What's the most important quality that allows a player to win a match, and why?

Question

Winning at any sport is the result of a variety of factors and qualities, but which one do you think contributes the most to an athlete's success?

Yahoo Canada Answers Team note: This is the real Frank Dancevic!

Answer 1

You've posed a fantastic question Frank. There are a number of essentials for any sport but there is one that stands out among all others and without it, there is no winning.

Barring injury, most matches, games, etc in any sport are won before either player/team steps onto the court/field/etc. The most important factor is the WILL TO PREPARE!

For tennis, you can use Andre Agassi as a great example. While he was blessed with fantastic athletic talents, it was his willingness to prepare himself to win before he set foot onto the court. His record at the Australian is a great example of that. While all the other players were just ramping up and many of them coming into the tourney not quite into fighting shape, he had been on the court for weeks and even months preparing.

As I said, there are a great many factors and qualities that go into an athletes success and if you eliminate any one or two of them, you're not going to make it. But all things being equal, the man or woman who has the willingness to prepare themselves for battle will emerge victorious many more times than not. Without it, it doesn't matter much how talented or intense or athletic you are.

Great question!

Keep it between the lines!

Answer 2

Hi Frank, congratulations on achieving excellent results and I thought you were great at the Indy finals ! I hope you get into the top-5 asap.
I think that amongst the top 1000 players (professional) , maybe around 800 or so have a similar game. As far as the next 200 are concerned, they have a higher level of skill, committment and also (financial) resources.
As you go higher and higher up into the stratosphere of the top 20 or so, there is very little to distinguish amongst the players (atleast on the mens side). It all depends on the "heart" and the "head" as one commentator eloquently put it during the Wimbledon final this year. I think this match was an excellent answer to your question. Watching the match through almost 4 and a half sets, you got the impression that Nadal was ever so slightly ahead of Federer, and looked destined to win. To me, it looked like Federer would "give in". But Federer won a crucial game at 3-2, just raised his quality of shot making at the RIGHT moment, and pounced on Nadal serve at 5-2. Basically, Federer could have tried the same at 0-0, held his serve at 1-0, broken Nadal at 2-0 and held at 3-0. But a 0-3 deficit QUITE AINT the same as a 2-5 deficit, although both mean just a break of serve. And of course, very few players have come back from 2-5 down in the 5th in a GS final.
So i think it is a combination of having the desire and choosing the right strategy. There are those who try, those who try hard, those who fight hard and those who fight smart.

Just my 2c!

Answer 3

Frank Dancevic

The most important quality that allows a player to win a match is determination, self belief or confidences and respect.

If you believe in your self, chances are you got an advantage over your opponent because it will help you to not esatate, and just go for it. You will not be afraid to try another big serve after a fault every once and a while. And you will think you can beat your opponent no madder what hapens.

But to be confidant in your self you must practice hard, because a hard practice is a good practice. That's what my soccer coach tells me. In other words you got to push your self every time you practice. Then wen it comes to the real thing you will be ready to push your self to the limit and do what you want to do.

Determination is all about never giving up, always giving 100% and pushing your self to the limit. If your determined your opponent will probably see that and have respect for you, or he will be scared of you.

Respect is a very important quality that allows a player to win a match because some times the underdog comes out on top. That's why you should have respect for them and always give your 100% (dont try stuff and make fun of them ).
It doesn't matter if it's a player that nobody nows or if its Roger Federer and your winnign by alot of points because you never no!

Well i hope you will get this Answer!
I thinked about it for half en hour.

Matthew Goulet

Answer 4

Variety.

At the pro level, players are able to adjust quickly to opponents strenghts. More so in Grand Slam matches which lasts for 5 sets. That is why many players lose their matches even though they are 2 sets and 3-0 up.

With variety one has many options to win and also the ability to create "magical shots". Hence players with limited dimensions only go so far and then hit a plateau. See Andy Roddick.

Answer 5

Congratulations on an excellent showing in Montreal!!

I think it's the mental toughness and ability to stay focused that makes the most difference. Great players like Roddick, Blake, Bagdhatis, let a few bad plays get to them and their game suffers. Federer has a mental toughness that makes him difficult to beat and allows him to think through every shot, like he is turning the tennis court into a chess board. Nadal never actually concedes a point, he chases down every last ball a trait that is just as mental as it is physical.

I think the up and coming players, and the surprise successes in these tournaments are evidence of the mental requirements of the game more so than the physical aspects of the game.

I can't wait to see your next great showing. You are a great boon to the sport in North America.

Answer 6

I haven't watched tennis for a few years now, so I've never heard of you. About the only canadian tennis name I know is Dan Nestor. Anyway, I agree with some of the other answers in saying that it's all about confidence and willpower and determination, know you will win, not hoping.
Of course there are limitaions. You can't go totally out of your skill range. Example, I can believe and pray and be absolutely sure that I can beat Federer, that certainly does not mean I would, in fact I wouldn't.
The human brain IS the most powerful thing there is. It can work for you, or against you. You must decide which.

JD

Answer 7

The first and most important quality an athlete must possess is talent. Without it no matter how hard you try you can never make it to the top. The next is probably intelligence in playing and the ability to analyze and think fast during a game. Also an athlete's determination to win and simple love of playing.

Answer 8

focusing on the game during the match. Because before the match everything else should be taken care of. Physical training and mental preparation are very important before the match while during the match the player who is focusing most on the oponent and the game will have more chance to win the game. Federer seems to think of somethinq else during the match because sometimes he's too good for his oponent but i can garanty you a champion as he is would never lose a focus on his mission wich is winning every match he starts.

Answer 9

If you are the real Dancevic, then I really wish you beat Tursunov in the finals. You really played well against Roddick. Then again I honestly slowly lose respect for his game, even though he has gone where I have no hope of dreaming of.

Which ONE I cannot say. Then again why do you want to know, you probably already know this.

I would say it is the competitive fire that compels one to try hard and push themselves to come out on top. You see some of the greatest champions ever, when they are in trouble, they play better and better. Like Sampras and Federer in Wimbledon, they score aces on break points (and Sampras even did it on second serves).

That combined with talent and consistency really makes the difference. Sampras couldn't serve those aces if he didn't have that amazing serve he was gifted with. Federer probably couldn't get that extra ball in during those big points if he wasn't gifted with such athleticism and excellent strokes.

But out of all those talented tennis champions, those with a competitive fire come out on top. They really want that win, they want to win those matches and push themselves to play like they have never played before.

Overall, a competitive and a thirst to win (especially one that doesn't affect a player negatively when they are down in the score) will be the biggest thing that leads to success. Some people have it, some people don't.

And that competitive fire will usually make the person use his strengths to the fullest, like Sampras with the aces. If someone is talented, the competitive fire will bring out that talent when it's needed most and make them hit incredible shots in big situations. If they are strategic, they will pull a crazy maneauver out of their *** and win it, like Michael Chang.

And if you are the real Dancevic, I really hope to see you get to the US Open quarterfinals or semifinals, or even better, the finals against Federer.

Answer 10

Hi Frank , an interesting question which many of us have asked dozens of times.The conclusion I have come to is that the most important quality for a tennis player is being mentally strong.You know that in tennis the action is alive until the end of the match, it doesn't matter how much you have done the previous games or set you mustn't distract yourself even for a minute.As Andre Agassi has said :"The most important point is the next one". Take for example Rafael Nadal.Apart from his talent he's got a very tough and fightful phyche(despite feeling exhausted of his agressive game or having serious injuries), that's what keeps him #2 for years.In ATP top 100 all players are phenomenal but only the toughest(mentally) ones stand out .