Cressy Says Au Revoir To Negativity, Hello To Wimbledon Reset | ATP Tour | Tennis

When Maxime Cressy must suppose positively, his inner discussions are in English. Currently, it has been a battle to maintain French from creeping again into his ideas.

Earlier than a first-round win this previous week in Eastbourne, the French-born American had misplaced 10 straight matches courting again to the second spherical of Marseille in February. For a person who writes ‘instill doubt’ on his racquets to replicate the disruptive message he desires to ship to opponents, Cressy has been the one second-guessing himself lately.

“Normally my unfavorable aspect comes out in French. I picked it up from my mother,” stated Cressy, who was born in Paris. “Normally I believe positively once I’m considering in English… so I attempt to keep within the English part.

“The clay season is the place I had essentially the most doubts, and I believe it did spill over to the start of the grass season. However I am constructing my confidence again up. Final week, I performed a lot better and this week might be actually nice… I consider at any second. I can have a significant breakthrough.”

Regardless of his latest disappointing file, few gamers would elevate their palms for an opportunity to play the 6’ 7” serve/volleying powerhouse within the opening spherical at Wimbledonthe place final yr he upset Happy Auger-Also within the first spherical. If anybody might flip round a season with a bone-rattling run at The Championships, it’s the 26-year-old, who kicks off his marketing campaign Tuesday towards Serb Laszlo Djere.

With a booming serve, large wingspan and efficient volleys, Cressy is a suffocating presence for opponents, particularly at Wimbledon the place strain is magnified, margins are small and grass fits his attack-at-all-costs method.

So unsettling is his sport that the World No. 55 says that he struggles to seek out observe companions. “It’s tough. Few gamers need to play with me as a result of they’re in search of rhythm they usually don’t essentially get that with me.”

Cressy, whose broader mission in life is to re-introduce the serve-and-volley artwork to the game, could be a little quirky. He’s identified to put in writing notes to himself throughout changeovers and till lately performed with two racquets: one for service video games and one other for return video games. And he would string solely these two racquets for matches, even for best-of-five-setters. However he’s bringing a distinct method to Wimbledon.

“I began utilizing only one racquet two weeks in the past and it’s been a lot better. I’m now simply utilizing my return racquet, the one that’s lighter and provides me extra management,” he stated. “I had been lacking a bit of an excessive amount of with the serve racquet, which I discovered a bit of too highly effective.

“I’ll nonetheless simply get two racquets strung for matches, however they’re each return racquets.”