forehand. Stepping in, taking it early, trying to dictate. I focused on my footwork, getting around the ball on the forehand side and really committing to the shot, aiming for bigger targets first.
End Result?
Honestly? Mostly tired arms and a reminder that watching pros makes it look way easier than it is. But! Focusing on those specific things – defensive depth like Baez, aggressive court position like Fritz – gave my practice session some real structure. It wasn’t just hitting balls aimlessly. I was trying to do something specific I’d observed. Even if I failed most of the time, the process felt useful. It’s that deliberate practice thing, I guess. You watch, you break it down, you try to copy a small piece. Rinse and repeat. That’s the grind.
