Who Is Going to Win Australian Open 2011? Cognitive Point of View

Jan. 10, 2011 - PRLog -- Dr. Tijana T. Ivancevic, Tesla Science Evolution Institute, Australia
Dr. Bojan Jovanovic, Sports Academy, Serbia
Who Is Going to Win Australian Open 2011?
Cognitive Point of View

Our Prediction is: ROGER FEDERER.

After his tight loss last week from Rafael Nadal in Dubai and his easy win this weekend (over Nikolai Davidenko) in Qatar Open, Roger Federer is again a clean favorite to win his 17th Grand Slam in the forthcoming Australian Open 2011. The King is back!

The best player of the modern era is again at the focus of the tennis world. And it is not because of his physical strength, but because of his tennis mind. Federer is the best blitz-chess player in the tennis game. He effectively plans his moves in advance.  He effectively reads (anticipates) the opponent’s moves and acts accordingly.  He effectively disguises his own moves. These three superior cognitive factors give Federer a huge mental advantage over all opponents, with the exception of Rafael Nadal, who appears to have similar cognitive factors, but is not 100% at the moment. This tennis blitz-chess is the key to Federer’s aces.  He plans the ball placement, anticipates the opponent’s return before executing a shot, and then disguises the motion of the stroke itself. It is also the key to his incredible winners. Again, he first plans, then anticipates the opponent’s move, and finally disguises his own shot. And we can always expect another winner.

The so-called complex reaction has the highest importance in every sports duel, including tennis. In general, a complex reaction has two components: smart anticipation and lightning-fast reaction. You first anticipate the opponent's movement, and then you react by making your own movement. The basic speed of a reaction is largely genetically predetermined and cannot be significantly improved. The best means for developing it is training based on the stretch-reflex (see my books and tennis reports). On the other hand, good anticipation of the opponent's actions is the essential characteristic of a master in any sports competition. The best anticipation is actually called “mind reading”, and this is the difference between master and disciple. It is Federer’s greatest strength. It can be learned, and it should be learned if you have high expectations in tennis.

Apart from getting experience from many tennis tournaments (at different competition levels), the best tool for developing anticipation in young players is the blitz-chess.
Actually, the best preparation for the mental speed in tennis is the so-called lightning chess, or bullet chess. It is the faster version of a blitz chess game, where each side has less than 3 minutes to complete all of their moves. Often, bullet chess is so fast that tactics and skill are secondary to quick moves.8 The most common problems with a player's mental game are: (i) Confusion about strategy (ii) Trying to do too many things at once (iii) Being easily distracted (iv) Too much concern about winning or losing (v) Perfectionism (vi) Complacency (vii) Having no clear plan or goal (viii) Too much spontaneity and creativity (ix) Lack of humility (x) Inappropriate reactions to errors (xi) Negative self-talk (self-criticism).

As general advice, to improve your mental game you need to:
(i) Set clear goals
(ii) Create action steps that will take you closer to these goals (learn to visualize: try to “see” in your mind what you want to achieve)
(iii) Use positive self-talk (self-criticism)
(iv) Practice yoga breathing techniques
(v) Always put forth 100 % effort
(vi) Be process oriented
(vii) Stay detached
(viii) Not dwell on the future or past – stay in the present
(ix) Be non-reactive to the opinions of others
(x) Tolerate your inability to be perfect
(xi) Do what it takes to have fun and smile
(xii) Define winning in such a way that it includes more than just the final score

Finally, you need to focus on the ball and yet still be aware of the opponent and the court. This is a big problem for most players, although Roger and Rafa seem to solve it consistently and routinely. Aside from a great tolerance for competitive pressure, focus is one of the key characteristics of a champion. You really need to “fix your eyes on the ball,” as every coach advises, and yet have a full amount of the so-called situational awareness (SA), which is defined in modern psychology as “the perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and projection of their status in the near future". For example, SA is a key factor in the training of fighter pilots and Formula 1 racing drivers. The outcome of any complex situation critically depends on SA. Therefore, you need to develop:
(i) A strong focus on the moving tennis ball;
(ii) The ability for strong SA, as defined above; and
(iii) The ability to focus on both the ball and SA at the same time.

Roger Federer has all of these cognitive components. That is why he is our clean favorite to win his 17th Grand Slam in the Australian Open 2011.