Stats: (somehow when typesetting these comments, the titles disappeared) D1 W 20 6 8 b6 b2 b10 s s a b6 b4 v6 b5 f5 v11 b15 v6 b6 b13 f3 b2 f6 O10 | b3 b3 b2 b3 b5 | O4 b4 d7 b2 d20 bp4 O7 O4 E 16 21 3 b4 b4 f3 b8 v6 b2 b7 f3 f3 b8 b4 v7 b9 df b5 v8 v6 | f3 df v9 b2 f4 f4 b15 df df b2 b4 b5 b4 b3 df b9 f3 b8 O6 b8 O8 | f3 f5 f5 MEP W 3 6 3 d3 d4 d5 | f12 s fp12 d3 fp6 s | d6 E 11 4 3 L5 b9 b4 d5 df f2 d5 f3 f2 d5 f11 | f10 d6 f6 f3 | f8 f2 f5 The face of the set was that of D1 dominating the game, sending MEP corner to corner, hitting most winners with her backhand (10/20), then forehand, (4) direct points on serve (3) and net conversions (2v + 1O). Her dictating the game cost her 17 errors, on her preference shot, the backhand (8), fewer on forehand (3, all on 3rd ball attack) but notably many on volley (4). MEP had little to offer in return, scoring only 3 points with his favorite weapon, the drop shot. With 3 errors, that shot was struggling too. Both served only 1 double fault. The face of the was totally different, as is obvious by the reversed scoreline. MEP got 2 direct points on serve and 3 with the combo drop+passing shot. His error rate went down to 4, of which only 1 in the first 4 shots! D1 on the other hand saw her winners evaporate to only 5, all with her strong backhand. That backhand still took half of the errors (10/21), this time adding 4 double faults, 4 forehands (again on 3rd and 4th ball), a volley and 2 notable overheads. In the D1 set things straight again with 8 winners of various nature, notably 2 drop shots and 3 overheads, indicative of quicker feet, while making just 3 errors, all on forehand. MEP was left with 1 drop shot and 3 errors on forehand too. Based on this match I would say that D1 has to work on her forehand, her volley and on her mental strength. Her serve and backhand are weapons and when she's in a good vibe, she has the quick feet to take on the short game, if she can add volley to her weaponry. On the coaching front, I found her coach to focus too much on what MEP was doing well in the 2nd set, while she was not listening anymore ("yeah, you're right" while looking away). Before the tie break she opened up again, acknowledging her self destruction and the coach gave the right advice to pick it up where she left it, dictating the game.
Huge kudos to both of these players for putting themselves on the line in this match in front of the cameras. Amazing case study for people wanting to learn how to play against defensive specialists like Ben. I'll likely do a breakdown of this one.
The mental aspect of Ben's game can't be overlooked and that's so crucial to his style i think, perfectly shown by the D1 miss at 11:00. It should be an easy winner but as ben gets everything back, she thinks she has to do too much with it and overdoes it, putting it in the net despite having 50% of the court to aim at for a clean winner.
Kudos to Ian and Tennis Troll. Guys I'm not sure if you understand the amount of value you offer to all of us recreational players with the videos you're making. I live in Athens, Greece and both channels videos are gaining big popularity here. MEP's matches are simply unmissable. My hitting partner is almost a Greek replica of MEP winning tons of matches with his frustrating counter intuitive play. And a note to all those players who try to downplay MEP or similar tennis players, you're simply clueless. MEPs game is quite well versed plus the player has an amazing touch and feel for the ball and the court angles. If he can dropshot winners against a D1 player, imagine what he can do to us, typical recreational weekend warriors. Can't wait for Ian's breakdown analysis on the match and respect to everyone involved and for putting yourselves out there for us to watch.
Great match for both players. MEP played his classic game aided by Tennis Troll's legendary geometrical strategies. Ian, you must unravel the intricacies of the triangle and oval patterns and do a proper breakdown. This analysis will of course be key for your own future match with MEP.
It was awesome working with you Tennis Troll. You are an incredible person, a fun person and a great player. And you have a good sense of storytelling. I would LOVE to work with you more often. 🙌🙌
Recruit’s coach said something really key after the first game: move your base position forward because he will hit a lot of chips (and that nasty drop shot to the backhand). Fun match and kudos to both players.
Amazing video Tennis Troll! It clearly demonstrates that the mental and strategic side of matches is just as or even more important than your beautiful stroke technique! Love your an MEP's humor! Thank you your channel is helping me get through quarantine!
Psychologically, this was an awesome match between these two! I saw how D1 started to drift a bit at the end of set 1 with some of her shots, which is when MEP started to do what he does best. Nice work at resetting yourself for the tiebreak, D1. MEP, hard luck. your 2nd set will be a reminder for why you're playstyle shouldn't be slept on!
Excellent points. From this match, MEP shows why he's a tough opponent to play against. D1 was playing well and MEP begins to counter and in no time it's 1 set all. D1 did an amazing job moving on from the second set and regrouping.
In every MEP match I've watched you can always pinpoint the exact moment where his opponents spirit gets crushed. Kudos to her for pulling it off in the tie breaker though. Great match.
Thank you. This setup/format was possible because of Krishnendu Kes Channel. He was visiting Atlanta and we collaborated along with Pure Tennis Sense. Hopefully we can bring Kes back soon.
What a Gentleman MEP. You undid years of Division 1’s coaching in the second set, felt bad and then let her win the tie break. I doff my baseball cap to you sir.
Nah he didn't let her win rofl. She stepped up her game for sure. Having said that, I think had it gone to a third set he would have won I doubt she could have kept that form up.
@@KrishnenduKes Right, it's impossible for any of us to really know what was going on in their heads. I just doubt that he would have lost on purpose and at least to me it seemed her game really stepped up in that tiebreaker.
@@DjokovicIsOurLordAndSaviour Probably. But what I saw and it is my POV only, since I was on court shooting the whole process... You are right that MEP would not give away anything on purpose. D1 had her game on point in the first set. But MEP got a measure of that during the first set. So, in the 2nd set he managed to frustrate her and beat her. Difficult to say what would have been the result had there been a full 3rd set.
@@transklutz Its not very satisfying, but continue to get 5% better all the time. I'm being serious. Is the worst part of your game 5% better than it was a year ago? The junk baller is not the problem, we are the problem. They are just very good at exposing our weaknesses.
That’s the thing. It’s always just an ugly hard fought mental victory which is something I guess. I’ve had losses where I was playing out of my mind and just got straight up bested and I felt better about those than wins over players like this.
@@TheSuperDmyersI think pushers and junk ballers have a hard ceiling. There is only so good they can be. Example: The guy in this video would be useless if he was receiving ground strokes that are consistently deep with pace. That irritating short slice stuff doesn't work if he is standing behind the baseline. Notice how many of her groundstrokes land in the middle of the court.
13:29 - Getting pulled into a brilliant MEP point! Haven't see it all, but MEP is finding ways now to implement the circles, triangles, and other geometric oddities that make people want to start plucking out eyebrows. This is GREAT to watch on many accounts. I literally poured a drink and a bowl of Chex with chills to watch this one!!! Shout out to BOTH of you!
Thank you. Kes channel brought some amazing cameras to video. We are trying to find a way to do more together in future. Hopefully we can make it happen.
@@PURETENNISsense I have a 14 year old that is pretty serious about the game. He's been playing for about 2.5 years and wants to play D1. He's in 8th grade and improving every week! I believe he'll make it! Congrats again!
@@ericshine1 Thank you and good luck to you and your 14yr old. Keep up the training and hard work! The improvements now will pay dividends for confidence in the future!
Thank you. The intro was recorded by Krishnendu Kes. It's amazing. He was visiting Atlanta and we collaborated. Hopefully we can find a way to bring him to Atlanta more often in future. He's videography is amazing.
Classic WTA. For whatever reason in WTA you see players win the first set 6-0, then a huge reversal 0-6 in the second and so on and so on. You don't get such wild swings in the men's game. Not sure why it happens in the women's game.
Generating pace on no pace is difficult. And without the verve of the 1st set peeps collapse. For 3 reasons. It's not fun tennis. You lose patience. You stop caring, then u start chunking shots. She missed so many gimme winners because of that
Wow her angles in first set were fire! so true that mental toughness wins matches. Not sure how I would do against such a frustrating player LOL. Great content Tennis Troll!
Thank you to Krishnendu Kes Channel and Pure Tennis Sense Channel for collaborating with us to make this video. Can't wait for the next opportunity to work with you again.
@@SportSkillWonder not all players want to share their name on UA-cam and that’s ok. We prefer to use nicknames- more fun and it’s give some background/storyline about the player.
@@TennisTrollChannel tennistroll - thats just nonsensical . LOL They are in the video, they speak to camera..:)) so this talking about them in just nicknames is off.. ""the d 1 recruit. with pink shoes And I keep seeing you and others talking about respect etc.. when this naming a person is missing - the one first thing that One human being is identified by in society - that 'respect ' is gone.. seems so wrong.. just like children, even when a kid you identify others firstly by their name.. wtf..:))
This first set is mostly about one shot: Her backhand. It's far and away the best shot on the court. where as so many of the dudes struggling against MEP are just looping balls back, she attacks every short ball on her backhand with intention, and can execute it most of the time. Wicked angles and pace.
That's because they probably floundered when they tried to put one away earlier and have shied away from trying another one. Hence, they try to outpush a pusher. Bad plan. If this strategy worked for them, they'd be pushers! "Real" tennis players - players who play it like a sport, for years, since a young age, who train hours a day, with a coach, etc - can CRUSH a sitter because they've done so thousands of times in practice, and maybe hundreds of times in matches. Compare this to The Dude who only plays tennis on public courts so he can blast his tunes - sorry: *toonz* - take his shirt off and work on his tan... Well, you can't really compare them, can you. I agree with you, this is the best way to slay the pusher, but only if you have the strokes for it. Strokes that hold up under pressure, 100% automatic, ones you could hit reading a book. Aside from Jedi mind tricks, the only way to possess such strokes is hours and hours of practice. It's not fair to compare ourselves to "real" tennis players. (And lemme tell you, there are no "real" tennis players roaming the comment sections on YT tennis channels.)
Players like Ben ( and there's a few of us!) get used to attacking the BH with slices, drops and approaches, and it can work because most GUYS have better FHs than BHs. But in my experience, at least as many women have better BHs than FHs! So you have to figure out a Plan B if this is the case.
@@joemarshall4226 The backhand is a body swing while the forehand is more of an arm swing. Most women don't have the fast twitch arm muscle to generate rapid momentum, which is why their forehand backswing is always loopier and less direct than mens. It's also why almost no womens players use a 1 hander, whereas you see it a fair amount on the mens side.
@@parkercrossland410Good explanation. I have always thought that women, especially should use the slice FH more often. As Monica Nicolescu has prove, it can be quite effective.
MEP’s personality is polar opposite of his game. Frustrating as hell on the court, hilariously fun on the sidelines. I’d rather see you at the bar watching Bills than across the net.
you are wrong. I found playing a LOT of amateur tournaments that the style of play says a lot about the player's personality. I found pushers to have a particularly annoying masochistic pleasure at playing with your mind. This style of play comes from a desire to win at all cost combined with a pleasure in seeing others frustrated/annoyed. It gives them pleasure and a sense of superiority. I find nothing more pleasurable than obliterating such players whenever I find them. You just have to execute solid tennis and stick to your game plan. Executing solid tennis means good serve on both corners, solid ground shots to get you into position for the attack-volley ending which is 50% of points made with this type of player. Good luck.
Great match TT, your vids are becoming more and more professional. Well done for setting this up, a fascinating encounter between the young, Pink Damsel and jocular, ever competitive MEP.
Thank you - Krishnendu Kes Channel made the video amazing. Unfortunately he won't be available for every match as he lives 12 hours away (he was visiting), but we do plan to collaborate more. Hopefully we can have him more regularly one day in future. Shall see.
Really entertaining to watch, and I especially liked the pre-game discussion and the inter-game coaching. I think I really-learned 9th grade geometry! MEP seems like a nice guy with a good sense of humor, on par with his “coach” 😉 I think I remember D1 from an earlier episode, I’m sorry for her if she’s missing her senior season but hopefully she’ll land somewhere she can enjoy playing and studying. Thanks for bringing us these matches guys!
Great video! 👍 I like the in-match coaching and camera work! D1 recruit has a killer backhand! MEP played his classic game, but D1 handled it well. I had an uneasy feeling that MEP might actually catch-up in the super tiebreak but D1 had performed in the clutch. That was basically the difference.
While watching the tiebreaker, for me, it never felt like MEP had lost it and it was over. Even down 7-0, there was a feeling that he'll start a comeback and he did. D1 did an excellent job staying with her game plan and pulled through.
No she didn't handle it well. If they played a full third set, MEP would win. A tiebreaker was always be to her advantage because she can come out all guns blazing. A set would have been a battle of attrition which MEP would win
Loved the interview pieces and the quality there. Thought you bought some new gear! Definitely a goal for the whole match coverage. Props. Fun to watch as always though!
The cameras with the interviews and non-match points were from Krishnendu Kes Channel. He has some serious cameras (not smartphones like me) and knows how to use it. Hopefully we'll be able to collaborate again in future.
This was very enjoyable to watch. Kudos to both players for providing the contrast of styles and showing great mental strength. D1 has the shots to hit him off the court, but she got sucked into playing his game in the second set. She did much better when she kept the ball low and hard vs. looping the rally balls. MEP did a great job of doing his thing and getter her to play his game in the second set.
The gamestyle she played in the first set is her typical play all the time. Sometimes it's hard to see on videos like this but MEP was forcing her to have to play at that level for a full 2 sets and it's mentally draining. I think she could've held it together a little bit in the 2nd but hey, that's tennis. After losing the 2nd set I think she pulled it together and went back to the solid aggressive tennis from the first set.
Great match. One thing about pushers is that they very rarely beat themselves, and you have to beat them. Otherwise, you will fall into the trap of playing their game, of which MEP is a master. Great win young lady. Good luck in college.
Another example of the huge difference in men's and women's tennis. Any men's D1 recruit would beat MEP 0-0 with no effort. Nice playing, can't imagine how frustrating it must be to play against MEP.
@@TennisTrollChannel D1 is the highest level of collegiate competition, regardless of how it is designated. I'm not saying that there aren't D2 schools that are better than D1 schools. But on average, D1 is as good as it gets for college sports.
@@thiaguinhu321123 I can agree with that. The competition is usually stronger at D1 than the others due to more available resources at D1. However, it may change one day as NAIA now allows pros to play college sports. Curious to see if how that may change things if it does.
Amazing match to watch on so many levels! Very impressed by both players. D1 for the mental comeback in the tiebreak, and for closing it out (the tiebreak was starting to mirror the match the longer it went on), and MEP for relentlessly probing and finding ways to bring him back in the match and breaking down his opponent.
MEP, Ben sir, you're a true artist and master of your style... Steady Benny just keeps plugging away in his game, using all dimensions and angles of the court regardless of where he is score-wise in the match. You've earned your UA-cam fame! The young D1 recruit's game is very strong. She likes pace and I'm sure hits her share of players off the court. Her mental strength and patience are her areas of opportunity vs. an opponent like MEP.
Interesting match, really disappointed in all the negative comments on D1, she showed a ton of composure against a very tough mentally strong opponent,
Agreed! When I was talking to her between changeovers, it was very apparent she was struggling a bit mentally due to the nature of his strokes/gamestyle. She had a bit of a hiccup in the 2nd set but brought it back together and played a very solid Tie-breaker.
Wow, what a match! Did not see it coming. Kudos to Topher for pulling it out after all those double faults. Don’t think I could have stuck with it. Ben is such a classy guy to give complements to Topher.
Every league has a player similar to MEP. Its amazing how mep’s game can really be break down a top player. You really have to be patient and concentrate on every ball. Im sure d1 is learned a lot. Great match.
MEP needed to hit more to her forehand. Against a lot of players, hitting to their backhand is the right strategy, but this woman's backhand was her more consistent shot. She hit so many winners on that side.
My apologies to my comments yesterday, I think I was channeling my childhood frustrations from playing my dad (a lower lever MEP)😆 I like Ian’s characterization of Ben being a defensive specialist. Excellent resilience by D1 recruit to win with her game and keep playing through frustration.
@@TennisTrollChannel just curious if Ben has run into people who drop shot to bring him into net? That’s what ultimately worked for me as strategy. Lob/pass. Usually defensive players hate to be on offense...
@@vectorthurm Yes. 50 Years Old (most recent match MEP played on channel prior to this) is a player who tends to chip and hit drop shots often. However, he used numerous tactics against MEP. In match, we find 50 Years Old attacking the net often. Think MEP countered the drop shot with his own drop shot.
He absolutely would have won. He broke her mentally like he does with all his other victims. He offers up the full court on many of his returns, but does a Jedi mind trick to instill trepidation that prevents opponents from swinging thru the ball for clear winners.The second set should have gone exactly the same as the first but for his unorthodox style (mind tricks). He never wins by hitting winners. He wins by the unforced errors (Jedi mind trick) of his opponents. I was actually amazed how many times she approached with a forehand slice, only to net it because she never bent her knees.
@@TennisTrollChannel Especially just for a 10 pt-breaker. A full set will usually give enough time to settle back in, but in a 10-point breaker every point is vital.
@@b1ld3rb3rg2 a combination of a mental lapse and her opponent playing better tennis and adjusting to her game. Those elements combined resulted in a lopsided 2nd set.
Great video..Unorthodox tennis vs school-based tennis. Second set the guy came to dropshotsb and increased imprredictilbility. Works. She was brave to comeback in tiebreak. Inpredictibility can be tought to beat. It takes experience
Brilliant stuff! I did want to see a beautiful mind-esque formula on coach troll’s playbook. Maybe with a few noted variables like ‘k’ = split step... This is a good match for D1, to experience that frustration and to play against dramatically different tempo. I thought the coach had good advice to slice low to the middle and see how he handles it. Could have made for easy volley put aways or passing shots. But I also understand when you are frustrated as a player you want to crush an opponent. Super good experience in the mental game I think. Much thanks for the video, great collaboration with Krishnendu Kes and Pure Tennis.
I watched this video then got hooked on green shirt's style (or lack of should I say). Every one that plays knows how tough it is to play a guy like him, props to him for absolutely maximising his winning potential. Would be great to maybe get a video of him playing a 6.0 or maybe a D1 guy to calm the anxiety I get from watching him.
A 6.0 player is basically a pro. A 6.0 player would beat all of us in about 30 minutes (minus time for changeovers...maybe). Thank you for complimenting MEP. You make a great point that he maximizes what he has to win.
I like this guys tactics on the court, you can tell he is putting a lot of thought into this match. Drop shots look like the best option here, but she is ready for them. If only he had a better passing shot, he could've done way better, but you gotta work with what you've got, so the out wide tactic makes sense too.
@@lukakozelj4615 that's also my opinion. No forehand, no volleys, weak serve and her movement is weak and slow. She's comfortable on her backhand but that's pretty much it.
Dayum!! Bageled 😂 what a very unorthodox but smart effective player! He just has chip block type shots and drop shots so the limit there.. yep she’s got a great backhand and also forehand. Yep net game but also mental emotional game looked a bit easier to break down. Great video!!
That's her nickname for now. She'll no longer be a recruit and we'll think of a better name for her. If you have ideas, please share. She has two other videos on our channel: ua-cam.com/video/joMMfwrVYBs/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/g2lhk5yPej4/v-deo.html. There is also a video of her hitting serves when she was 12 on Pure Tennis Sense: ua-cam.com/video/vfBRF8DEwdE/v-deo.html
Thanks for the video , after losing many matches to pushers I started to learn to push them from side to side and drop shot them . The key is not to let them dictate the play .
the mep is in shape better players don't make him run they hit right to the human backboard then they fall into his trap and he makes you run. He is very efficient in his movements around the court
Great match, it was as entertaining as I'd hoped it would be. TT your advice is right up there with "Join the Nintendo Fun Club Today!" from Mike Tyson's Punch Out 😂 keep up the good work! 🔥
The weakest part of MEP is his overhead. Even the ball lands near net and bounce high, he can’t kill it, just slice back to corner. MEP is very good at placement using low slices and good at passing shots. So good strategy playing him might be to bring him to net and pass him. For drop shots, MEP usually drops back or slice back to corner. So, need be careful about it. Well, always easier said than done. Great play both players, kudos!
this is a good assessment. It appears he prefers to place his overhead rather than go for a winner. I'm guessing with his game style, he prefers to play more conservatively. Extra running by the opponent and making the opponent. miss tends to favor MEP's style in the long run in my opinion.
MEP can't kill anything so you're always going to be in the point. The problem is, most players don't want to stay in the point! Drawing him into the net and passing him (or lobbing) would definitely be a good tactic.
@@CoachAdrian good point at “MEP can’t kill anything “. But actually his passing shots are pretty effective and hard to read with low and good angle, and good lobs. And totally agree with you that “most players don’t want to stay in the point”, while pushers (no any negative meaning here) normally love to stay in points for long rallies with very strong mental, which make the difference.
@@TennisTrollChannel Thanks Troll for reply. agree with you that making one shot and playing conservative is MEP’s game style. But these high bounce and short balls are easy and got to be killed, at least try to kill. I think it is not necessary to let opponents run more at this situation. MEP would increase up a level by just simply killing these easy points.
I was saying for the entire second set to take that return down the line and follow it in, which is exactly what she did in the tiebreak with great success.
As soon as I saw the title, I knew Green Shirt would have no chance. A D1 female college player will be on a completely different level! I played a female pro player once ranked about 400 in the world and her ground game was just on a different level, every ball pacier, deeper, heavier than all the guys I usually play with. Credit to Green Shirt though for being a great sport, playing the match and allowing it to be video'd. Respect!
Green shirt almost won...was a tiebreaker for third set. I agree - it was awesome for both players being will to video against each other for all of us to see. Thank you to the players!
@@brianbarrett192 Yeah, MEP's greatest attribute is his consistency and steadiness. Once D1 matures a bit and gets a bit older, the emotional nerves will affect her less and she'll double bagel MEP. You need to remember that D1 is only maybe 19-20 years old, whereas MEP is probably in his 40s.
He could have worn her down by keeping his shots deeper and keeping her from ending points quickly. This would also make his drop shots even more effective.
I’ve played against many guys like MEP and without the help of a coach encouraging or providing strategy. I suspect the results of this match may have been different had she not had a coach. That said, she has much more sound skills and doesn’t surprise me she won. She lost the 2nd because she dropped some of her intensity and MEP was continuing to torment her with his chops and lobs. But thankfully she collected herself and played at her level in the tiebreak where her abilities showed. She is right when she said in the end that MEP was frustrating and he wins many matches because he gets into his opponent’s heads.
The coaching was all part of a huge conspiracy to take down & defeat the undefeatable MEP. Troll deliberately gave bad advice and didn't calculate enough! Jk, good match and great content. Keep it coming this way.
I hated playing against those "unorthodox" guys, But I learned a lot from them!!! They give you NOTHING!! You have to go and take it. Patience, stay humble, and moreover never fall into their game cause they LOVE it!!!
As someone who has played MEP more than 10 times when he lived in Virginia (before moving to Atlanta) I understand how frustrating his game can be. The young lady played the wrong type of match, especially in second set. MEP clearly won this match, 6-0 in the second set and no one in real life skips a third set with just a tiebreak so you can tell MEPs stamina was still very high. The "D1" recruit did not impress me, she was clearly not used to such an unconventional dropshot heavy opponent with limited pace
I think your oval strategy was magical! Even though Ben lost the first set using it, the match certainly turned at that point. Ben really played well early in the second set which frustrated Recruit and she went downhill mentally fast. She admitted as much saying she was just trying to hit him off the court because she was mad. And when I saw her start hitting moonballs in the second set, I felt like she had kind of given up. I can identify with that!! But, she regrouped in the tiebreaker. I think the fact that she won some points with aggressive play early in the tiebreaker was the difference. If she had made some early unforced errors in the tiebreaker, she might have gone downhill again. Ben really stepped it up in the first part of the second set which set the tone for that set. It seemed to me that, overall, he didn't really use as many dropshots as he does typically. They were very effective against her so I was surprised that he didn't do more of them than he did. She was hitting mostly strong shots, though, which limited his opportunities to hit more of them. To me, the key to beating players like Ben is to have good, solid putaway shots. You're going to get opportunities. But, whether it's a volley, overhead, dropshot or hitting a solid shot to an opening you created, if you miss the shot after you've worked so hard to get the opening, it quickly becomes frustrating. What happens to me is that I get the opening I'm working for and then make unforced errors trying to put the point away, I get mad at myself and I've basically lost control of myself and the match at that point. LOL Extremely interesting match! Can't get much bigger momentum swings than what this match had!!
I'll take all the credit for Ben winning the second set : ] Excellent point with taking advantage of opportunities. Ben rarely misses and when a player against him starts to miss, the players will quickly start to lose games. We see this time and time with several of MEP matches. As D1 said in video, have to be patient and wait for the right ball to attack to ensure lowest risk of missing. D1 made her shots in the tiebreaker. Kudos to her for regrouping as most players struggle to regroup.
love the cinematography. some MTV real world footage from Bitsy. Give the people what they want, MEP on clay. let it be the show court at Bitsy and announce it and all of ATL will come!
Awesome - just awesome match. Troll I agree with your comment! - there IS a LOT of case study to learn from this match on many levels from both sides of the playing spectrum. To me, in the end, this turned out to be many mental battles between the two. Both had a game plan, both had to adjust big time to what was happening over time. There is a lot here. Huge thanks to both Ben/MEP and D1 Lady for putting it out there for thousands of players to learn from.
I've been on both sides of the net and frankly it boils down to this : If you cannot generate your own power with control and precision and have no match strategy, you'll lose to just about anyone.
This is a good point, I think she was trying to but her volleys weren't quite there today. She is usually a very strong net player but not so much on this day.
![Battle of the Most Exhausting Player [Atlanta vs Seattle]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q6Y0lt7ZrE0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Battle of the Most Exhausting Player [Atlanta vs Seattle]](/img/tr.png)
Stats:
(somehow when typesetting these comments, the titles disappeared)
D1
W 20 6 8
b6 b2 b10 s s a b6 b4 v6 b5 f5 v11 b15 v6 b6 b13 f3 b2 f6 O10 | b3 b3 b2 b3 b5 | O4 b4 d7 b2 d20 bp4 O7 O4
E 16 21 3
b4 b4 f3 b8 v6 b2 b7 f3 f3 b8 b4 v7 b9 df b5 v8 v6 | f3 df v9 b2 f4 f4 b15 df df b2 b4 b5 b4 b3 df b9 f3 b8 O6
b8 O8 | f3 f5 f5
MEP
W 3 6 3
d3 d4 d5 | f12 s fp12 d3 fp6 s | d6
E 11 4 3
L5 b9 b4 d5 df f2 d5 f3 f2 d5 f11 | f10 d6 f6 f3 | f8 f2 f5
The face of the set was that of D1 dominating the game, sending MEP corner to corner, hitting most winners with her backhand (10/20), then forehand, (4) direct points on serve (3) and net conversions (2v + 1O). Her dictating the game cost her 17 errors, on her preference shot, the backhand (8), fewer on forehand (3, all on 3rd ball attack) but notably many on volley (4).
MEP had little to offer in return, scoring only 3 points with his favorite weapon, the drop shot. With 3 errors, that shot was struggling too. Both served only 1 double fault.
The face of the was totally different, as is obvious by the reversed scoreline. MEP got 2 direct points on serve and 3 with the combo drop+passing shot. His error rate went down to 4, of which only 1 in the first 4 shots! D1 on the other hand saw her winners evaporate to only 5, all with her strong backhand. That backhand still took half of the errors (10/21), this time adding 4 double faults, 4 forehands (again on 3rd and 4th ball), a volley and 2 notable overheads.
In the D1 set things straight again with 8 winners of various nature, notably 2 drop shots and 3 overheads, indicative of quicker feet, while making just 3 errors, all on forehand. MEP was left with 1 drop shot and 3 errors on forehand too.
Based on this match I would say that D1 has to work on her forehand, her volley and on her mental strength. Her serve and backhand are weapons and when she's in a good vibe, she has the quick feet to take on the short game, if she can add volley to her weaponry.
On the coaching front, I found her coach to focus too much on what MEP was doing well in the 2nd set, while she was not listening anymore ("yeah, you're right" while looking away). Before the tie break she opened up again, acknowledging her self destruction and the coach gave the right advice to pick it up where she left it, dictating the game.
Are these stat codes explained somewhere?
@@transklutz letters abbreviate shot type (f-orehand, v-olley ...) Numbers indicate the stroke number on which the Winner or Error occurred.
Huge kudos to both of these players for putting themselves on the line in this match in front of the cameras. Amazing case study for people wanting to learn how to play against defensive specialists like Ben. I'll likely do a breakdown of this one.
Thank you for complimenting the players. An analysis from Essential Tennis will be awesome if possible.
The mental aspect of Ben's game can't be overlooked and that's so crucial to his style i think, perfectly shown by the D1 miss at 11:00. It should be an easy winner but as ben gets everything back, she thinks she has to do too much with it and overdoes it, putting it in the net despite having 50% of the court to aim at for a clean winner.
Kudos to Ian and Tennis Troll. Guys I'm not sure if you understand the amount of value you offer to all of us recreational players with the videos you're making. I live in Athens, Greece and both channels videos are gaining big popularity here. MEP's matches are simply unmissable. My hitting partner is almost a Greek replica of MEP winning tons of matches with his frustrating counter intuitive play.
And a note to all those players who try to downplay MEP or similar tennis players, you're simply clueless. MEPs game is quite well versed plus the player has an amazing touch and feel for the ball and the court angles. If he can dropshot winners against a D1 player, imagine what he can do to us, typical recreational weekend warriors.
Can't wait for Ian's breakdown analysis on the match and respect to everyone involved and for putting yourselves out there for us to watch.
👏👏
Great match for both players. MEP played his classic game aided by Tennis Troll's legendary geometrical strategies.
Ian, you must unravel the intricacies of the triangle and oval patterns and do a proper breakdown. This analysis will of course be key for your own future match with MEP.
“Run her in circles”. MEP -“clock wise or counterclockwise”. LOL nice one TT. MEP was too nice on some of those service line calls.
MEP is witty and humorous. There were a couple out serves he appeared to have missed.
I think the triangle formula did not work. The circles did not either. Lol!
But the triangular ovals did work second set.
@@satjiwan They probably did. And he should have kept it up during the tiebreak. Lol!
They’re both terrible tennis players
It was awesome working with you Tennis Troll. You are an incredible person, a fun person and a great player. And you have a good sense of storytelling.
I would LOVE to work with you more often. 🙌🙌
Thank you. Hopefully the opportunity will allow in future soon. Thank you for visiting Atlanta and let's make it happen again.
You guys make an amazing video together. A real turning point for the channel, IMHO.
@@DavidCross24 Thank you so much. Hope to work soon with Tennis Troll Channel.
Yesssssss
@@joshw7129 Hopefully soon... You better be ready!
Tennis Troll not clarifying whether the circles should be clockwise or counter-clockwise cost MEP the match. Terrible coaching.
Recruit’s coach said something really key after the first game: move your base position forward because he will hit a lot of chips (and that nasty drop shot to the backhand). Fun match and kudos to both players.
This is excellent coaching advice to use when playing a player who tends to drop shot often/hit short slices.
Thanks for noticing and you have a keen ear for that while observing the match!
Amazing video Tennis Troll! It clearly demonstrates that the mental and strategic side of matches is just as or even more important than your beautiful stroke technique! Love your an MEP's humor! Thank you your channel is helping me get through quarantine!
Thank you for the feedback and viewing. MEP is a witty person.
Psychologically, this was an awesome match between these two!
I saw how D1 started to drift a bit at the end of set 1 with some of her shots, which is when MEP started to do what he does best. Nice work at resetting yourself for the tiebreak, D1. MEP, hard luck. your 2nd set will be a reminder for why you're playstyle shouldn't be slept on!
Excellent points. From this match, MEP shows why he's a tough opponent to play against. D1 was playing well and MEP begins to counter and in no time it's 1 set all. D1 did an amazing job moving on from the second set and regrouping.
In every MEP match I've watched you can always pinpoint the exact moment where his opponents spirit gets crushed. Kudos to her for pulling it off in the tie breaker though. Great match.
The production value is getter better, I love this format. Congrats to both players!.😊😊
Thank you. This setup/format was possible because of Krishnendu Kes Channel. He was visiting Atlanta and we collaborated along with Pure Tennis Sense. Hopefully we can bring Kes back soon.
I have been patiently waiting another MEP vid. This dude is a magician.
Sorry for the longer wait- think it’s been 2 months as I’m told. However, we have 2 more in edit so we’ll have more videos of him shortly.
@@TennisTrollChannel My man
The dreaded junkballer. They don't go far in the ratings, but wherever they land, they cause hell.
What a Gentleman MEP. You undid years of Division 1’s coaching in the second set, felt bad and then let her win the tie break. I doff my baseball cap to you sir.
You got it!
Nah he didn't let her win rofl. She stepped up her game for sure. Having said that, I think had it gone to a third set he would have won I doubt she could have kept that form up.
@@DjokovicIsOurLordAndSaviour It is all in the mind! Who knows...
@@KrishnenduKes Right, it's impossible for any of us to really know what was going on in their heads. I just doubt that he would have lost on purpose and at least to me it seemed her game really stepped up in that tiebreaker.
@@DjokovicIsOurLordAndSaviour Probably. But what I saw and it is my POV only, since I was on court shooting the whole process... You are right that MEP would not give away anything on purpose.
D1 had her game on point in the first set. But MEP got a measure of that during the first set. So, in the 2nd set he managed to frustrate her and beat her. Difficult to say what would have been the result had there been a full 3rd set.
That kind of guy plays a useful role. At a certain point I started beating those guys pretty easily, so I knew I had made progress.
That is big for a tennis player. If you can deal with this type of player you are probably really good
Tell us how!
@@transklutz Its not very satisfying, but continue to get 5% better all the time. I'm being serious. Is the worst part of your game 5% better than it was a year ago? The junk baller is not the problem, we are the problem. They are just very good at exposing our weaknesses.
That’s the thing. It’s always just an ugly hard fought mental victory which is something I guess. I’ve had losses where I was playing out of my mind and just got straight up bested and I felt better about those than wins over players like this.
@@TheSuperDmyersI think pushers and junk ballers have a hard ceiling. There is only so good they can be. Example: The guy in this video would be useless if he was receiving ground strokes that are consistently deep with pace. That irritating short slice stuff doesn't work if he is standing behind the baseline. Notice how many of her groundstrokes land in the middle of the court.
This was AMAZING. Love it. Great work everyone. TT you're a legend.
Thank you - but I think the real legend is you : ]
13:29 - Getting pulled into a brilliant MEP point! Haven't see it all, but MEP is finding ways now to implement the circles, triangles, and other geometric oddities that make people want to start plucking out eyebrows. This is GREAT to watch on many accounts. I literally poured a drink and a bowl of Chex with chills to watch this one!!! Shout out to BOTH of you!
Well played lady. Love that sharp angle backhand, such a weapon. Great job!
I like the dudes game. He’s not a cookie cutter version of anyone. Very nice touch on the ball and seems to have strategy in mind at all times.
Agree- modern tennis is becoming one dimensional. More style variety at the pro level would be nice to see.
Love this boost in editing man. Seeing the interviews and coaching beforehand makes it so much better too!
Thank you. Kes channel brought some amazing cameras to video. We are trying to find a way to do more together in future. Hopefully we can make it happen.
@@TennisTrollChannel great stuff!
I love Ben's attitude. He gets many thumbs up!
This match is epic in many different ways. MEP is as amazing as ever. The girl played a great tie break put herself together.
This was fantastic!!! Another MEP video!!! And congrats to D1 Recruit! She's already a great player and is only going to get better!!!
Thanks for the kind words. She has worked very hard over the last 10 years to get to her current level and recruited to play college ball.
@@PURETENNISsense I have a 14 year old that is pretty serious about the game. He's been playing for about 2.5 years and wants to play D1. He's in 8th grade and improving every week! I believe he'll make it! Congrats again!
@@ericshine1 Thank you and good luck to you and your 14yr old. Keep up the training and hard work! The improvements now will pay dividends for confidence in the future!
Wow that intro was a real step up in quality! Well done
Thank you. The intro was recorded by Krishnendu Kes. It's amazing. He was visiting Atlanta and we collaborated. Hopefully we can find a way to bring him to Atlanta more often in future. He's videography is amazing.
@@TennisTrollChannel Yeah well worth it I'd say, should entice more new viewers too :)
Thank you folks. Would love to work again.
Set 1: Damn D1 is no joke, powerful groundstrokes, good footwork, consistently hitting corners, she's got his game figured out.
Set 2: oh
Classic WTA. For whatever reason in WTA you see players win the first set 6-0, then a huge reversal 0-6 in the second and so on and so on. You don't get such wild swings in the men's game. Not sure why it happens in the women's game.
In the second set she got a bit slower, maybe tired. Once he got into her head she was in trouble.
Generating pace on no pace is difficult. And without the verve of the 1st set peeps collapse. For 3 reasons. It's not fun tennis. You lose patience. You stop caring, then u start chunking shots.
She missed so many gimme winners because of that
She can’t volley
@@Jkan2001 After giving in to the frustration that is The Creature
Wow her angles in first set were fire! so true that mental toughness wins matches. Not sure how I would do against such a frustrating player LOL. Great content Tennis Troll!
If ever in Atlanta area and want to find out, send us an email and we’ll make it happen.
@@TennisTrollChannel 😂😂😂
Troll- I think Michele should play MEP next.
Thank you to Krishnendu Kes Channel and Pure Tennis Sense Channel for collaborating with us to make this video. Can't wait for the next opportunity to work with you again.
present them with their names man,. in video and description.
Great vid. Enjoyed watching that.
@@SportSkillWonder not all players want to share their name on UA-cam and that’s ok. We prefer to use nicknames- more fun and it’s give some background/storyline about the player.
@@TennisTrollChannel tennistroll - thats just nonsensical . LOL They are in the video, they speak to camera..:))
so this talking about them in just nicknames is off.. ""the d 1 recruit. with pink shoes
And I keep seeing you and others talking about respect etc.. when this naming a person is missing - the one first thing that One human being is identified by in society - that 'respect ' is gone.. seems so wrong.. just like children, even when a kid you identify others firstly by their name.. wtf..:))
@@SportSkillWonder To be fair my wife sometimes thinks of me as MEH (Most Exhausting Husband) ;)
This first set is mostly about one shot: Her backhand. It's far and away the best shot on the court. where as so many of the dudes struggling against MEP are just looping balls back, she attacks every short ball on her backhand with intention, and can execute it most of the time. Wicked angles and pace.
That's because they probably floundered when they tried to put one away earlier and have shied away from trying another one. Hence, they try to outpush a pusher. Bad plan. If this strategy worked for them, they'd be pushers!
"Real" tennis players - players who play it like a sport, for years, since a young age, who train hours a day, with a coach, etc - can CRUSH a sitter because they've done so thousands of times in practice, and maybe hundreds of times in matches. Compare this to The Dude who only plays tennis on public courts so he can blast his tunes - sorry: *toonz* - take his shirt off and work on his tan... Well, you can't really compare them, can you.
I agree with you, this is the best way to slay the pusher, but only if you have the strokes for it. Strokes that hold up under pressure, 100% automatic, ones you could hit reading a book. Aside from Jedi mind tricks, the only way to possess such strokes is hours and hours of practice. It's not fair to compare ourselves to "real" tennis players.
(And lemme tell you, there are no "real" tennis players roaming the comment sections on YT tennis channels.)
Straight facts here! show me a pusher, and I’ll show you a 6-0 score in 15 minutes.
Players like Ben ( and there's a few of us!) get used to attacking the BH with slices, drops and approaches, and it can work because most GUYS have better FHs than BHs. But in my experience, at least as many women have better BHs than FHs! So you have to figure out a Plan B if this is the case.
@@joemarshall4226 The backhand is a body swing while the forehand is more of an arm swing. Most women don't have the fast twitch arm muscle to generate rapid momentum, which is why their forehand backswing is always loopier and less direct than mens. It's also why almost no womens players use a 1 hander, whereas you see it a fair amount on the mens side.
@@parkercrossland410Good explanation. I have always thought that women, especially should use the slice FH more often. As Monica Nicolescu has prove, it can be quite effective.
MEP’s personality is polar opposite of his game. Frustrating as hell on the court, hilariously fun on the sidelines. I’d rather see you at the bar watching Bills than across the net.
when do we get to see WBP on video again. with commentary. must see YT.
That's a great question. Curious to hear the answer myself : ]
I'd rather play Satan himself than MEP
@@ssenssel satan plays tennis?
you are wrong. I found playing a LOT of amateur tournaments that the style of play says a lot about the player's personality. I found pushers to have a particularly annoying masochistic pleasure at playing with your mind. This style of play comes from a desire to win at all cost combined with a pleasure in seeing others frustrated/annoyed. It gives them pleasure and a sense of superiority. I find nothing more pleasurable than obliterating such players whenever I find them. You just have to execute solid tennis and stick to your game plan. Executing solid tennis means good serve on both corners, solid ground shots to get you into position for the attack-volley ending which is 50% of points made with this type of player. Good luck.
*She won but will need a few years of therapy to get over this. Haha! Great job and love the interviews and coaching.*
Nice logo : ]
@@TennisTrollChannel thanks
Therapists love MEP, he generates years worth of business for them!
@@eruben2 lol : ]
Great match TT, your vids are becoming more and more professional. Well done for setting this up, a fascinating encounter between the young, Pink Damsel and jocular, ever competitive MEP.
Thank you - Krishnendu Kes Channel made the video amazing. Unfortunately he won't be available for every match as he lives 12 hours away (he was visiting), but we do plan to collaborate more. Hopefully we can have him more regularly one day in future. Shall see.
@@TennisTrollChannel Thank you very much for this excellent entertainment.
Why am I a lot more excited about this than the NFL playoff game going on right now?
Because this is more exciting
because here you have people playing hard and being tough mentally and notjust a bunch of glorified huge fat asses that call themselves athletes
@@lobomalsano hockey players are by no means fat though... and they are extremely talented as well as athletic
Really entertaining to watch, and I especially liked the pre-game discussion and the inter-game coaching. I think I really-learned 9th grade geometry! MEP seems like a nice guy with a good sense of humor, on par with his “coach” 😉
I think I remember D1 from an earlier episode, I’m sorry for her if she’s missing her senior season but hopefully she’ll land somewhere she can enjoy playing and studying.
Thanks for bringing us these matches guys!
She didn't play HS tennis at her school. Instead we took the time to focus on development and recruiting video/process for college.
I learned what dodecahedron is. Had to look it up afterwards.
@@TennisTrollChannelIt's six of one, half dozen the other.
So satisfying to see a player generate pace on their own, and be able to move the ball around the court.
one thing that happens to me at least is when I play against no pace, my feet get slower too. you have to be more conscious about moving
I agree. It's natural to do.
Exactly, I play better when I'm on the run
Great video! 👍 I like the in-match coaching and camera work! D1 recruit has a killer backhand! MEP played his classic game, but D1 handled it well. I had an uneasy feeling that MEP might actually catch-up in the super tiebreak but D1 had performed in the clutch. That was basically the difference.
While watching the tiebreaker, for me, it never felt like MEP had lost it and it was over. Even down 7-0, there was a feeling that he'll start a comeback and he did. D1 did an excellent job staying with her game plan and pulled through.
No she didn't handle it well. If they played a full third set, MEP would win. A tiebreaker was always be to her advantage because she can come out all guns blazing. A set would have been a battle of attrition which MEP would win
@@ifeanyiikpegbu6465 A win’s a win
Loved the interview pieces and the quality there. Thought you bought some new gear! Definitely a goal for the whole match coverage. Props. Fun to watch as always though!
The cameras with the interviews and non-match points were from Krishnendu Kes Channel. He has some serious cameras (not smartphones like me) and knows how to use it. Hopefully we'll be able to collaborate again in future.
This sounds enticing enough to come and shoot again in Atlanta.
I'm impressed with her patience. Uses power and angles when needed..slicing back to neutralize
This was very enjoyable to watch. Kudos to both players for providing the contrast of styles and showing great mental strength. D1 has the shots to hit him off the court, but she got sucked into playing his game in the second set. She did much better when she kept the ball low and hard vs. looping the rally balls. MEP did a great job of doing his thing and getter her to play his game in the second set.
We’ll said. This is a good summary of the match.
The gamestyle she played in the first set is her typical play all the time. Sometimes it's hard to see on videos like this but MEP was forcing her to have to play at that level for a full 2 sets and it's mentally draining. I think she could've held it together a little bit in the 2nd but hey, that's tennis. After losing the 2nd set I think she pulled it together and went back to the solid aggressive tennis from the first set.
No offense to MEP but he’s the kind of player that when his text pops up I swipe away and said I never got your text! My sanity would be at stake
That's a big chunk of his victories. It's not fun tennis then you get impatient, then you make ridiculous errors then it's over
Great match. One thing about pushers is that they very rarely beat themselves, and you have to beat them. Otherwise, you will fall into the trap of playing their game, of which MEP is a master. Great win young lady. Good luck in college.
Another example of the huge difference in men's and women's tennis. Any men's D1 recruit would beat MEP 0-0 with no effort. Nice playing, can't imagine how frustrating it must be to play against MEP.
D1 isn’t a level. It’s based on how many sports and scholarships a school offers.
@@TennisTrollChannel D1 is the highest level of collegiate competition, regardless of how it is designated. I'm not saying that there aren't D2 schools that are better than D1 schools. But on average, D1 is as good as it gets for college sports.
@@thiaguinhu321123 I can agree with that. The competition is usually stronger at D1 than the others due to more available resources at D1. However, it may change one day as NAIA now allows pros to play college sports. Curious to see if how that may change things if it does.
@@thiaguinhu321123 I myself will be gunning for an AARP scholarship in the not too distant future.
Amazing match to watch on so many levels! Very impressed by both players. D1 for the mental comeback in the tiebreak, and for closing it out (the tiebreak was starting to mirror the match the longer it went on), and MEP for relentlessly probing and finding ways to bring him back in the match and breaking down his opponent.
MEP is Hsieh disguised as a white guy :). He mastered the forehand slice like no one else
MEP, Ben sir, you're a true artist and master of your style... Steady Benny just keeps plugging away in his game, using all dimensions and angles of the court regardless of where he is score-wise in the match. You've earned your UA-cam fame! The young D1 recruit's game is very strong. She likes pace and I'm sure hits her share of players off the court. Her mental strength and patience are her areas of opportunity vs. an opponent like MEP.
Interesting match, really disappointed in all the negative comments on D1, she showed a ton of composure against a very tough mentally strong opponent,
Agreed! When I was talking to her between changeovers, it was very apparent she was struggling a bit mentally due to the nature of his strokes/gamestyle. She had a bit of a hiccup in the 2nd set but brought it back together and played a very solid Tie-breaker.
Wow, what a match! Did not see it coming. Kudos to Topher for pulling it out after all those double faults. Don’t think I could have stuck with it. Ben is such a classy guy to give complements to Topher.
once he went up 2-0 in the second set, I said to myself, "uh oh, here we go"
Every league has a player similar to MEP. Its amazing how mep’s game can really be break down a top player. You really have to be patient and concentrate on every ball. Im sure d1 is learned a lot. Great match.
Agree - I've learned that MEP's style isn't uncommon. As you said, everyone knows one player with a similar style to MEP.
MEP needed to hit more to her forehand. Against a lot of players, hitting to their backhand is the right strategy, but this woman's backhand was her more consistent shot. She hit so many winners on that side.
Agree. It's like playing against a lefty which can be hard to do as all the patterns are reverse.
My apologies to my comments yesterday, I think I was channeling my childhood frustrations from playing my dad (a lower lever MEP)😆
I like Ian’s characterization of Ben being a defensive specialist. Excellent resilience by D1 recruit to win with her game and keep playing through frustration.
All appropriate opinions and thoughts are welcome. Feel free to express your candid feelings anytime. Thank you for complimenting the players too.
@@TennisTrollChannel just curious if Ben has run into people who drop shot to bring him into net? That’s what ultimately worked for me as strategy. Lob/pass. Usually defensive players hate to be on offense...
@@vectorthurm Yes. 50 Years Old (most recent match MEP played on channel prior to this) is a player who tends to chip and hit drop shots often. However, he used numerous tactics against MEP. In match, we find 50 Years Old attacking the net often. Think MEP countered the drop shot with his own drop shot.
I feel like if this would've been a full 3 set match, MEP might've gotten the win
I agree 3 full sets favors MEP as he rarely tires and actually plays better as the match goes on. Unfortunately we were short on time.
Totally agree, I thing he made a couple unforced errors in the tiebreak that cost him. He had her playing his game, good job from MEP
He absolutely would have won. He broke her mentally like he does with all his other victims. He offers up the full court on many of his returns, but does a Jedi mind trick to instill trepidation that prevents opponents from swinging thru the ball for clear winners.The second set should have gone exactly the same as the first but for his unorthodox style (mind tricks). He never wins by hitting winners. He wins by the unforced errors (Jedi mind trick) of his opponents. I was actually amazed how many times she approached with a forehand slice, only to net it because she never bent her knees.
@@ayokay123 "Victims" is the apt word that you used. 😃😃
@@ayokay123 Agree with almost everything, except that a drop shot winner is still a winner.
One of the best matches on this channel. I was rooting for MEP, but kudos to D1 for getting mentally tough in the tie break.
I was impressed she regroup quickly. Most players tend not come back from frustration. What she did is tough to do.
@@TennisTrollChannel Especially just for a 10 pt-breaker. A full set will usually give enough time to settle back in, but in a 10-point breaker every point is vital.
I was surprised she didn't carry on putting them away in the second set
@@b1ld3rb3rg2 a combination of a mental lapse and her opponent playing better tennis and adjusting to her game. Those elements combined resulted in a lopsided 2nd set.
MEP's service motion and serve have really improved after his serve lesson. I knew they would! Good job MEP!
Looks like Ben is trying some of the suggestions from Crunch Time Coaching. Thanks for complimenting his serve.
Great video..Unorthodox tennis vs school-based tennis. Second set the guy came to dropshotsb and increased imprredictilbility. Works. She was brave to comeback in tiebreak. Inpredictibility can be tought to beat. It takes experience
He defend
But he also att... ok no, he just defend
Brilliant stuff! I did want to see a beautiful mind-esque formula on coach troll’s playbook. Maybe with a few noted variables like ‘k’ = split step...
This is a good match for D1, to experience that frustration and to play against dramatically different tempo. I thought the coach had good advice to slice low to the middle and see how he handles it. Could have made for easy volley put aways or passing shots. But I also understand when you are frustrated as a player you want to crush an opponent. Super good experience in the mental game I think.
Much thanks for the video, great collaboration with Krishnendu Kes and Pure Tennis.
Thanks for the kind words, was a super fun experience. Looking to do more collab in the future
MEP is the nightmare from hell. I do think a two ground strokes and get to the net strategy would be effective. Most people can't volley anymore.
Also, approach down the middle. Give him no angles for passing OR crosscourt lob!
The quality is amazing almost as good as the match!!
Thank you. Krishnendu Kes is amazing with the videography. Hope we can collaborate more in future.
Fun match! You have to hand it to MEP, he just does his thing and his opponents hate it!!!
I watched this video then got hooked on green shirt's style (or lack of should I say). Every one that plays knows how tough it is to play a guy like him, props to him for absolutely maximising his winning potential. Would be great to maybe get a video of him playing a 6.0 or maybe a D1 guy to calm the anxiety I get from watching him.
A 6.0 player is basically a pro. A 6.0 player would beat all of us in about 30 minutes (minus time for changeovers...maybe). Thank you for complimenting MEP. You make a great point that he maximizes what he has to win.
I can't help but focus on that white mark in the ad court service box!!
That surface is unfortunately peeling away. Never seen that before and the court was recently surfaced : [
@@TennisTrollChannel Such s pity!
I like this guys tactics on the court, you can tell he is putting a lot of thought into this match. Drop shots look like the best option here, but she is ready for them. If only he had a better passing shot, he could've done way better, but you gotta work with what you've got, so the out wide tactic makes sense too.
In my opinion - MEP has the highest tennis IQ on channel.
The d1 has to work on those volleys
I would say on the whole game but what's just my opinion
@@lukakozelj4615 that's also my opinion. No forehand, no volleys, weak serve and her movement is weak and slow. She's comfortable on her backhand but that's pretty much it.
Dayum!! Bageled 😂 what a very unorthodox but smart effective player! He just has chip block type shots and drop shots so the limit there.. yep she’s got a great backhand and also forehand. Yep net game but also mental emotional game looked a bit easier to break down. Great video!!
D1 recruit plays great ! No nickname tho ?
Would love to see her playing some of the gents on this channel.
That's her nickname for now. She'll no longer be a recruit and we'll think of a better name for her. If you have ideas, please share. She has two other videos on our channel: ua-cam.com/video/joMMfwrVYBs/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/g2lhk5yPej4/v-deo.html. There is also a video of her hitting serves when she was 12 on Pure Tennis Sense: ua-cam.com/video/vfBRF8DEwdE/v-deo.html
Besides being an excellent strategist and tennis player, MEP is a true gentleman .
True MEP fan from France ^^
Thanks for the video , after losing many matches to pushers I started to learn to push them from side to side and drop shot them . The key is not to let them dictate the play .
the mep is in shape better players don't make him run they hit right to the human backboard then they fall into his trap and he makes you run. He is very efficient in his movements around the court
This I agree with.
Plus, almost zero backswing. Therefore, reduced risk of mishit.
Great match, it was as entertaining as I'd hoped it would be. TT your advice is right up there with "Join the Nintendo Fun Club Today!" from Mike Tyson's Punch Out 😂 keep up the good work! 🔥
I"ll take that as a compliment - anytime I can be referenced with one the best video games of all time is a good thing : ]
The weakest part of MEP is his overhead. Even the ball lands near net and bounce high, he can’t kill it, just slice back to corner. MEP is very good at placement using low slices and good at passing shots. So good strategy playing him might be to bring him to net and pass him. For drop shots, MEP usually drops back or slice back to corner. So, need be careful about it.
Well, always easier said than done. Great play both players, kudos!
this is a good assessment. It appears he prefers to place his overhead rather than go for a winner. I'm guessing with his game style, he prefers to play more conservatively. Extra running by the opponent and making the opponent. miss tends to favor MEP's style in the long run in my opinion.
MEP can't kill anything so you're always going to be in the point. The problem is, most players don't want to stay in the point! Drawing him into the net and passing him (or lobbing) would definitely be a good tactic.
@@CoachAdrian good point at “MEP can’t kill anything “. But actually his passing shots are pretty effective and hard to read with low and good angle, and good lobs.
And totally agree with you that “most players don’t want to stay in the point”, while pushers (no any negative meaning here) normally love to stay in points for long rallies with very strong mental, which make the difference.
@@TennisTrollChannel Thanks Troll for reply. agree with you that making one shot and playing conservative is MEP’s game style. But these high bounce and short balls are easy and got to be killed, at least try to kill. I think it is not necessary to let opponents run more at this situation.
MEP would increase up a level by just simply killing these easy points.
@@hongh5543 I do agree with this. If MEP can develop a put away shot, he'll win his matches in half the time.
Just watching him serve is exhausting.
I like this comment.
I was saying for the entire second set to take that return down the line and follow it in, which is exactly what she did in the tiebreak with great success.
Excellent point - she went more down the line instead of cross court.
Brutal hook 3:20
As soon as I saw the title, I knew Green Shirt would have no chance. A D1 female college player will be on a completely different level! I played a female pro player once ranked about 400 in the world and her ground game was just on a different level, every ball pacier, deeper, heavier than all the guys I usually play with. Credit to Green Shirt though for being a great sport, playing the match and allowing it to be video'd. Respect!
Green shirt almost won...was a tiebreaker for third set. I agree - it was awesome for both players being will to video against each other for all of us to see. Thank you to the players!
Disagree. MEP won a set. And he never gave up in the tiebreak. D1 was only a mental lapse and a few points away from losing!
@@brianbarrett192 Yeah, MEP's greatest attribute is his consistency and steadiness. Once D1 matures a bit and gets a bit older, the emotional nerves will affect her less and she'll double bagel MEP. You need to remember that D1 is only maybe 19-20 years old, whereas MEP is probably in his 40s.
Also wanted to ask if any plans to show more women’s singles & possibly mixed doubles? Thanks!
That's our goal. Hoping to record a mixed match this weekend (fingers crossed) and a ladies singles match by end of month.
@@TennisTrollChannel 🙌🏽
He could have worn her down by keeping his shots deeper and keeping her from ending points quickly. This would also make his drop shots even more effective.
video framerate is too low to accurately tell if a ball is in or out
I’ve played against many guys like MEP and without the help of a coach encouraging or providing strategy. I suspect the results of this match may have been different had she not had a coach. That said, she has much more sound skills and doesn’t surprise me she won. She lost the 2nd because she dropped some of her intensity and MEP was continuing to torment her with his chops and lobs. But thankfully she collected herself and played at her level in the tiebreak where her abilities showed. She is right when she said in the end that MEP was frustrating and he wins many matches because he gets into his opponent’s heads.
go girl!!! your shots in the tiebreaker were AWESOME!
MEP is a legend
Whether it was CW or CCW, it was too round for MEP to win ;). Stage freight
The coaching was all part of a huge conspiracy to take down & defeat the undefeatable MEP. Troll deliberately gave bad advice and didn't calculate enough!
Jk, good match and great content. Keep it coming this way.
I need a calculus tutor.
I hated playing against those "unorthodox" guys, But I learned a lot from them!!! They give you NOTHING!! You have to go and take it. Patience, stay humble, and moreover never fall into their game cause they LOVE it!!!
Her lack of fitness killed her in the second set. If they had played a full third set, she would have lost.
Several viewers have said similar. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened.
We need the rematch..
A rematch would be fun. Unsure if it’ll be possible as she’s playing college tennis at another location. Maybe one day.
I feel like MEP was trying to go easy on her -- I didn't see him try to hit any powerful shots at all
@@ryestef13 hes being sarcastic.
Lol
Guy was serving up meatballs on every shot
You seem dumb
As someone who has played MEP more than 10 times when he lived in Virginia (before moving to Atlanta) I understand how frustrating his game can be. The young lady played the wrong type of match, especially in second set. MEP clearly won this match, 6-0 in the second set and no one in real life skips a third set with just a tiebreak so you can tell MEPs stamina was still very high. The "D1" recruit did not impress me, she was clearly not used to such an unconventional dropshot heavy opponent with limited pace
I think your oval strategy was magical! Even though Ben lost the first set using it, the match certainly turned at that point. Ben really played well early in the second set which frustrated Recruit and she went downhill mentally fast. She admitted as much saying she was just trying to hit him off the court because she was mad. And when I saw her start hitting moonballs in the second set, I felt like she had kind of given up. I can identify with that!! But, she regrouped in the tiebreaker. I think the fact that she won some points with aggressive play early in the tiebreaker was the difference. If she had made some early unforced errors in the tiebreaker, she might have gone downhill again.
Ben really stepped it up in the first part of the second set which set the tone for that set. It seemed to me that, overall, he didn't really use as many dropshots as he does typically. They were very effective against her so I was surprised that he didn't do more of them than he did. She was hitting mostly strong shots, though, which limited his opportunities to hit more of them.
To me, the key to beating players like Ben is to have good, solid putaway shots. You're going to get opportunities. But, whether it's a volley, overhead, dropshot or hitting a solid shot to an opening you created, if you miss the shot after you've worked so hard to get the opening, it quickly becomes frustrating. What happens to me is that I get the opening I'm working for and then make unforced errors trying to put the point away, I get mad at myself and I've basically lost control of myself and the match at that point. LOL
Extremely interesting match! Can't get much bigger momentum swings than what this match had!!
I'll take all the credit for Ben winning the second set : ] Excellent point with taking advantage of opportunities. Ben rarely misses and when a player against him starts to miss, the players will quickly start to lose games. We see this time and time with several of MEP matches. As D1 said in video, have to be patient and wait for the right ball to attack to ensure lowest risk of missing. D1 made her shots in the tiebreaker. Kudos to her for regrouping as most players struggle to regroup.
love the cinematography. some MTV real world footage from Bitsy. Give the people what they want, MEP on clay. let it be the show court at Bitsy and announce it and all of ATL will come!
MEP took a set from a D1 female player, that's very impressive!
After watching this match fully, I'm not sure how she's a D1 recruit and let alone a scholarship player.
You're watching this on video where frame rate comes into play. It appears slower versus watching courtside.
From triangulation to dodecahedron to ovals. Just glad he didn't say ovulation.
Awesome - just awesome match. Troll I agree with your comment! - there IS a LOT of case study to learn from this match on many levels from both sides of the playing spectrum. To me, in the end, this turned out to be many mental battles between the two. Both had a game plan, both had to adjust big time to what was happening over time. There is a lot here. Huge thanks to both Ben/MEP and D1 Lady for putting it out there for thousands of players to learn from.
I've been on both sides of the net and frankly it boils down to this : If you cannot generate your own power with control and precision and have no match strategy, you'll lose to just about anyone.
Great observation! I completely agree on this!
5:05 That conversation had me doing flow charts and graphs in my head
I learned a new word - dohecahedron. Now I need to learn to spell it.
MEP brings out the worst in you.
D1 Recruit has a really great backhand. Should come to the net more often. This is a great opportunity to practice finishing at the net.
This is a good point, I think she was trying to but her volleys weren't quite there today. She is usually a very strong net player but not so much on this day.
Great games from both sides! And good strategy from MEP. Frankly , tie breaker is not good for MEP due to his playing style .
True. A full 3rd set heavily tilts the favor towards MEP
I too agree that a full 3rd set tends to favor MEP and his style. Unfortunately we were short on court time.
Sometimes its match ups like these that are better to watch. Sometimes watching Pros you never learn cause they so perfect.
I agree with this.
She’s got a great backhand 👏🏽 but volleys need a lot of work 😅