BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells

[CR43] Sam Querrey (USA) vs. [CR50] Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)

Why does one player fight to win and another wilt easily in the face of adversity?  At this level you expect players to compete in every match, or at least give the impression of trying; however, that is often not the case.  Then there are some players who never give up, no matter how improbable their chances are of winning.  Querrey was leading, up a set and a break; yet, he leaves the court with a 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 loss to an opponent he had never lost to before.  Why?

His commitment to improving his game during practice is well-known; however, during matches, Querrey seems to lack the desire to motivate himself when he needs to fight through difficult patches.  Mentally he is not as fit as he should be and this is beginning to show in his results.  Despite the image portrayed, tennis is not a genteel sport, it brings out the “killer instincts” in some players and they will do everything necessary to win, as Stakhovsky demonstrated today.