Radek Doing the Worm
Ok, people who read this blog and I would love to say it's a whole lot of them, but I take what I get.
I have decided amongst the tournament reports and views, that I will do some write ups on particular players and some rants about particular issues among them and it would be appreciated in a big way if I was able to get some feedback in a positive or negative manner. There is only so much one can take of talking to themselves.
Onto the subject at hand Mr "Thunder Lips" Stepanek. He is an interesting player and a guy and he knows how to rub people up the wrong way through various antics. He is to be congratulauted for making the top 10 in singles, though there will be some more said about this in later issues.
Radek has made the most out of his abilities as a player and with that Continental grip forehand. In 2002 he was struggling and mostly playing doubles. Then he worked with Petr Korda and after qualifying for a shitload of events, then his progress was going higher and higher and Radek was able to move through the rankings.
His serve isn't that much in terms of speed, but it is very effective and he has a lot of variety in his game unlike many of the players on the tour, and while his forehand isn't the best, his backhand is very solid, his volleys are good and he loves the use of the dropshot, to say to the point he has dropshotitis, especially when his normal isn't working as well as it should be.
As for the antics, well it does manage to piss off a lot of players, fans and commentators alike at times. At the same is the what "Thunder Lips" does any more irritating than a Hewitt fist up, an Almagro dance or Marat throwing his racquet? This is debatable and all down to personal interpretations.
Personally the breakdancing worm is underrated and the "Thunder Lips" tango otherwise known as the skip after he wins a big point and the facial expressions are just part of what he is. I can see how he would be irritating to some people, but I give him credit for playing a little differently to the majority and doing something a bit different.
Well there are numerous cracks about his looks, but he is there to play tennis and he does that very well and not a male model. If the ladies want that, then go and watch Feliciano "LaLo" Lopez play. At the same time the name "Thunder Lips" is a lot better than being called Brad Pitt especially from that wonderful oil painting otherwise known as Jon Wertheim, someone who is allegedly a tennis journalist, though I'd rather that comment from him than Peter "the Bozo" Bodo.
It hasn't done Radek any harm with the ladies and his previous girlfriend was absolutely stunning and she went for him when he wasn't well known or wealthy. Which is mysterious as to why he is with Martina Hingis at the moment? She has had more traffic than Heathrow Airport, then it must be the money, then again usually any ATP player that has gone out with Hingis hasn't always done well afterwards except Magnus Norman.
For one who has made it in the top 10 Stepanek has a terrifically awful Grand Slam record. He has never managed to get past the 3rd round of any of the Slams and that is not good enough for a player of his talent and the same could be said for big Ivan Ljubicic, though he has at least made a quarter final of a Slam. Also he has a shocking record in finals and lost his first 6 of them and ones when he was favourite and on;y got his 1st title this year in Rotterdam.
Thunder Lips has had some good matches at the Slams. He as an unknown defeated Guga Kuerten in 5 sets and yes his game gave Guga the shits, with sneaking into the net and hitting drop volleys with Guga shaking hands with the people in the front row.
Then again at the Aus Open he played a classic with Sanguinetti and there were plenty of gestutres in that match and this year with Marcos and the Cyprot fans giving him the treatment for sure.
Overall I don't mind the game of "Thunder Lips" as he brings something different to tennis and as for his gamesmanship, well it's clear and he is far from the only player to use these tactics.
To close out, the worm lives on forever as does the tucked in shirt. Some people appreciate it and others don't, but that is a microcosm of life.
9 comments:
Go The Worm!
Go The Skip!
Radek is cool, I don't care what anyone says :)
Can't say I am huge fan of Thunder Lips, but I think it's good that he is around the game and it's not often the worm has been incorporated into tennis.
Though Radek is quite skillful at irritating some players.
i've seen him in person (in Gstaad and Roland Garros) and i must say he's not bad looking, and i like his game on clay. this is one non-photogenic guy. lol.
Those thunder lips seem to have inspired Hingis to winning again. ;)
I have seen Radek around quite a lot and he used to share a coach with the ever smiling Jiri Novak. He wasn't too bad the times I saw him. I mean he is nowhere in the league of the some of the bigger arseholes around.
As for photogenic, well it's not a strength of mine to see who is and who isn't. I will leave that up to the ladies.
Photogenic...........hmmm - even that one photo of him illustrating this article is enough to put me off my food! Extremeley unattractive - or as a friend of mine said recently - "so ugly he is almost FASCINATING!" One thing I don't like about him though (looks and irritating skip aside!) - I heard that the "ever-smiling" Jiri Novak invested a lot of time and money into helping Radek when he was starting out - and yet when he was well established and Novak had fallen a little on hard times, - he turned his back on him. Evidently Jiri asked Radek to play doubles with him last year and now as he is returning to the Tour, and Radek refused. Think that is a really bad attitude.
Interesting comments Rosie. Also his refusal to play Davis Cup for the Czechs is something that leaves his attitude open to discussion.
All in all, the guy really adds to the tour with his antics and some of his matches are quite entertaining for that - the one against Baghdatis at Melbourne is a good example of that. And his game has many variables it's enjoyable to watch him on court. Opponents never know what to expect from him.
Thanks for those points Rosie and it does make sense now you mention it.
Tomas was working with both Radek and Jiri and done a very good job for them both. Then all of a sudden as Jiri comes back to tour, then Tomas isn't with Thunder Lips anymore.
There was an interesting dynamic as well when Radek wouldn't play DC for Czech Republic because Korda wasn't appointed as coach and he hasn't got a relationship with Suk it seems.
The reason i cannot stand "Thunder Lips" is that he seems to derive genuine pleasure from rattling his opponents. For example, he will smash the overhead at his opponent just to frustrate him, even though it is not the best play objectively to end the point.
More players should wear a hockey-ref's jersey when they play in their first MS final. Or maybe not...
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