Step too high this time?

We still don’t really know what Merida’s true ceiling is. But we do know that players who manage to neutralize his power have a big edge over him. Just like in his match against Tien in Montreal (and there are others like that), where he ends up a bit stuck and starts overdoing it. A guy like Fritz, very solid from the baseline and a good server, that’s not good for him. Merida returns super well, his stats in that area are crazy. But for me, that only shifts the problem, because it’s in the rallies that he can really struggle. And even if his matches aren’t often gruelling and he should still have plenty in the tank physically, his heavy, plodding gait doesn’t reassure me too much (even though I’m still learning to read his body language).

And then, Cincinnati is like Rome, it’s the tournament the big players use to go all out right before the upcoming Grand Slam.