Meike is a great instructor. I've picked up quite a bit from her channel. I'm shamelessly promoting here, but really it's because her content is awesome and really relatable. I have no ties whatsoever, just someone who has benefitted. Thanks!
The analysis of Meike Babel adds a lot to this match as we can now clearly understand the strategy to beat a MEP type of player. But you have to run... a lot!!! hahaha. Thanks everyone, great content!
Having taken a break from making stats for Troll's channel, I thought I'd make a short comeback to compare Meike's valuable analysis to the data. Reason is that Meike, like Ian from Essential Tennis, recommends keeping the point short because longer points tend to go to MEP's advantage, while the historical data suggests otherwise. That is, longer points end relatively more often in the opponent's favor. My take at this paradox is that a high risk / high reward strategy at the 4.5 level fails on the average player's technique. In other words the tally of errors goes up faster than the tally of winners. Admittedly, an error-winner comparison on shot number is skewed, due to the "postponed reward" effect of a higher risk shot on 3rd ball - which is the most common attacking shot. All of this was written before I compiled the ... ... raw stats: MEP W 5 | 11 - v11 d7 fp7 fp4 f3 | v7 bp7 d7 d5 bp5 bp3 f7 fp5 fp10 L7 f3 E 14 | 11 - f2 b5 f3 L5 L4 b7 df L3 fp7 f5 L4 f3 b2 b4 | f7 b5 L4 b2 b2 b3 b3 b4 d8 d8 f5 Maelstrom W 20 | 34 - f3 f5 O5 f2 v3 v5 s v6 b2 f3 a s O7 v4 bp9 v3 b3 O10 s f3 | f3 v3 s a v3 O8 b6 f14 s f3 O7 bp4 v6 bp8 a s a s s v3 v3 O5 f4 f8 b3 s b9 v9 v11 b3 f5 f6 fp4 f3 E 19 | 32 - v3 f3 f2 v3 f2 fp4 v5 f2 v8 b2 b6 f3 f3 f9 df f3 v4 d4 v12 | b2 b2 b4 O10 f6 v3 v4 d2 b2 O3 f3 b3 b7 df O5 L4 fp12 f4 b3 f3 b13 b2 bp14 b8 b2 f4 b2 f3 b5 d7 b2 O2 Interpretation: Maelstrom made 12 points more than MEP. Where do they come from? First of all, from the serve. Maelstrom made 13 direct serve points against none for MEP while the double fault tally is only 2-1. MEP's serve however is deceptively difficult to attack: Maelstrom makes 13 return errors against MEP's 4 while the winner tally is only 2-0. The favorable offset on 3rd ball (15-3 winners 13-5 errors) confirms Meike's recommendation to go aggressive on 3rd ball, further strengthened by positive 5th ball tally (5-3 winners 3-5 errors). On 4th ball the offset is zero. Interestingly, the total offset is just -1 on longer points (>5 shots), which means MEP gets comparatively better on those indeed but still they are 50-50, which is less of a grim picture than what's commonly drawn. Overall I would color Meike's recommendation on how to play MEP, to indeed dictate the point and not get into a pushing rally where MEP is more comfortable, while not necessarily keeping the point short. In fact the data suggests that for Maelstrom the rallies don't matter all that much, as long as he makes his first serve and focuses on getting the return in.
To keep coming in to the net takes a lot of skill and athletic ability, however, Maelstrom is a very good athlete: quick, smooth, and balanced. But had MEP not missed the relatively easy drop shot on his first match point, I think he would have taken the match...Maelstrom being too worn out to play a good third set. If you don't have a good overhead, including the ability to put it away while backing up, Ben is going to get you with those lobs. You better be able to handle the high BH volley, and stick the low volleys...not easy for most club players. An alternate strategy is to get Ben out of his comfort zone by bringing HIM to the net, coming in to the service line, and looking for a ball you can lob-volley. Ben does not have a good overhead yet.
I think for baseliners, it's better to be patient and play longer points against MEP. For net players like Ian, it's better to go to the net early and finish the points there against MEP (and Ian did win easily against MEP). So I guess which strategy to choose should depend on your own strengths and weaknesses as well. The thing one shouldn't do is trying to finish the point early at the baseline.
@@ql3670 I think Ian would have had a tougher time on the outdoor courts that MEP is used to, with the wind and sun and so forth, and without Ben playing three matches first.....
@@joemarshall4226 Yeah, probably it will be a bit different outdoors. But the point is indoors or outdoors, I think it's still better for net players like Ian to come to the net early and play shorter points than staying at the baseline and playing longer points. But if your net game is suspect (like most recreational players), then you probably fare better at the baseline against Ben.
Huge respect to MEP. Love how he takes a few games to study his opponent and then proceeds to deconstruct him. Maelstrom is one of your top guys in the TT lineup, but he came so close to succumbing. Good match guys!
This was definitely worth the wait...MEP's retrieval skills continue to amaze me. And I'm sure that tennis ball will set some kind of record when bidding ends.
Well played Maelstrom! Started with strong confidence, dictating the game. Then had a little confidence drop in the middle section of the match letting MEP get into the match and finally found confidence again against a MEP who himself has become stronger. Well played and great technique. Lots of beautiful winners. Big serve, btw.
I agree Meike’s analysis is a great addition, and her channel is excellent (check out “10 Most Common Doubles Mistakes”). RUclips also has a great match of hers when she and Anke Huber played Majoli and Lukic (Croatia) in a deciding Fed Cup match.
Love watching MEP's matches. He exemplifies playing smart, strategic tennis. He knows his strengths and weaknesses, knows what patterns work best for his game, and never gives up. Kudos! Also, thanks so much to TennisTroll for posting these matches!
I like it in some regards, but I have a fundamental dislike for non-aspirational technique. Working within his weaknesses by creating such a specific pushing style essentially makes an admission that he is willing to cap his skill ceiling, which I cannot fully get behind - although I certainly can understand the choice. If Maelstrom was fitter and more confident then he would blow MEP off the court 100 games out of 100, and if he keeps trying then he may well achieve that... whereas MEP will likely be exactly where he is now. Smart, strategic tennis is great until you're hitting lobs against agressive players that have the shots to destroy every easy ball. That said - you need to be pretty damn good before your opponents are like that.
@@cbrowne1283 I mostly agree with you. But I think MEP lacks any technique. It's not hard to chip or dink. I see 3.0 players do that all time. If he faced a true 5.0 or higher player he would get destroyed. Maelstrom does not have a weapon to destroy MEP but his serve is reliable and volley is good enough to put MEP away. Anyone that wishes to be like MEP should know that he really can't beat any advanced player, so he is stuck playing intermediate players.
@@twinwankel MEP's tactics work very well against people who cannot volley or overhead well. Obviously a 5.0 player would beat him easily, but a 5.0 would also beat a 3.5/4.0 player who plays with an aspirational style such as myself easily too. If I get into a match with a pusher and I start falling into the pushing style myself, I will undoubtedly lose as they are better than pushing than me.
Haha. Ok, well the loser I think his name was MEP (?), he has almost zero athletic skills but what he does have is tennis smarts and craftiness. He drives an opponent crazy with terrible shots. He uses psychology to out wit an opponent. A major issue with tennis is you don’t have to be athletic / coordinated to win. Brains and craftiness win in tennis. This doesn’t occur in real major sports. Tennis is a strange game. Tennis is also a sport that is enjoyed by the highly educated. There is a connection there.
MEP started out looking pretty off his game with service faults, but was as tenacious as always if given a chance. The advice MEP gave about big serving not being effective against him wasn't true at all- with good speed and placement he loses control of the point and is very vulnerable. Maelstrom had wonderful forehands and overheads. I'd like to see him work more on his transition game getting to net and picking up low balls on the way in as he had a lot of misses there. Great match by both.
I would have liked to see Maelstrom serve and volley more. He did it very well in the beginning, including an excellent S and V on a second serve! The problem with serve and volley, however, is that you have to be able to hit each volley with variety and disguise. Once an opponent picks up that you hit every BH volley cross court, for instance, you can get in a lot of trouble. You have to be able to go down the line as well, and not let your opponent read it...Takes a lot of practice, and the wind and sun can kill the whole strategy.
When Maelstrom goes to net its all over for MEP -- I don't think Maelstrom lost a point when he came in. BTW -- love the serve and volley (especially on 2nd serve)
I don't understand MEP. Nothing but respect, but, I don't understand him. Does he not desire to play like the pros? Is he OK with his style, that surely will have its limits? Has it done well enough for him, far better than some other more orthodox styles actually, that he just doesn't care to adopt a "modern" tennis stroke and instead plays as a pusher? I'm not being facetious, I really do try to understand this. He hits with very little power, very little attack, all defense. This is ... not how I would want to play.. but I guess he's enjoying it and that is all that matters!
Jimmy Connors called Ivan Lendel a name on national television for playing like a pusher! I have been playing pusher for a little over 30 years now, and the best approach is to keep the ball low and go to the net more often than normal. I don’t try to blast my serves, I use placement and slice, because pushers will just block everything back, I just played a 4.5 pusher last night, and I won 6.0,6-0, a lot of ads, and when the break point came, I slowed my mind down, and just used placement with a flattened stroke, and won the points at the net. I love playing pushers, because it’s like practicing off a ball machine. I have learned to control the ball and I use the corners on my serves, and my approach shots, those weak lobs, are very easy put aways if you take your time and hit the shot with confidence. Pushers have no put away shots, and they use endurance and fitness to win points and matches. If they play a person who is patient and has good ground strokes, they get beat very badly, I just seen this guy lose 24 games straight against two different players. If Ben use a slice serve to the ad backhand he would a ton of points, also if Ben flattened his forehand and drive the ball sometimes he would win more points. I give Ben credit because he is a fighter and never quits, and that’s why I like the guy. His style of play will be useless when he gets older and slows down, I would also say that Ben would be an awesome doubles partner because his style of play is set up for doubles. Great match my guy and keep playing. GOD bless you and yours my friend.
Just goes to show, if you let yourself be forced to play the game your opponent wants to play, winning is going to be difficult. Ben's lob seemed off today (maybe conditions?); if he'd had his usual lob accuracy, this could have been a very different match. Maelstrom came in looking like he'd spent a lot of time watching MEP's match with Ian from Essential Tennis, but then for some reason started staying back and hitting slices. You can't lose your aggression against a lower skill level player (no offense Ben!) or you get dragged down to their level.
Idk, Maelstrom was basically smashing every overhead away he had. Wind probably affected some of MEP’s lobs, but overall these conditions seem better for him than Maelstrom. I thought Maelstrom was moving forward and slicing(even at start) all match. That’s just not typically his game, but he was able to execute well enough. And an obvious strategy vs MEP. He kept the pressure on MEP. MEP upped his level after first 5 games, but Maelstrom started making a lot more errors after his quick start. Got too fancy on several shots.
@@Michael-Boyer I thought the slicing strategy of Maelstrom was good overall, but I would have liked to see him come to the net behind more of those slices. Most of the players who beat MEP that we've seen, mixed in the forehand slice. 50 Year Old comes to mind.....the FH slice is an easier way to return some of those low darts that MEP makes you return, especially if you have to move for them. You save energy by using the FH slice, and it neutralizes the attack.
True about coming to net in general but especially vs MEP even though MEP’s best shot might be the passing shot but passing shots are very hard and MEP isn’t hitting hard. I still thought Maelstrom was coming in a lot, But I suppose you can always come more. But that’s not maelstrom’s game. Maelstrom is better at the baseline than MEP, but he’s not gonna finish points off enough so MEP can outlast him usually, which doesn’t make for a fun match. So good game plan by Maelstrom. He’s athletic enough to execute his new game plan well enough for the win. Use the slice if you can or if you have to, but could bite you in the end too. Chip/charge also vs MEP all day long. But not everyone has these skills.
Maelstrom shot his wad in the beginning of the first set and almost lost the match because of that! That being said, he probably needed to do that to win. If he had played MEPs game from the start, it's likely he would have lost. But, he still found enough to come back in that second set! I didn't think he would. My money would have been on MEP in a third set, obviously. I've noticed something before and wondered about it. MEP does not do any sort of split step when receiving serve. I think that makes him a little slow getting to wide serves. I wonder if he even realizes he's doing that?? Just curious if that is intentional or just not being aware?? Once the point starts, he DOES split step, however. Just curious... Overall, a very nice match to watch! Maelstrom was the boss until he got tired..
Really enjoyed the match and the format of the video with Meike's analysis inserted at key moments. It would've been really interesting to see if Maelstrom could've survived a third set!
It must have been torture (exhausting?) for someone at the level of Babel to watch an entire MEP match 😀 Seriously, though, it was very cool to hear her commentating, and, of course, she was right on with her assessments. I wonder if she ever played someone at the WTA level who had a game somewhat like MEP's? BTW, the match was really fun to watch. Kudos to both players!
Its absolutely insane that MEP had 2 set points against Maelstrom in the 2nd set. Maelstrom came back to win. Maelstrom is extraordinary. For the average rec player, its easier to get better with the MEP path. Kudos to both guys!
Props to Maelstrom for not beating himself and getting the job done. Good to see fearless net play being rewarded. If it was me, I would have skulked back to the baseline after the first passing shot.
Interesting match, I’ve played guys like Mep biggest thing is play your game don’t play their game or get frustrated thinking you shouldn’t loose points when they don’t have good strokes, are you sure about maelstrom being 93 nationally ranked in Open singles? 🤔 seems more like a mid grade 4.5
This reminds me of a Twitch streamer called xQc who streams chess. His rating is about 1,000 which isn't very strong but he's received some coaching from Hikaru Nakamura, professional chess streamer and one of the best chess players in the world. xQc makes about $450,000 per month streaming games on Twitch which just goes to show that you don't have to be really good to get people to watch you play. It's more about the challenge at your level than being the best in the world.
I guess I'm a bit late to the party on that one. I don't have much to add to Meike's and Knotwilg's excellent analysis. I did like Maelstrom's S&V and chip&charge but he only won 1 extra point that way. His overall net conversion of 27/47 could improve a bit and he did better when he approached to MEP's backhand. Using dropshots against MEP is dangerous, especially when you are not positioned for the re-drop: 4:49 - then at 6:25 his dropshot was worse but his positioning much better and he could get to the re-drop. It's interesting how players get suckered by MEP to play on his term. Maelstrom started to slice and play back junk balls, even tried a dropshot off a return 8:58, 12:11 and 12:27. Brining MEP to the net wasn't a winning tactic, MEP won 5/9 points at the net. 20:40 was a great example of patiently building the point with topspin shots to MEP's backhand until he gets the short ball to put away.
@@TennisTrollChannel Oh I meant like watching the video together live, so we can hear your commentary of the match.. doesn't have to be on court commentary like essential tennis guys.
I know my game is actually more suited against defensive players than aggressive ones. Short balls? I will make a cute little angle with my forehand or backhand. But aggressive players? It is hard to make angles against them since they hit harder and deeper and you never quite know what to expect, even if they do make a lot of errors.
He is ranked 93 in usta men’s open for those that qualify for a national ranking as an adult. It’s not a college tennis ranking or a pro ranking. There’s probably a few players at the top of the nations ranking who had atp points followed by a few ex or current college players who need to obtain a usta ranking to play Future qualifiers. After that tier, it’s probably a mix of 5.0. In book, it’s an impressive feat to break the top 100.
@@TennisTrollChannel thanks! So, is it implied then his NTRP is 5.0 or higher and does it mean that he’s won at the USTA national level (vs just regional/sectional)?
@@TennisTrollChannel I honestly don’t know what that means…he is clearly not the 93rd best male in the country…so beyond that, it seems difficult to assess that rankings meaning..but regardless, he was fun to watch, and fought hard
@@galahad2000 it’s the National adult ranking. Is he the 93rd best player in USA? No. The ranking are open to all. However, not everyone chooses to play tournaments to get a ranking such as college players and pros. In my opinion, a better description is he’s the 50th (he’s moved up since) best recreational adult player that qualifies for a national ranking. Regardless- it’s impressive as there are hundreds of players that qualify for a ranking.
Fun video - Why do the intro comments to this video suggest that Maelstrom is #93 in the open division nationally? I’m not sure he’s a 4.5 player? And there are hundreds of division 1 college players who are 5.5+ …If I enter open division tournaments…do I automatically get a national ranking? Just curious
Believe you have to qualify to obtain a National ranking. In my opinion, he’s a 5.0 player. College players usually don’t obtain national adult rankings as they are playing college tennis. In my opinion, most of the players obtaining a national adult ranking are recreational players. However, the highest ranked players likely have had a few atp points in the past.
Maelstrom totally reminds me of myself. If he wasn't dinking those overheads back into play, he would of won easily. He needs a few practice sessions doing nothing but overhead put-aways.
I wonder what is Maike Babel's opinion on those unorthodox tennis style, such as MEP, Hsieh Su-wei, and Fabrice Santoro? It's seems MEP is the simplified version of those on tour, but very effective. If MEP style has so much ROI comparing with what the coaches are teaching. What's the secret of MEP?
I agree with everything Meike said. MEP has no weapon to offer, he only dinks. His technique is no technique. He plays sometimes in no man's land just to wait for you to dink your ball back. If you try to just out steady him, he will kill you cos he's expending no energy in his shots or serves and he plays in front of the baseline. You really have to make him pay for this positioning by banging some heavy forehands. In my opinion, anyone with a good weapon can beat MEP because he really has no plan B. Maelstrom has a good serve and nice volley but he has no real weapon. So serve and volley, chip and charge is the clearly the way to go for him. If he was committed to that strategy, like Meike said, this match would over quickly. But there's always a point in every MEP match where you made some errors and you decide to play safe and dink your ball back. Then you play into MEP's game and you will lose. Lucky for Maelstrom, he started to go back to his strategy of serve and volley. But I would have chipped and charged on every MEP serve. The guy simply has only a pancake serve with no power.
We’ve been in contact and had set up some dates I compete. However it didn’t work out- I had to go on the road for work. We’ll get it to work out one day.
From 5-0 to 5-3 the primary difference is a lack of patience and rally tolerance from Maelstrom. He's not choosing good approach shots anymore - he's coming in on balls that are deeper, and MEP is giving him slightly more difficult volleys because of it. If Maelstrom were a great net player, it wouldn't matter, but he's not, so he's missing a few of these non-trivial volleys and overheads. MEP isn't good enough to hit with Maelstrom from the baseline. If Maelstrom would just have A LITTLE patience, he would quickly get an actual short ball that lands inside the service line, which he could easily attack and then volley away without ever having to make a difficult shot. Since he's getting impatient, and instead of waiting for that very short ball, he's "attacking" stuff that lands a few feet past the service line, he's attempting far more difficult approach shots and being forced to hit more difficult volleys, and so he's making errors. Throughout the entire first set, I haven't seen MEP play offense ONCE. He has NEVER attacked a short ball with a chip and charge, or anything of the sort. So there is *absolutely no reason* to be impatient during a cross-court rally. You're not going to get punished for a slight mishit. Just be patient, and eventually you'll get one deep enough to earn a very weak reply, and you'll be able to attack it in a high percentage way.
@@MEPTennis That was a drop shot where he was forced to come forward. For the record, in the second set there were two or three times he did chip and charge.
Men’s open usually consists of 5.0 adults. There’s a handful of players who had atp points followed by current and ex-college players who may need a ranking to play Future qualifiers. After that group, it’s mostly 5.0+ adults. Not easy break the top 100. He made the finals in several tournaments this year.
Maelstrom showed he learned how to play MEP, but then went away from it. He should’ve made sure he got more returns in especially those bh drops in the net. Give it plenty of room, bring Ben in and then lob or pass him! It’s not like Ben’s serve is a challenge! Just hit it short and we’ll over the net! Also, how was he not ready for the drop when Ben is at the service line? Ben has no power, and after he hit the drop almost every time from that position you have to expect it. And when you run those down, don’t miss them. Make Ben play! Great job overall, but this could have been 6-0, 6-2 and then you’re not exhausted, just elated! 👏❤️
Unpopular opinion: MEP is a forehand controlling player. Period. When he can dictate with his forehand, which he does extremely well, he's unbeatable. But when he's kept in a backhand rally he struggles. He resorts to drop shots and can't pass very well with his backhand. Watch the match again and count how often his backhand failed to control his opponent. Or watch how he made nary an error with his versatile and beguiling forehand. Great match!
have to apologize, I take back all previous comments re MEP, I wish I could erase them, in the beginning I was taken back, I thought he was a comedian, I only watched maybe two of his matches, but then after watching 100’s of videos of so many people claiming they are a certain level and hitting the ball as hard as they can and doing things they should not I came back to MEP, and watched a few of his and I discovered he is smart and crafty and I find myself laughing when he plays as he is driving his competitors crazy. MEP deserves honors for tennis channels player of the year. There are 4.5,5.0 players who have huge serves and can hold their own but for some reason I find it boring because they are all in the same mold. MEP stands out. He is the one who was picked last on the varsity team and the hot shots are all coming to the game with the best equipment and trying to hit HR’s, it’s the bottom of the 9th and the score is tied and the coach tells MEP to get up, the team is down one run, MEP works the count, frustrates the top rated pitcher who is headed for a D1 scholarship, he fouls off several pitches the manager goes out to the mound for a discussion the infield comes in the team is yelling ‘come on Rock, this is an easy out, MEP hears this, he uses it to his advantage, he glances down to the 3rd base coach nods his head, the bases are loaded, here comes the pitch, 95 mph to the outside outside corner MEP places his bat on the ball, he connects with a single just over the head of the first baseman, it bounces down the line, the runner scores the fans are screaming the right fielder picks it up and throws a high strike to home, the catcher reaches up, the 3rd base coach waves in the second base runner, he slides under the tag, the team wins, MEP used his brain to win the game. MEP is ‘Rudy’, the team surrounds him, he’s on the back page. MEP is also a nice person. Players like Tom Brady, Federer would love to have MEP on their team. MEP doesn’t power the ball intentionally he is a placement expert. MEP doesn’t care if it looks like a Novak stroke. MEP should be an ambassador to tennis as he brings the game back to what it once once. Bill Tildon and Jack Kramer would appreciate MEP. I don’t really know but I would not be surprised if MEP doesn’t own a tennis bag, and carries one racket to a match. His real love is his family and his passion is tennis. There should be an MEP shop on tennis warehouse. MEP is a unique creation. They should make a movie of MEP qualifying for the US Open and he makes it to the first round, and the tennis world watches the greatest match where MEP brings the worlds number 1 to the brink in a 5 setter. Peyton manning and Eli carry MEP off the court as he gets a standing ovation for 15 minutes.
Correct - MEP lost. MEP shows you don't have to have the best technique to complete at a high amateur/recreational level. There are some pros that have success with unorthodox skills too.
Dat boy need to eat his Wheaties. He also need to call Arnold Schwarzenegger and get an apartment next to a gym. He ran out of gas around the fourth game. The analysis from the former pro is exactly what I was thinking. Ben T m e p does not have the technical proficiency to hang with a true 4.5 - 5.0. Ian and one of his buddies proved that. Meanwhile young dude need to get some meat on dem bones. At 5 ft 11 and about 230 lb, I'll be glad to lend him some beef. 😂
Its really suprising they can play 4.5 at all. There form is terrible, there serve is aweful. I get the idea, but frankly not a fan. This skillset just won't scale at all, as soon as you come up against people that have actually been investing in their game for years what do you do? How do you handle someone with good serve and volley game and a 90+ mph serve? How do you handle baseliners with actual good groundstroks? You may be able to take a match here and there when its windy, but your just going to get dumpstered by 9 Year olds with good form.
There’s so much more to tennis than technique. Excellent technique alone doesn’t win matches. Yes, technique is important but there are pros with less than stellar technique making a living too.
@@TennisTrollChannel Yea I used to think that way, till I got dumpstered over and over by 9 year olds. If you learn right, its a MASSIVE advantage. Most pro's have AMAZING form. (When I say that I mean WRIST LAG) which is pretty much the final progression of the ground strokes and serve... but to get that... you have to start off the right way. Can't have wrist lag if have service grip on forehand or some other fundamentally flawed start off.
@@jamesmears3419 true. It’s an advantage to have better technique. I agree. It’s why many of us try to improve our technique. I’m changing my serve technique to add more pop to it.
@@TennisTrollChannel I cannot agree that MEP doesn't have technique. His technique is just not taught by coaches. That doesn't mean he has none. The fact that he can control the height, spin, placement shows that he has a system to develop to that stage.
I 'think' I should beat MEP handily, but I'll bet the life of my first son on he steamrolling me in a real match. It does not really matter what we think, win/lose records decides what one's rating is. People pay too much attention on his lack of 'proper' technique and overlook the effectiveness of such style. There are reasons most of his victims were more exhausted than they should be in the later part of the match. For example, just a guess but I think he would keep the time between his serves very short to reduce the time his opponent can catch a breather.
@@chubun6631Disregard his technique ...check his prep, his judgement for the incoming ball is very good! Therefore he can easily take away his opponent''s time. I mean, ironically I actually learn more from MEP than the other 4.5 players, lol. Tmo, beating MEP is one of the important steps to reach 4.5...
@@Mikey.Mike1971 Watch this video for a more 'conventional' lost to MEP ruclips.net/video/iInyPKtd3e0/видео.html . This guy was 4.0 and played his normal game (no silly slicing/dinking) but still couldn't overcome MEP's consistency.
@@Michael-Boyer Just want to say that we cant simply judge that someone is 4.5 or not basing solely on the mechanic of his strokes. MEP easily beat a decent 4.0 playing his normal 4.0 game fair and square. Nerve or choke is not a factor here like one may say in many of his other wins. He is a legit 4.0-4.5 player.
![Battle of the Most Exhausting Player [Atlanta vs Seattle]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q6Y0lt7ZrE0/mqdefault.jpg)
Do visit and subscribe to Meike Babel’s channel ruclips.net/user/MeikeBabelTennis and check out the eBay auction from this video : ]
Thank you, Tennis Troll, for giving me this opportunity!
Meike is a great instructor. I've picked up quite a bit from her channel. I'm shamelessly promoting here, but really it's because her content is awesome and really relatable. I have no ties whatsoever, just someone who has benefitted. Thanks!
Where do I send the check? :-)))))) THANK YOU!
@@MeikeBabelTennis No need, just cover my bar tab as usual lol
The analysis of Meike Babel adds a lot to this match as we can now clearly understand the strategy to beat a MEP type of player. But you have to run... a lot!!! hahaha. Thanks everyone, great content!
You got to run and be super patient!
If you have good control of your shots, then MEP will be the one running a lot.
In three words: on the rise !!
Having taken a break from making stats for Troll's channel, I thought I'd make a short comeback to compare Meike's valuable analysis to the data. Reason is that Meike, like Ian from Essential Tennis, recommends keeping the point short because longer points tend to go to MEP's advantage, while the historical data suggests otherwise. That is, longer points end relatively more often in the opponent's favor. My take at this paradox is that a high risk / high reward strategy at the 4.5 level fails on the average player's technique. In other words the tally of errors goes up faster than the tally of winners. Admittedly, an error-winner comparison on shot number is skewed, due to the "postponed reward" effect of a higher risk shot on 3rd ball - which is the most common attacking shot. All of this was written before I compiled the ...
... raw stats:
MEP
W 5 | 11 - v11 d7 fp7 fp4 f3 | v7 bp7 d7 d5 bp5 bp3 f7 fp5 fp10 L7 f3
E 14 | 11 - f2 b5 f3 L5 L4 b7 df L3 fp7 f5 L4 f3 b2 b4 | f7 b5 L4 b2 b2 b3 b3 b4 d8 d8 f5
Maelstrom
W 20 | 34 - f3 f5 O5 f2 v3 v5 s v6 b2 f3 a s O7 v4 bp9 v3 b3 O10 s f3 | f3 v3 s a v3 O8 b6 f14 s f3 O7 bp4 v6 bp8 a s a s s v3 v3 O5 f4 f8 b3 s b9 v9 v11 b3 f5 f6 fp4 f3
E 19 | 32 - v3 f3 f2 v3 f2 fp4 v5 f2 v8 b2 b6 f3 f3 f9 df f3 v4 d4 v12 | b2 b2 b4 O10 f6 v3 v4 d2 b2 O3 f3 b3 b7 df O5 L4 fp12 f4 b3 f3 b13 b2 bp14 b8 b2 f4 b2 f3 b5 d7 b2 O2
Interpretation:
Maelstrom made 12 points more than MEP. Where do they come from?
First of all, from the serve. Maelstrom made 13 direct serve points against none for MEP while the double fault tally is only 2-1. MEP's serve however is deceptively difficult to attack: Maelstrom makes 13 return errors against MEP's 4 while the winner tally is only 2-0.
The favorable offset on 3rd ball (15-3 winners 13-5 errors) confirms Meike's recommendation to go aggressive on 3rd ball, further strengthened by positive 5th ball tally (5-3 winners 3-5 errors). On 4th ball the offset is zero.
Interestingly, the total offset is just -1 on longer points (>5 shots), which means MEP gets comparatively better on those indeed but still they are 50-50, which is less of a grim picture than what's commonly drawn.
Overall I would color Meike's recommendation on how to play MEP, to indeed dictate the point and not get into a pushing rally where MEP is more comfortable, while not necessarily keeping the point short. In fact the data suggests that for Maelstrom the rallies don't matter all that much, as long as he makes his first serve and focuses on getting the return in.
I miss this guy! Welcome back man!
To keep coming in to the net takes a lot of skill and athletic ability, however, Maelstrom is a very good athlete: quick, smooth, and balanced. But had MEP not missed the relatively easy drop shot on his first match point, I think he would have taken the match...Maelstrom being too worn out to play a good third set. If you don't have a good overhead, including the ability to put it away while backing up, Ben is going to get you with those lobs. You better be able to handle the high BH volley, and stick the low volleys...not easy for most club players. An alternate strategy is to get Ben out of his comfort zone by bringing HIM to the net, coming in to the service line, and looking for a ball you can lob-volley. Ben does not have a good overhead yet.
I think for baseliners, it's better to be patient and play longer points against MEP. For net players like Ian, it's better to go to the net early and finish the points there against MEP (and Ian did win easily against MEP). So I guess which strategy to choose should depend on your own strengths and weaknesses as well. The thing one shouldn't do is trying to finish the point early at the baseline.
@@ql3670 I think Ian would have had a tougher time on the outdoor courts that MEP is used to, with the wind and sun and so forth, and without Ben playing three matches first.....
@@joemarshall4226 Yeah, probably it will be a bit different outdoors. But the point is indoors or outdoors, I think it's still better for net players like Ian to come to the net early and play shorter points than staying at the baseline and playing longer points. But if your net game is suspect (like most recreational players), then you probably fare better at the baseline against Ben.
Huge respect to MEP. Love how he takes a few games to study his opponent and then proceeds to deconstruct him. Maelstrom is one of your top guys in the TT lineup, but he came so close to succumbing. Good match guys!
He beats players that can’t deal with slower pace and consistency.
Once you get comfortable with hitting against lower pace he becomes fodder.
Great match. MEP is the MSP "most studied player"... everyone is so prepped to play him.
Thanks for the commentary, Meike Babel, and kudos to both players - tough match.
Thank you! This was a lot fo fun!
Thank you so much for bringing a smile and a chuckle to my morning - enjoyed greatly
When you have a good FH drive, use it, not least on return of serve. Every club should have an MEP to bring on players of all ages and abilities.
MEP is back! this is most waited match for me in the 2021 Tennis troll Championship. :D
This was definitely worth the wait...MEP's retrieval skills continue to amaze me. And I'm sure that tennis ball will set some kind of record when bidding ends.
At $100 today.
Well played Maelstrom! Started with strong confidence, dictating the game. Then had a little confidence drop in the middle section of the match letting MEP get into the match and finally found confidence again against a MEP who himself has become stronger. Well played and great technique. Lots of beautiful winners. Big serve, btw.
Awesome match and commentary!
Great match !
Excellent strategy and resources from the side of Maelstrom
Now he is showing why he is winning every Tennistroll Channel tournament
Pretty cool to have Meike Babel break it down.
I agree Meike’s analysis is a great addition, and her channel is excellent (check out “10 Most Common Doubles Mistakes”). RUclips also has a great match of hers when she and Anke Huber played Majoli and Lukic (Croatia) in a deciding Fed Cup match.
Agree- I also like her serve analysis of Ash.
Love watching MEP's matches. He exemplifies playing smart, strategic tennis. He knows his strengths and weaknesses, knows what patterns work best for his game, and never gives up. Kudos! Also, thanks so much to TennisTroll for posting these matches!
I like it in some regards, but I have a fundamental dislike for non-aspirational technique. Working within his weaknesses by creating such a specific pushing style essentially makes an admission that he is willing to cap his skill ceiling, which I cannot fully get behind - although I certainly can understand the choice. If Maelstrom was fitter and more confident then he would blow MEP off the court 100 games out of 100, and if he keeps trying then he may well achieve that... whereas MEP will likely be exactly where he is now.
Smart, strategic tennis is great until you're hitting lobs against agressive players that have the shots to destroy every easy ball. That said - you need to be pretty damn good before your opponents are like that.
@@cbrowne1283 Agreed, might as well watch badminton
@@cbrowne1283 I mostly agree with you. But I think MEP lacks any technique. It's not hard to chip or dink. I see 3.0 players do that all time. If he faced a true 5.0 or higher player he would get destroyed. Maelstrom does not have a weapon to destroy MEP but his serve is reliable and volley is good enough to put MEP away. Anyone that wishes to be like MEP should know that he really can't beat any advanced player, so he is stuck playing intermediate players.
@@twinwankel MEP's tactics work very well against people who cannot volley or overhead well. Obviously a 5.0 player would beat him easily, but a 5.0 would also beat a 3.5/4.0 player who plays with an aspirational style such as myself easily too. If I get into a match with a pusher and I start falling into the pushing style myself, I will undoubtedly lose as they are better than pushing than me.
Haha. Ok, well the loser I think his name was MEP (?), he has almost zero athletic skills but what he does have is tennis smarts and craftiness. He drives an opponent crazy with terrible shots. He uses psychology to out wit an opponent. A major issue with tennis is you don’t have to be athletic / coordinated to win. Brains and craftiness win in tennis. This doesn’t occur in real major sports. Tennis is a strange game. Tennis is also a sport that is enjoyed by the highly educated. There is a connection there.
MEP started out looking pretty off his game with service faults, but was as tenacious as always if given a chance. The advice MEP gave about big serving not being effective against him wasn't true at all- with good speed and placement he loses control of the point and is very vulnerable. Maelstrom had wonderful forehands and overheads. I'd like to see him work more on his transition game getting to net and picking up low balls on the way in as he had a lot of misses there. Great match by both.
I would have liked to see Maelstrom serve and volley more. He did it very well in the beginning, including an excellent S and V on a second serve! The problem with serve and volley, however, is that you have to be able to hit each volley with variety and disguise. Once an opponent picks up that you hit every BH volley cross court, for instance, you can get in a lot of trouble. You have to be able to go down the line as well, and not let your opponent read it...Takes a lot of practice, and the wind and sun can kill the whole strategy.
When Maelstrom goes to net its all over for MEP -- I don't think Maelstrom lost a point when he came in. BTW -- love the serve and volley (especially on 2nd serve)
I don't understand MEP. Nothing but respect, but, I don't understand him. Does he not desire to play like the pros? Is he OK with his style, that surely will have its limits? Has it done well enough for him, far better than some other more orthodox styles actually, that he just doesn't care to adopt a "modern" tennis stroke and instead plays as a pusher? I'm not being facetious, I really do try to understand this. He hits with very little power, very little attack, all defense. This is ... not how I would want to play.. but I guess he's enjoying it and that is all that matters!
Nice match and enjoyed Meike’s commentary
Jimmy Connors called Ivan Lendel a name on national television for playing like a pusher! I have been playing pusher for a little over 30 years now, and the best approach is to keep the ball low and go to the net more often than normal. I don’t try to blast my serves, I use placement and slice, because pushers will just block everything back, I just played a 4.5 pusher last night, and I won 6.0,6-0, a lot of ads, and when the break point came, I slowed my mind down, and just used placement with a flattened stroke, and won the points at the net. I love playing pushers, because it’s like practicing off a ball machine. I have learned to control the ball and I use the corners on my serves, and my approach shots, those weak lobs, are very easy put aways if you take your time and hit the shot with confidence. Pushers have no put away shots, and they use endurance and fitness to win points and matches. If they play a person who is patient and has good ground strokes, they get beat very badly, I just seen this guy lose 24 games straight against two different players. If Ben use a slice serve to the ad backhand he would a ton of points, also if Ben flattened his forehand and drive the ball sometimes he would win more points. I give Ben credit because he is a fighter and never quits, and that’s why I like the guy. His style of play will be useless when he gets older and slows down, I would also say that Ben would be an awesome doubles partner because his style of play is set up for doubles. Great match my guy and keep playing. GOD bless you and yours my friend.
Both guys played well...nice perseverance by Maelstrom...MEP played high probability tennis
I was rooting for Ben!! He almost had the second set! Very good match though
Just goes to show, if you let yourself be forced to play the game your opponent wants to play, winning is going to be difficult. Ben's lob seemed off today (maybe conditions?); if he'd had his usual lob accuracy, this could have been a very different match.
Maelstrom came in looking like he'd spent a lot of time watching MEP's match with Ian from Essential Tennis, but then for some reason started staying back and hitting slices. You can't lose your aggression against a lower skill level player (no offense Ben!) or you get dragged down to their level.
Idk, Maelstrom was basically smashing every overhead away he had. Wind probably affected some of MEP’s lobs, but overall these conditions seem better for him than Maelstrom.
I thought Maelstrom was moving forward and slicing(even at start) all match. That’s just not typically his game, but he was able to execute well enough. And an obvious strategy vs MEP. He kept the pressure on MEP. MEP upped his level after first 5 games, but Maelstrom started making a lot more errors after his quick start. Got too fancy on several shots.
@@Michael-Boyer I thought the slicing strategy of Maelstrom was good overall, but I would have liked to see him come to the net behind more of those slices. Most of the players who beat MEP that we've seen, mixed in the forehand slice. 50 Year Old comes to mind.....the FH slice is an easier way to return some of those low darts that MEP makes you return, especially if you have to move for them. You save energy by using the FH slice, and it neutralizes the attack.
True about coming to net in general but especially vs MEP even though MEP’s best shot might be the passing shot but passing shots are very hard and MEP isn’t hitting hard. I still thought Maelstrom was coming in a lot, But I suppose you can always come more. But that’s not maelstrom’s game. Maelstrom is better at the baseline than MEP, but he’s not gonna finish points off enough so MEP can outlast him usually, which doesn’t make for a fun match. So good game plan by Maelstrom. He’s athletic enough to execute his new game plan well enough for the win.
Use the slice if you can or if you have to, but could bite you in the end too. Chip/charge also vs MEP all day long. But not everyone has these skills.
Very nice analysis.
Maelstrom shot his wad in the beginning of the first set and almost lost the match because of that! That being said, he probably needed to do that to win. If he had played MEPs game from the start, it's likely he would have lost.
But, he still found enough to come back in that second set! I didn't think he would. My money would have been on MEP in a third set, obviously.
I've noticed something before and wondered about it. MEP does not do any sort of split step when receiving serve. I think that makes him a little slow getting to wide serves. I wonder if he even realizes he's doing that?? Just curious if that is intentional or just not being aware?? Once the point starts, he DOES split step, however. Just curious...
Overall, a very nice match to watch! Maelstrom was the boss until he got tired..
That’s good point on split step.
98% of comments are tips on how to beat MEP, but this one is only going to make him better and somehow more evil 😜
@@Wannabe-Pro Yes, he'll be the M.alevolently E.xhausting P.layer! LOL
Ben is such a tough out. Nice match!
First 5 games were a breeze thats when MEP decided to put his mental spell on Maelstrom as he usually does to all his opponents.
More like Maelstrom was just too tired in the second set to continue the serve and volley format.
Something happens- It must be a spell.
Really enjoyed the match and the format of the video with Meike's analysis inserted at key moments. It would've been really interesting to see if Maelstrom could've survived a third set!
It must have been torture (exhausting?) for someone at the level of Babel to watch an entire MEP match 😀 Seriously, though, it was very cool to hear her commentating, and, of course, she was right on with her assessments. I wonder if she ever played someone at the WTA level who had a game somewhat like MEP's?
BTW, the match was really fun to watch. Kudos to both players!
Great match!
Its absolutely insane that MEP had 2 set points against Maelstrom in the 2nd set. Maelstrom came back to win. Maelstrom is extraordinary. For the average rec player, its easier to get better with the MEP path. Kudos to both guys!
Love MEP, big fan.
3:28 that's a nice little eastern grip fh flick for a pass!
Maelstrom has a nice inside out forehand shot. 👍
Ben aka MEP is a really tough day at the office 🏬. Nothing comes easy and has to be earned!
Props to Maelstrom for not beating himself and getting the job done. Good to see fearless net play being rewarded. If it was me, I would have skulked back to the baseline after the first passing shot.
When's the next match from tourney going to be posted - it's raining in NorCal and would love to watch some amateur tennis 🎾🎾
Goal is Tuesday.
you had some really solid volleys in this match, Ben
...including the great *right-hander* @19:23 !!!
12:54 Hell of a kick serve!
19:20 Did anyone notice the hand switch on the volley?!🤣
That's the MEP un-tapped well of formidable tennis dominance.
He is a righty pretending to be lefty.
Interesting match, I’ve played guys like Mep biggest thing is play your game don’t play their game or get frustrated thinking you shouldn’t loose points when they don’t have good strokes, are you sure about maelstrom being 93 nationally ranked in Open singles? 🤔 seems more like a mid grade 4.5
Ranking confirmed. He is also ranked 31 in 4.5 nationals.
Maelstrom looks 4.0. Way too many unforced errors against a guy with no weapons. Fitness level and concentration also lacking from maelstrom.
This reminds me of a Twitch streamer called xQc who streams chess. His rating is about 1,000 which isn't very strong but he's received some coaching from Hikaru Nakamura, professional chess streamer and one of the best chess players in the world. xQc makes about $450,000 per month streaming games on Twitch which just goes to show that you don't have to be really good to get people to watch you play. It's more about the challenge at your level than being the best in the world.
what happened to MEP?? my favorite player to watch my guess is that kooky backhand caused arm problems and he quit
No arm injuries here! I'm playing as much as ever, just not online. Although expect to see some new matches posted in the next couple of months!
Ball at 9:53 was good.. and he called it out
Thank you UD Racing for the stats: bit.ly/3DS5Muk
I guess I'm a bit late to the party on that one. I don't have much to add to Meike's and Knotwilg's excellent analysis. I did like Maelstrom's S&V and chip&charge but he only won 1 extra point that way. His overall net conversion of 27/47 could improve a bit and he did better when he approached to MEP's backhand.
Using dropshots against MEP is dangerous, especially when you are not positioned for the re-drop: 4:49 - then at 6:25 his dropshot was worse but his positioning much better and he could get to the re-drop.
It's interesting how players get suckered by MEP to play on his term. Maelstrom started to slice and play back junk balls, even tried a dropshot off a return 8:58, 12:11 and 12:27. Brining MEP to the net wasn't a winning tactic, MEP won 5/9 points at the net.
20:40 was a great example of patiently building the point with topspin shots to MEP's backhand until he gets the short ball to put away.
You guys should do a livestream viewing of the final with all the players, especially wannabe pro.
I wish we had a court we could wire up for internet. One day I hope.
@@TennisTrollChannel Oh I meant like watching the video together live, so we can hear your commentary of the match.. doesn't have to be on court commentary like essential tennis guys.
@@shabzone I like the idea.
I know my game is actually more suited against defensive players than aggressive ones. Short balls? I will make a cute little angle with my forehand or backhand. But aggressive players? It is hard to make angles against them since they hit harder and deeper and you never quite know what to expect, even if they do make a lot of errors.
MEP is officially my 2nd fav player in the world after Nadal
Can someone please explain what "national ranking of 93 in Men's Open singles" actually means? Thanks!
He is ranked 93 in usta men’s open for those that qualify for a national ranking as an adult. It’s not a college tennis ranking or a pro ranking. There’s probably a few players at the top of the nations ranking who had atp points followed by a few ex or current college players who need to obtain a usta ranking to play Future qualifiers. After that tier, it’s probably a mix of 5.0. In book, it’s an impressive feat to break the top 100.
@@TennisTrollChannel thanks! So, is it implied then his NTRP is 5.0 or higher and does it mean that he’s won at the USTA national level (vs just regional/sectional)?
@@willecutlip I know he played the national grass tournament. Unaware of other tournaments he has played outside Atlanta area.
@@TennisTrollChannel I honestly don’t know what that means…he is clearly not the 93rd best male in the country…so beyond that, it seems difficult to assess that rankings meaning..but regardless, he was fun to watch, and fought hard
@@galahad2000 it’s the National adult ranking. Is he the 93rd best player in USA? No. The ranking are open to all. However, not everyone chooses to play tournaments to get a ranking such as college players and pros. In my opinion, a better description is he’s the 50th (he’s moved up since) best recreational adult player that qualifies for a national ranking. Regardless- it’s impressive as there are hundreds of players that qualify for a ranking.
Very interesting match
Now I want to see two-handed forehand and D1 Scrub playing against MEP
Wish I can have the honor to play the legend after my retirement next year. I mentally played against him many times already
Lol. Let us know if in Atlanta area.
Awesome initiative guys!
MEP missed that drop shot on set point! No way Maelstrom was going to get him if it went to a third set......
Nice work Maelstrom 💪🎾
MEP looks invincible even when he loses.
Fun video - Why do the intro comments to this video suggest that Maelstrom is #93 in the open division nationally? I’m not sure he’s a 4.5 player? And there are hundreds of division 1 college players who are 5.5+ …If I enter open division tournaments…do I automatically get a national ranking? Just curious
Believe you have to qualify to obtain a National ranking. In my opinion, he’s a 5.0 player. College players usually don’t obtain national adult rankings as they are playing college tennis. In my opinion, most of the players obtaining a national adult ranking are recreational players. However, the highest ranked players likely have had a few atp points in the past.
MEP....legend!!!
Maelstrom totally reminds me of myself. If he wasn't dinking those overheads back into play, he would of won easily. He needs a few practice sessions doing nothing but overhead put-aways.
I wonder what is Maike Babel's opinion on those unorthodox tennis style, such as MEP, Hsieh Su-wei, and Fabrice Santoro? It's seems MEP is the simplified version of those on tour, but very effective. If MEP style has so much ROI comparing with what the coaches are teaching. What's the secret of MEP?
That’s a great question to ask her. My suggestion would be to send a comment on one of her video and she’ll respond.
What is the name of the MEP? I am curious to find out his profile on UTR website, thanks!
I prefer not to give names out. He’s a 8.5.
@@TennisTrollChannel No problem, thanks!
I agree with everything Meike said. MEP has no weapon to offer, he only dinks. His technique is no technique. He plays sometimes in no man's land just to wait for you to dink your ball back. If you try to just out steady him, he will kill you cos he's expending no energy in his shots or serves and he plays in front of the baseline. You really have to make him pay for this positioning by banging some heavy forehands. In my opinion, anyone with a good weapon can beat MEP because he really has no plan B. Maelstrom has a good serve and nice volley but he has no real weapon. So serve and volley, chip and charge is the clearly the way to go for him. If he was committed to that strategy, like Meike said, this match would over quickly. But there's always a point in every MEP match where you made some errors and you decide to play safe and dink your ball back. Then you play into MEP's game and you will lose. Lucky for Maelstrom, he started to go back to his strategy of serve and volley. But I would have chipped and charged on every MEP serve. The guy simply has only a pancake serve with no power.
She’s great for the channel
Agree. Hopefully we can collaborate again in future.
I'm pro MEP but slow and steady got defeated by speed and steady. Clearly MS has more weapons and a good plan.
Troll, do you want to play Mark Sansait?
We’ve been in contact and had set up some dates I compete. However it didn’t work out- I had to go on the road for work. We’ll get it to work out one day.
From 5-0 to 5-3 the primary difference is a lack of patience and rally tolerance from Maelstrom.
He's not choosing good approach shots anymore - he's coming in on balls that are deeper, and MEP is giving him slightly more difficult volleys because of it. If Maelstrom were a great net player, it wouldn't matter, but he's not, so he's missing a few of these non-trivial volleys and overheads.
MEP isn't good enough to hit with Maelstrom from the baseline. If Maelstrom would just have A LITTLE patience, he would quickly get an actual short ball that lands inside the service line, which he could easily attack and then volley away without ever having to make a difficult shot. Since he's getting impatient, and instead of waiting for that very short ball, he's "attacking" stuff that lands a few feet past the service line, he's attempting far more difficult approach shots and being forced to hit more difficult volleys, and so he's making errors.
Throughout the entire first set, I haven't seen MEP play offense ONCE. He has NEVER attacked a short ball with a chip and charge, or anything of the sort. So there is *absolutely no reason* to be impatient during a cross-court rally. You're not going to get punished for a slight mishit. Just be patient, and eventually you'll get one deep enough to earn a very weak reply, and you'll be able to attack it in a high percentage way.
Come on now, : 09:00 was clearly an offensive move.
@@MEPTennis That was a drop shot where he was forced to come forward. For the record, in the second set there were two or three times he did chip and charge.
MEP the Legend
9:53 that shot was in!!
Can’t find tennis ball even when searching MEP tennis ball and completed itEms.
It sold on eBay earlier this year and $ was donated to a local tennis charity.
This tournament is the 5th grand slam
How can Maelstrom be ranked 93rd in the country???
Men’s open usually consists of 5.0 adults. There’s a handful of players who had atp points followed by current and ex-college players who may need a ranking to play Future qualifiers. After that group, it’s mostly 5.0+ adults. Not easy break the top 100. He made the finals in several tournaments this year.
Does the one-handed backhand guy in the other court appeared in videos of the channel before ?
I think the one handed you are referring to is D1 Smooth
@@TennisTrollChannel no
That’s other one
That may be Tennis R0dman playing Lefty-Righty.
@@TennisTrollChannel i am going to see latest videos to tell who I think it is
@@TennisTrollChannel looks like Tedward, but he plays two-handed
Maelstrom showed he learned how to play MEP, but then went away from it. He should’ve made sure he got more returns in especially those bh drops in the net. Give it plenty of room, bring Ben in and then lob or pass him! It’s not like Ben’s serve is a challenge! Just hit it short and we’ll over the net! Also, how was he not ready for the drop when Ben is at the service line? Ben has no power, and after he hit the drop almost every time from that position you have to expect it. And when you run those down, don’t miss them. Make Ben play! Great job overall, but this could have been 6-0, 6-2 and then you’re not exhausted, just elated! 👏❤️
totally agree with you.
Unpopular opinion: MEP is a forehand controlling player. Period. When he can dictate with his forehand, which he does extremely well, he's unbeatable. But when he's kept in a backhand rally he struggles. He resorts to drop shots and can't pass very well with his backhand. Watch the match again and count how often his backhand failed to control his opponent. Or watch how he made nary an error with his versatile and beguiling forehand. Great match!
Maelstrom was playing not to lose that’s a huge problem with a lot of players they play well get ahead than totally back off
Another 10 sets and maelstrom becomes MEP
Underrated comment.
So you gotta be good with overheads to beat a pusher, I basically suck at.
have to apologize, I take back all previous comments re MEP, I wish I could erase them, in the beginning I was taken back, I thought he was a comedian, I only watched maybe two of his matches, but then after watching 100’s of videos of so many people claiming they are a certain level and hitting the ball as hard as they can and doing things they should not I came back to MEP, and watched a few of his and I discovered he is smart and crafty and I find myself laughing when he plays as he is driving his competitors crazy. MEP deserves honors for tennis channels player of the year. There are 4.5,5.0 players who have huge serves and can hold their own but for some reason I find it boring because they are all in the same mold. MEP stands out. He is the one who was picked last on the varsity team and the hot shots are all coming to the game with the best equipment and trying to hit HR’s, it’s the bottom of the 9th and the score is tied and the coach tells MEP to get up, the team is down one run, MEP works the count, frustrates the top rated pitcher who is headed for a D1 scholarship, he fouls off several pitches the manager goes out to the mound for a discussion the infield comes in the team is yelling ‘come on Rock, this is an easy out, MEP hears this, he uses it to his advantage, he glances down to the 3rd base coach nods his head, the bases are loaded, here comes the pitch, 95 mph to the outside outside corner MEP places his bat on the ball, he connects with a single just over the head of the first baseman, it bounces down the line, the runner scores the fans are screaming the right fielder picks it up and throws a high strike to home, the catcher reaches up, the 3rd base coach waves in the second base runner, he slides under the tag, the team wins, MEP used his brain to win the game. MEP is ‘Rudy’, the team surrounds him, he’s on the back page. MEP is also a nice person. Players like Tom Brady, Federer would love to have MEP on their team. MEP doesn’t power the ball intentionally he is a placement expert. MEP doesn’t care if it looks like a Novak stroke. MEP should be an ambassador to tennis as he brings the game back to what it once once. Bill Tildon and Jack Kramer would appreciate MEP. I don’t really know but I would not be surprised if MEP doesn’t own a tennis bag, and carries one racket to a match. His real love is his family and his passion is tennis. There should be an MEP shop on tennis warehouse. MEP is a unique creation. They should make a movie of MEP qualifying for the US Open and he makes it to the first round, and the tennis world watches the greatest match where MEP brings the worlds number 1 to the brink in a 5 setter. Peyton manning and Eli carry MEP off the court as he gets a standing ovation for 15 minutes.
Correct - MEP lost. MEP shows you don't have to have the best technique to complete at a high amateur/recreational level. There are some pros that have success with unorthodox skills too.
@@TennisTrollChannel ‘unorthodox’ is a polite word to describe them.
@@TimTheMusicMan true : ]
9:50 - shot was definitely in
We don’t see the bounce. The video captures an image just before and after.
The real focus should be on the next court with wanna be!!! LEGEND
Summer time.
😬indoor…, 1 set, …no ad
He’s playing not to lose , that’s a danger for any player
Wanabepro in the other court
i mean how do you call that ball out!!
Chip n charge, baby!
I wonder if MEP will release any souls he harvested this year as a Christmas gift.
Funny : ]
100 dollars already ...
Spectators must pay $10 each to see MEP’s fantastic drop shots!
Dat boy need to eat his Wheaties. He also need to call Arnold Schwarzenegger and get an apartment next to a gym. He ran out of gas around the fourth game. The analysis from the former pro is exactly what I was thinking. Ben T m e p does not have the technical proficiency to hang with a true 4.5 - 5.0. Ian and one of his buddies proved that. Meanwhile young dude need to get some meat on dem bones. At 5 ft 11 and about 230 lb, I'll be glad to lend him some beef. 😂
Can you send me some beef too? : ]
@@TennisTrollChannel 🍖🥩🐮🐄🤠
PUT MEP ON CLAY THEN GRASS
want to see if his style works on other surfaces?
MEP has most unconventional tennis strokes I've ever seen.If Mael had better return game he could've destroyed MEP.
fax. I would crush every ball MEP gives lol, but I might lose against maelstorm
MEP is looking slower on the court ...
poor mep, he wasted a lot of opportunities in the second set. i think he would have won a hypothetical third set.
Its really suprising they can play 4.5 at all. There form is terrible, there serve is aweful. I get the idea, but frankly not a fan. This skillset just won't scale at all, as soon as you come up against people that have actually been investing in their game for years what do you do? How do you handle someone with good serve and volley game and a 90+ mph serve? How do you handle baseliners with actual good groundstroks? You may be able to take a match here and there when its windy, but your just going to get dumpstered by 9 Year olds with good form.
There’s so much more to tennis than technique. Excellent technique alone doesn’t win matches. Yes, technique is important but there are pros with less than stellar technique making a living too.
@@TennisTrollChannel Yea I used to think that way, till I got dumpstered over and over by 9 year olds. If you learn right, its a MASSIVE advantage. Most pro's have AMAZING form. (When I say that I mean WRIST LAG) which is pretty much the final progression of the ground strokes and serve... but to get that... you have to start off the right way. Can't have wrist lag if have service grip on forehand or some other fundamentally flawed start off.
@@jamesmears3419 true. It’s an advantage to have better technique. I agree. It’s why many of us try to improve our technique. I’m changing my serve technique to add more pop to it.
@@TennisTrollChannel Nice, a kick serve is really nice to have against big returners.
@@TennisTrollChannel I cannot agree that MEP doesn't have technique. His technique is just not taught by coaches. That doesn't mean he has none. The fact that he can control the height, spin, placement shows that he has a system to develop to that stage.
A former pro calling this a great match. lol.
Thanks for watching this great match.
MEP aka Kenneth from the office. Awkward as hell
maelstrom is the much better player
not in real match. MEP has every effective game, but i haven't heared many people discuss his secret technique.
Ben got hooked around 9:50. Ball was clearly in
Hard to tell for sure, we’re looking from behind baseline. Maelstrom seemed quite generous with his call at 4-3 in tiebreaker though.
The frame of the actual bounce is missing, but appears out by at least 3 inches by looking at the pre bounce and post bounce trajectory.
@@anypugtennis9083 are you actually blind???
@@tylerv5173 I'm not. Are you?
@@anypugtennis9083 see optho asap
Technically, he got more than enough to beat MEP. But he got lazy after the 5 easy games, i think. Btw, I don't think MEP is 4.5...Maelstrom is
I 'think' I should beat MEP handily, but I'll bet the life of my first son on he steamrolling me in a real match. It does not really matter what we think, win/lose records decides what one's rating is. People pay too much attention on his lack of 'proper' technique and overlook the effectiveness of such style. There are reasons most of his victims were more exhausted than they should be in the later part of the match. For example, just a guess but I think he would keep the time between his serves very short to reduce the time his opponent can catch a breather.
@@chubun6631Disregard his technique ...check his prep, his judgement for the incoming ball is very good! Therefore he can easily take away his opponent''s time. I mean, ironically I actually learn more from MEP than the other 4.5 players, lol. Tmo, beating MEP is one of the important steps to reach 4.5...
@@Mikey.Mike1971 Watch this video for a more 'conventional' lost to MEP ruclips.net/video/iInyPKtd3e0/видео.html . This guy was 4.0 and played his normal game (no silly slicing/dinking) but still couldn't overcome MEP's consistency.
Maelstrom a lot better than that Alex, who’s improving but a middling 4.0. Alex lost 3,3. Maelstrom won 3,6. I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.
@@Michael-Boyer Just want to say that we cant simply judge that someone is 4.5 or not basing solely on the mechanic of his strokes. MEP easily beat a decent 4.0 playing his normal 4.0 game fair and square. Nerve or choke is not a factor here like one may say in many of his other wins. He is a legit 4.0-4.5 player.
MEP vs Alcarez...only match worth seeing.