Australian Open 2008 - Tsongas’ Inexperience and His Coaching Staffs’ Cost Him the Title
After three highly contested and physically hard fought sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-3), towards the the end of the fourth set a struggling Djokovic on the verge of cramps and a left hamstring problem, intelligently called for the trainer and took a full medical time out.
At the same time Tsonga, who was not feeling much better either and also on the verge of cramps, set calmly on his chair.
- Dojokovic drunk water, ate an energy bar (with glucose or dextrose, a primary energy source that enters the blood stream almost immediately, it requires no
digestion), got his legs massaged relaxed for about 4 minutes and the trainer/physiotherapist, likely gave him a combination of a low dosage muscle relaxant, plus salt, magnesium tablets and advised him to drink the electrolytes.
- In the meantime what was Tsonga doing? Drinking water, electrolytes and eating a BANANA!
As much as I dislike repeating myself, “On the court Do Not eat bananas! It is the most ridiculous thing you can do! Bananas take 3 to 4 hours to digest and they will just drive important and necessary blood into your digestive system that otherwise would be used in other parts of your body to generate or bring energy specifically to your lungs and muscles (oxygen & glycogens)!” ****
- Djokovic psychologically and physically came out of the chair relaxed, refreshed, refuelled and with a series of minerals and especially glucose or dextrose rapidly entering his young responsive and vital body.
- Tsonga came out of the chair about the same, if not a little handicapped concentration wise, since these medical time outs end up mostly disturbing the player that did not call for it.
- All the actions Djokovic took lead to an increase in physical performance and confidence in the order of 10 to 20%! This was clearly visible within 2 games, when the glucose or dextrose, muscle relaxant, salt, magnesium and electrolytes, started kicking in. (not to mention the massage)
- Tsongas performance stayed constant and he even pushed himself into a couple of slug fests, but to no avail.
Because, the bodies of well trained young athletes react extremely rapidly to the absorption of the right elements. In terms of athletics in a 100 meter race the edge Dojkovic took over Tsonga, at the medical time out, would be around 5 to 7 meters to the finish line!
In long and physical matches such as the one Djokovic and Tsonga played, the player that did not take the right actions, in this case Tsonga, immediately feels how different (much stronger) the other player has become and falls victim of unforced errors of his own.
Is my contention, “Tsongas Inexperience and his Coaching Staffs’ Cost him Title!”, right? Very likely.
What should Tsonga have done when Djokovic called for the trainer? Call for the trainer himself!
What should Tsongas’ Coaching Staff have signaled or told Tsonga? Call the trainer!!
What should Tsonga have taken during the medical time out? Exactly the same as Dojokovic took; the massage, the water, the glucose or dextrose, muscle relaxant, salt, magnesium and electrolytes!
Would Tsonga have won the fourth set? Potentially yes.
Would Tsonga have won a fifth set? Who knows?
Did Djokovic deserve to win? Yes, Yes, Yes! 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(2)
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Sérgio Cruz is a tennis instructor an ex # 1 National Champion, Davis Cup Player from Portugal and former Coach Jim Courier ATP World Ranking # 1
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