Want to say thank you to MEP and 12 Year Old and his parents for being willing to record. If you would like to see the 12 Year Old compete against other players on channel, please let us know who should be the next potential victim : ]
@@TennisTrollChannel Before even having watched this video entirely, I'd say yes...I'd love to see him play against any of the TT players. Would love to see him against Byron first!
@@tennnis498 these are good ideas. 155 lives across the country so that may not be possible. Maybe when D1 returns from college in summer can try and set it up. Thank you.
The kid’s ability to move forward and capitalize are next level. And that angled drop volley is especially spicy! Great stuff! And big props to MEP for being one of the coolest guys ever :).
You could tell pretty quickly that this matchup was not a good one for MEP. The kid plays a smart all court game and has all of the tools. I was especially impressed with the variety and completeness of his game. Everything from solid volleys, slices, drop shots, lobs, you name it.
Wow, I’m in awe of this kids consistency, assertiveness at the net and his overall skill, given his youth. Utmost respect for MEP, as his unorthodox style of game is always fun to watch getting under players skin but this kid seemed to read him well by taking decisive and tactful shots without over-compensating (as most that have played MEP routinely do). The fact that it took MEP nearly three minutes to buy a point and the first set resulting in 6-0, speaks volumes to this kid. Wasn’t expecting this match and was happy to see it. Great playing to both of them.
@@arnisbole7821 He has "weapons" that work against adult club-level players who aren't going to consistently have the great approach shots, pinpoint volleys, willingness to get into long rallies with someone who's pushing, and the ground strokes to put away balls sitting up in the middle of the court. Your average 4.0-4.5 player might have one or two of those, but Simon's the complete package. I'd love to see just how well he could do against some of the other regulars on this channel.
@@HeavyTopspin I actually want to be on this channel I like to think I’m a strong 4.0 player I have good solid game my only weakness would be my overheads and serves aren’t the best I’ve actually tried to be on the channel I’ve sent a email to tennis troll b4 about being on Chanel but since I’m from Louisville Kentucky he seemed to act like it wouldn’t be possible but I have people who stay near Atlanta and wouldn’t mind making drive up there and drive to courts would just need like week or 2 In advance I would like to think I would win but if I lost I wouldn’t have no problem saying how wrong I was
@@arnisbole7821 I do remember emailing with each other about trying to have you on channel. I was new In Louisiana till Christmas and didn't have a way to record your match. If still interested, we can try Smyrna area in May. April is bad month for me, but if May onwards may work, do let me know via email. Thank you for reminding me of your interest.
@@HeavyTopspin MEP is not the complete package he's a player with great intuition, fitness and game sense with poor technique. His gameplay comes down to essentially what is a gimmick at the adult rec level but it works for him and he understands it. If you are familiar with gaming he basically has a cheese build or cheese playstyle If MEP stayed exactly the way he was but learned some fundamentals and implemented them his ability would be on another level.
OK... As an ex ITF Junior, D1 and ITF Challenge circuit player, I can tell you why this young fellow can play better than others against MEP. 1. He must have played hundreds of similar matches like this when he played under 10 and early rounds of under 12. Therefore, he knows how to play against MEP's game. 2. You can't get sucked into MEP's playing style as you get into deeper troubles. You have to play your game whether you lose or win. You can't suddenly change into a pusher mode if you aren't one. I faced numerous matches like this in college. I would have had serve and volley game or whatever to make the points short. You cannot beat yourself and that is exactly what MEP wants you to do. Not losing confidence in your shots should be the main focus when you are facing a big pusher. Find your own game to conquer pushers...
Second point is a perfect explanation in my opinion. I don’t know how much experience 12 YO has with playing MEP like players, but it appears he had a game plan set from the first point.
I don't see MEP as a pusher, he returns consistently like a wall and takes pace off your shots yes, but he hits winners and hits with strategy and targeted aim with good slice
MOst players who beat MEP do it by using some of his own tactics against him....drop shots, lobs, slices, moon balls and pushes. If you just try to beat him by banging harder and harder, you're probably in for a long day of frustration. So be ready to mix in some junk, and be patient....
This guy has an insane game, I hope to see more of him in the future. Also big props to MEP for playing this match and having such a great attitude about it despite the result (a perfect example of why Ben is such a cool dude). Thanks TennisTroll for putting this together and sharing it - this channel is such a gem.
the kid’s got off the charts tennis IQ and shot variety. just imagine when he hits puberty. best of luck, maybe we’ll be watching you in the show someday.
Simon played terrific. I didn't underestimate him at all, but I didn't have any concept of just how skilled top junior players are. What surprised/impressed me the most about Simon's game is that his variety of shots is amazing. He seemed to be able to add new wrinkles at will whenever I thought I knew what was coming. I will continue accepting challenges from Juniors until I find one at my level. Perhaps somewhere in the 500s? 😉
What surprised me was his stamina and ability to hit hard shots the whole game. I wasn't sure if he was going to be able to keep that up. Very impressive.
He of course is good, but at twelve, he's prepubescent. He wouldn't be able to beat a good adult recreational player at true 4.5 level, like a Mark Sansait. MEP is just a hack.
@@tomsd8656 Mark Sansait is only a 4.5 because there's no 5.0 competition in Wisconsin so he gets waivers. I think Simon would stand a chance against Wannabe Pro or the Troll himself.
@@tomsd8656 dude what happened to you? you ok? like get help if you need it. an adult coming to a youtube video comment section to berate a child and belittle the amazing human who spent time giving the child positive attention as well as recreation is a very very sad human. you probably don't need to hate yourself as much as you do but maybe i'm wrong.
@@justinbouchard Berate a child? Belittle MEP? No. I just stated the fact as I saw it, but these days everything offends some snowflakes somewhere. I myself am not going able to beat MEP, so I am also a hack. There, happy?
MEP looked exhausted after the first 🥯 😂 Seriously, that kid’s shot placement is fantastic, and his slice volleys at the net were so good that MEP couldn’t even return them.
I can proudly say that I have almost reached this kid's level, even tho I am now 16 years old. Incredible how he has such perfect technique, while he has had so little time compared to others.
As a high school and USTA Junior tennis coach this was a great match to watch. Simon has lots of tools in his tennis skills box. Notice that every shot had a purpose, placement, and different spins and pace. Love the way he moved it to set up the win. Unlike some players he was strong on both sides. Personally I think his variety off his backhand with slice, top or drop shot gave MEP lots of trouble. Great angles especially off his BH volley. This young player was playing to win not just hit it in.
A joy to watch that match. Simon put on a clinic on how to use the entire court with a mix of deft slices that expanded the court and baseline arcing topspin. Terrific attitude as well, can tell he just enjoys playing. Great match.
His technical and "taught" skills are exactly what Ben doesn't want to see on the other side of the court. Very consistent and effective at handling most any balls on the court. He also has the advantage of being short which helps him get under Ben's low balls more effectively. I'd like to see him put up against someone that's hits with some pace to see how he does there. He's a fantastic Junior. His consistency and placement will take him a long way.
Well done MEP and junior player! It was a well played and gentlemanly yet competitive match. The youngster conceived and executed his game plan incredibly well. He attacked the net and took away one of MEP's greatest strengths, his ability to neutralize forcing shots and extend points. And it was remarkable how well the young man put away his volleys! Thank you Tennis Troll for uploading this!
I must admit I did not expect a beat down for MEP, but after seeing how well this kid plays, not surprising. Validates everything I’ve been saying about Ben’s game. If you’re a complete player (able to play at net) with the proper mind set and strategy he can’t beat you, you can only beat yourself! I’d like to this kid play a strong (real) 4.5 all court player and see how that goes! Great stuff!
That is definately a factor for sure but what also is a big factor is more to the fact MEPs gamestyle is essentially a gimmick its cheesy and works really well because those things you mentioned are not fundamental to a recreational players game. Its a completely different world kind of like if you compare a pro video player to an amateur or an F1 racer to an amatuer. Obviously you can apply what the kid here employed in this game here but rec players already know that its just completely different worlds colliding.
A 4.5 player without slices, volleys and overheads won,t go far either. You have to have offense ANDdefense. Ben learned defense first. Most people learn offense first. The defensive players willl usually win at the lower levels
10 points in a row from the start against mep - don't know if that happened before and whenever you showed up at the net it was game over🤣. Great play and very intelligent. And i might add positive vibes too. Your game is inspiring, so you're actually also helping the sport. Go simon! Keep up devotion and hard work. I wish you luck, healthiness and the abiltity to take a step outside the box, especially if things don't work out from time to time. Tennis seems to have no problems with recruits. Great!
Holy moly the kiddo is impressive. To show that touch and beautiful technique at his age, wow! Hope he goes pro and this video lives on as early days of a tennis great.
Amazing matchup to watch. The kid makes it look so easy and effortless. He didn't have a monster serve (I'm sure he will in a couple years), but so consistent and just gets the point started and then works it. Well done!
@@arnisbole7821 MEP has a great drop shot/lob combo, and is great at placing slices deep, which is a great defensive shot that can keep an opponent off balance. his placement on passing shots is also a great weapon when someone is able to reach a drop shot. its just that all these tools are not as helpful against someone who is really mobile and consistent.
@@tsm2112 I’m just saying all his shots are slow and easy to get to so like you said if your semi mobile and have any kind of offensive firepower or good touch at net the balls will be easy to put away like it was for this kid
MEP doesn’t seem to have weapons but he kinda does in different ways, and his variety is tough to zone in for opps. His FH slice is very good if he has time, it can be very effective forcing his opps to hit awkward shots. But yes, at a certain level, you gotta more pace and deeper penetrating shots along with a solid serve to be effective.
If I was a bit younger....like 10 years ago...I think I could beat this kid. Of course, he'd be 2 years old at that point. But I think I could still win in 3 sets. Seriously, he's amazing and sounds like a really cool kid.
The keyboard warriors dissing the rest of MEP's opponents on this channel by virtue of this kid, seem to ignore the fact that this kid has 1) all the shots 2) speed 3) stamina 4) tactical awareness 5) mental strength. Of course, "all you need to do" against MEP is make no mistakes, come forward to the net and finish it off in style. You're 4.5 to 5.0 if you can do that 2 sets straight. Court positioning, court awareness and touch were top class. Serves and overheads are yet to come. Stay tuned for this youngster!
Maybe this kid has a bit more allround game than his peers but believe me, this is very standard amongst most juniors playing tennis today. They are taught not to miss and to come to the net to finish points off.
@@msalvs Of course, but the point is that most of us recreational players don't have this level of tennis in us! Especially when it comes to consistency, which is, as we all know, where most rec level matches are decided.
Wow. I am a DIII college coach and I see college kids all the time who don't have 1/2 the game this kid does. I see lots of comments about his volleys, ability to stick to game plan, movement and consistency. I agree with them all. The shot that blew me away though was the squash shot return on a wide MEP serve to ad side at th-cam.com/video/z9QgmLYNTcw/w-d-xo.html That's next level skill. And he even finishes the shot as he is moving to better court position. Wow
Amazing how the kid knew almost immediately to center his shots to Mep backhand and get to the net. The kid hit at least 70% to the backhand and just worked that shot over. Touch volleys are easier to hit off soft ground strokes but the kid has very good hands. Hope the youngster keeps playing because with a serve and some pace he will be monster.
Not really, that’s what kids are taught at every tennis academy in the world these days. Hit with spin to the opponents backhand whenever possible, forcing errors rather than hitting winners. You hardly ever see a kid hit flat anymore. I suppose it works.
This is just standard elite level play bruh, kids few years older at my club are hitting with this spin but with 4x the pace coz puberty kicked in. People seem to underestimate the level of mastery of the ball and racket elite players have.
So nice to see a junior player utilizing the net game as well. Drop volleys are 👌 Get this kid back to play in 1-2 years! Love to see what's happened with a bit of time and growing
Well done guys for putting yourselves out there. Junior looks like a proper player with a big future. For MEP, it felt like you lacked a bit of your usual consistency, maybe making a few more errors than you usually do. MEP, I know you've got your own style but I'm thinking you could work on your double handled backhand groundstroke a bit as that didn't seem as comfortable or solid for you compared to your block/slice shots. Thank you for sharing the match.
MEP, aka SUPER PUSHER, his game annoys everyone, except, a 12 year old superstar!! This kid is used to the no pace, floating crap this guy regularly does, and, not only is he used to other 12 year olds floating short balls, he is EXCELLENT at ANGLING THEM OFF FOR WINNERS! His hands at the net, half volley drop shots? Just INSANE SKILLS!!! I only watched the first set so far, and this is a CLINIC for how to properly ATTACK AND PUNISH THE HORRID PUSHER! Great game Kid, soo impressed!!!
I saw this kid practice with his coach a couple weeks ago, and he was striking balls with such precision and ease. The kid is passionate and very determined for perfection. I was in awe just watching him that in between points I would observe his beautiful form. And then tell myself if I played him I would be lucky to get 1 game. Lol Great work 12 yo ... keep growing with the game as you have tons of potential
It's a relevant question to estimate if this kid can become a pro. My comparison is a 14 years old that I played some months ago and got defeated 3:63:6. My opponent is no. 2 allstate his age, but I am not on MEPs level. So this kid here is special. Most impressive is his versatility. I have never ever seen a kid that age playing slices and volleys and drop shots this consistent, smart and precise. Becoming a pro is very difficult and it's impossible to predict here, but this kid is special anyway. 💪🏾
The kid is a complete player, in my opinion. I thought he was very intentional with every shot he hit. He didn't just hit balls to the middle of the court. Every chance he got, he put MEP in trouble with well-placed shots. MEP was reduced to hitting back to the middle which gave the kid further chances to hurt him. The kid's putaway shots were excellent, including touch volleys and drop volleys! He took every opportunity to follow up good shots or weak replies to get to the net and finish the points! Basically, he just played his game and wasn't inhibited at all. Most adults try to overhit and lose their confidence which plays totally into MEP's hands. As for other opponents, I think someone with good power and decent consistency could probably overwhelm the kid simply with power, but otherwise the kid would be a tough out for anyone... It would be interesting to follow his progress over the next 6-8 years!!! He is just awesome!
You see a lot of kids grinding it out from the baseline with topspins. This kid not only has great volleys but he knows where to put it. That’s quite rare for kids his age.
Very impressive kid. His lefty forehand is especially deadly and very well disguised. Hope Simon keeps it up and improves further as he grows. I hope he maintains the variety on display here and not change to overpower people in the future.
This kid proves that you do not have to play harder to beat MEP but have to play smart. He took advantage from the lack of pace of MEPs balls, made him run to the sides and finished at the net, a simple but very effective strategy.
Amazing kid with great tennis skill & IQ! Any videos online of him competing against his league? Thanks for putting up this very interesting match up...
You have to recognize that Simon is a trained tennis player. It’s like the kid has a black belt in all court tennis. He is also a tournament player who has lots of match experience. He played to win instead of simply just trying to hit it in so he would not lose. Based on his lefty’s use of spin and unrelenting net attack he could be the next McEnroe. The kid took the ball in the air like he just didn’t care. He was not afraid to miss a few shots and ended up winning lots of points.
Wow! The kid is amazing all over there court! Shots placing is insane! MEP is as consistent as a recreational player can be, but this kid is another level!
For those of you who don't know why playing against certain M.E.P's is tough, it's because at some point they try to (or) get you into their game which can even cause a level drop, and if you don't find out soon enough you can lose. But the kid played properly, against players like these, you have to get into the net ASAP to finish the point. If not, each point gets more and more exhausting.
The "12 Year Old" has amazing touch, variety, and overall feel for the game. Great maturity too--kudos to his parents for raising such a mature young man. Would love to see how his career is progressing.
Most a player came to net against MEP and most MEP was at the net. Also kid was not phased at all from a stamina perspective. Nor nervous about missing balls. Two things a lot who lose to MEP run into.
This kid just showed us the "correct" way to play MEP and that is to rush the net at every opportunity and not get pressured to play MEP's style of play. Awesome !
@@lzls4379 I have seen people start but then get dismayed quickly. Out of the many opponents I think boss of Atlanta is one of the few that keeps coming to the net even when getting passed multiple times. Goes to show it needs a lot of perseverance
Great game. This kid can definitely beat other rec players besides MEP despite what commenters seem to think. Obviously he isn't going to blow adults off the court with power but his confidence and ability at the net to finish easy points is as good as most rec players. Aside from the sun, his ability to take balls out of the air is impressive and the average rec players would have dumped them into the net or hit them out. He acknowledged MEPs lack of pace indicating he has probably trained/played against competition with stronger ground strokes than MEP so it would be interesting to see how he handles faster flatter shots. Thanks to both plays for the match and congrats to Simon.
One service game and one return game is all it took and I knew this kid was about to feed MEP a bagel!! Which is extremely impressive given MEPs resume!!! This kid would do the same to me most likely lol... His control, decision making, and court awareness is through the roof!!!!!! Always in the right spot, knows when to wrong foot his opponent and when to hit into the open court..... I don't need to be watching Pro matches to learn, I need to be watching this kid!!!!!
After watching the first few serves and strokes, i predicted a 6-1 6-1 win to the junior. Was pretty close. Junior has goods skills and great potential to be better as the foundation is solid. MEP unfortunately has peaked out, wont improve further unless he relearns everything
Everything? If he added a decent serve (it's improving) and got more comfortable at net he could be a McEnroe-like counterpuncher/magician. He has good feel and shot selection, he's just a little one dimensional now- hit low and move well.
Excellent match! Very entertaining the young guy has a really nice game and a great feel for shot making and opening up the court, and is a great sport as well. I love how he already has some great touch at the net with those little slice angled volleys, that shot and variety will serve him well.
I had thought MEP's serve was probably his best shot but this kid totally blitzed his return games and all the close ones were on the 12yo's serve. Its probably to be expected when the intensively coached player has time to set up and hit the ball he's hit thousands of times in practice.
At 3:47 MEP puts up a lob that wins him the point. He then says “ My only chance is the sun”. He knew that his lob wasn’t that good and that the major reason the kid missed was because the sun blinded him. This illustrates what really separates MEP from being just your average pusher. His powers of observation are above average and not clouded by his ego. This allows him to quickly identify his opponents weaknesses and tendencies and then exploit them with the odd assortment of tools he possesses. His analysis of the match at the end was also spot on. But when he comes up against a competent player without glaring weakness the tables get turned and MEPs many weaknesses get exposed.
Great idea for a video. Most of us could learn a lot from that kid. His tennis IQ is insane! Also, he showed exactly how to beat a pusher without needing power or height.
for his age, the kid is very well composed. MEP didn't give him too many problems. would like to see how he deals with someone who puts constant pressure on him.
Kid's got game. Besides his willingness to come in to the net, what impressed me most was his clarity of thought. MEP will make you doubt everything about your own game, including which hand to hold the stick in, but NRJ (nationally ranked junior) just hit his shots. Time. And. Again. That's tennis.
There could not be a greater difference in technical fundamentals. Learning Tennis so early is a gift. Most of the younger players have problems playing old people becouse they play totally different than what they are used to. But 12YO did had no probs with slices or slow balls. Great match. Would love to see more, perhaps against Wannabe Pro.
I definitely wished I had started playing tennis earlier than 32, but it would have largely come at the expense of playing basketball, which I also enjoyed quite a bit. Plus I wouldn't want to give up my 2000 Dobbins Air Reserve Base 3-Point shooting championship.
@@MEPTennis I started with Tennis when i was 40, 12 years ago. Since a few years i try to improve technically, it is hard and of course i will never be as good as 12YO, but it is doable in small steps with a lot of training. I know Ben, you have your style of play, but you should always try to improve.
Took me 40 secs to say wow on this video. The bait movement to make his opponent play where he wanted the volley. It's almost scary how a 12 yo is already thinking at that level
MEP definitely was outclassed in this match. The cream definitely rose to the top. The young man has AWESOME skills and has a very good chance for a tennis scholarship, and who knows after that? CONGRATS to the both of you. 👍👍👏👏🎾🎾🎾🎾
The accuracy of this kid is amazing! This was really enjoyable to watch, (not only because it's nice to see MEP get defeated... sorry MEP!), but also because it was great tennis.
I would be very interested to extend a little support to this awesome kid, hope I can get his parents’ contact info. MEP you serve a great purpose to other tennis players. You’re an acid test and gatekeeper to others’ improvement. I learn a lot just by watching your matches. More power to both of you!
Amazing volleys for a 12y old! Mostly they learn how to percentage tennis the hell out of a match on the base line. This one actually comes to the net and finishes it off almost flawlessly! This match is also a good example of what happens when your tempo is just too high for MEP. Easy win.
By the time this kid is 16 or 18 years of age he is going to be really hard to beat in singles. This kid has a lot of potential to be a phenomenal Division 1 tennis player when he is older.
The kid is very disciplined for his age. His variety, skill, patience and willingness to go for every ball is basically what meant victory against MEP. Him also being left handed also helped a lot bc MEP would not be able to target his bh as easily, instead it goes straight into Simon’s strength.
Want to say thank you to MEP and 12 Year Old and his parents for being willing to record. If you would like to see the 12 Year Old compete against other players on channel, please let us know who should be the next potential victim : ]
And please don’t request TennisTroll to be the next victim : ]
@@TennisTrollChannel Before even having watched this video entirely, I'd say yes...I'd love to see him play against any of the TT players. Would love to see him against Byron first!
12 YEAR OLD VS WANNABE PRO!!!
I’d vote for Lady D1 Recruit or 155 USTA 5.0 wins.
@@tennnis498 these are good ideas. 155 lives across the country so that may not be possible. Maybe when D1 returns from college in summer can try and set it up. Thank you.
The kid’s ability to move forward and capitalize are next level. And that angled drop volley is especially spicy! Great stuff!
And big props to MEP for being one of the coolest guys ever :).
You could tell pretty quickly that this matchup was not a good one for MEP. The kid plays a smart all court game and has all of the tools. I was especially impressed with the variety and completeness of his game. Everything from solid volleys, slices, drop shots, lobs, you name it.
Kid had a game plan too, which he executed
Wow, I’m in awe of this kids consistency, assertiveness at the net and his overall skill, given his youth. Utmost respect for MEP, as his unorthodox style of game is always fun to watch getting under players skin but this kid seemed to read him well by taking decisive and tactful shots without over-compensating (as most that have played MEP routinely do). The fact that it took MEP nearly three minutes to buy a point and the first set resulting in 6-0, speaks volumes to this kid. Wasn’t expecting this match and was happy to see it. Great playing to both of them.
Just shows you that mep has no weapons at all
@@arnisbole7821 He has "weapons" that work against adult club-level players who aren't going to consistently have the great approach shots, pinpoint volleys, willingness to get into long rallies with someone who's pushing, and the ground strokes to put away balls sitting up in the middle of the court. Your average 4.0-4.5 player might have one or two of those, but Simon's the complete package. I'd love to see just how well he could do against some of the other regulars on this channel.
@@HeavyTopspin I actually want to be on this channel I like to think I’m a strong 4.0 player I have good solid game my only weakness would be my overheads and serves aren’t the best I’ve actually tried to be on the channel I’ve sent a email to tennis troll b4 about being on Chanel but since I’m from Louisville Kentucky he seemed to act like it wouldn’t be possible but I have people who stay near Atlanta and wouldn’t mind making drive up there and drive to courts would just need like week or 2 In advance I would like to think I would win but if I lost I wouldn’t have no problem saying how wrong I was
@@arnisbole7821 I do remember emailing with each other about trying to have you on channel. I was new In Louisiana till Christmas and didn't have a way to record your match. If still interested, we can try Smyrna area in May. April is bad month for me, but if May onwards may work, do let me know via email. Thank you for reminding me of your interest.
@@HeavyTopspin MEP is not the complete package he's a player with great intuition, fitness and game sense with poor technique. His gameplay comes down to essentially what is a gimmick at the adult rec level but it works for him and he understands it. If you are familiar with gaming he basically has a cheese build or cheese playstyle
If MEP stayed exactly the way he was but learned some fundamentals and implemented them his ability would be on another level.
OK... As an ex ITF Junior, D1 and ITF Challenge circuit player, I can tell you why this young fellow can play better than others against MEP. 1. He must have played hundreds of similar matches like this when he played under 10 and early rounds of under 12. Therefore, he knows how to play against MEP's game. 2. You can't get sucked into MEP's playing style as you get into deeper troubles. You have to play your game whether you lose or win. You can't suddenly change into a pusher mode if you aren't one. I faced numerous matches like this in college. I would have had serve and volley game or whatever to make the points short. You cannot beat yourself and that is exactly what MEP wants you to do. Not losing confidence in your shots should be the main focus when you are facing a big pusher. Find your own game to conquer pushers...
Second point is a perfect explanation in my opinion. I don’t know how much experience 12 YO has with playing MEP like players, but it appears he had a game plan set from the first point.
I don't see MEP as a pusher, he returns consistently like a wall and takes pace off your shots yes, but he hits winners and hits with strategy and targeted aim with good slice
MOst players who beat MEP do it by using some of his own tactics against him....drop shots, lobs, slices, moon balls and pushes. If you just try to beat him by banging harder and harder, you're probably in for a long day of frustration. So be ready to mix in some junk, and be patient....
This guy has an insane game, I hope to see more of him in the future. Also big props to MEP for playing this match and having such a great attitude about it despite the result (a perfect example of why Ben is such a cool dude). Thanks TennisTroll for putting this together and sharing it - this channel is such a gem.
Yeah, he handled the loss very well. And he didn't try to downplay how many years he's been at it.
the kid’s got off the charts tennis IQ and shot variety. just imagine when he hits puberty. best of luck, maybe we’ll be watching you in the show someday.
Simon played terrific. I didn't underestimate him at all, but I didn't have any concept of just how skilled top junior players are. What surprised/impressed me the most about Simon's game is that his variety of shots is amazing. He seemed to be able to add new wrinkles at will whenever I thought I knew what was coming.
I will continue accepting challenges from Juniors until I find one at my level. Perhaps somewhere in the 500s? 😉
What surprised me was his stamina and ability to hit hard shots the whole game. I wasn't sure if he was going to be able to keep that up. Very impressive.
He of course is good, but at twelve, he's prepubescent. He wouldn't be able to beat a good adult recreational player at true 4.5 level, like a Mark Sansait. MEP is just a hack.
@@tomsd8656 Mark Sansait is only a 4.5 because there's no 5.0 competition in Wisconsin so he gets waivers. I think Simon would stand a chance against Wannabe Pro or the Troll himself.
@@tomsd8656 dude what happened to you? you ok?
like get help if you need it. an adult coming to a youtube video comment section to berate a child and belittle the amazing human who spent time giving the child positive attention as well as recreation is a very very sad human. you probably don't need to hate yourself as much as you do but maybe i'm wrong.
@@justinbouchard Berate a child? Belittle MEP? No. I just stated the fact as I saw it, but these days everything offends some snowflakes somewhere. I myself am not going able to beat MEP, so I am also a hack. There, happy?
I loved the reaction and the interview of MEP at the end. Such a friendly and cool guy.
MEP May have a second career as an interviewer.
MEI :)
I agree. MEP (Ben) is a really cool guy and a great player. Thanks to both players for filming this match.
MEP looked exhausted after the first 🥯 😂 Seriously, that kid’s shot placement is fantastic, and his slice volleys at the net were so good that MEP couldn’t even return them.
Kid's backhand slices are deadly. He makes a lot of really intuitive shot selections. Really fun to watch.
Man that little dude is good!! 🔥
So consistent but also great tennis IQ, shot placement, shot variety. Very fun to watch.
I can proudly say that I have almost reached this kid's level, even tho I am now 16 years old. Incredible how he has such perfect technique, while he has had so little time compared to others.
As a high school and USTA Junior tennis coach this was a great match to watch. Simon has lots of tools in his tennis skills box. Notice that every shot had a purpose, placement, and different spins and pace. Love the way he moved it to set up the win. Unlike some players he was strong on both sides. Personally I think his variety off his backhand with slice, top or drop shot gave MEP lots of trouble. Great angles especially off his BH volley. This young player was playing to win not just hit it in.
People don’t really understand how good elite Juniors are
Most top ranked juniors are moonballers sadly
I didn't really understand how bad 4.5 players are.
Most cheat too.
@@billh1471Most 4.5 players don't play like MEP. I have 4.5s at my club with 125mph serves and huge forehands.
Yea if Mep was balanced at all this would be one sided the other way. He just has negative offense.
Great match. Kudos to MEP for putting himself out there. The kid is definitely an elite junior -- great skill!
A joy to watch that match. Simon put on a clinic on how to use the entire court with a mix of deft slices that expanded the court and baseline arcing topspin. Terrific attitude as well, can tell he just enjoys playing. Great match.
When I saw the kid volley a couple times I was like "omg hang in their MEP!"😂
His technical and "taught" skills are exactly what Ben doesn't want to see on the other side of the court. Very consistent and effective at handling most any balls on the court. He also has the advantage of being short which helps him get under Ben's low balls more effectively. I'd like to see him put up against someone that's hits with some pace to see how he does there. He's a fantastic Junior. His consistency and placement will take him a long way.
Yup thats exactly it. When you have the technicals and fundamentals, the only two things are fitness and mental strength.
Well done MEP and junior player! It was a well played and gentlemanly yet competitive match. The youngster conceived and executed his game plan incredibly well. He attacked the net and took away one of MEP's greatest strengths, his ability to neutralize forcing shots and extend points. And it was remarkable how well the young man put away his volleys! Thank you Tennis Troll for uploading this!
We all forgot the cardinal rule: KIDS are the most exhausting of all. Remember this feeling, MEP, the next time you take a soul 😶🌫️
Funny comment - good one.
Kids have got great energy reserve. Another set won't be any problem.
I must admit I did not expect a beat down for MEP, but after seeing how well this kid plays, not surprising. Validates everything I’ve been saying about Ben’s game. If you’re a complete player (able to play at net) with the proper mind set and strategy he can’t beat you, you can only beat yourself! I’d like to this kid play a strong (real) 4.5 all court player and see how that goes! Great stuff!
That is definately a factor for sure but what also is a big factor is more to the fact MEPs gamestyle is essentially a gimmick its cheesy and works really well because those things you mentioned are not fundamental to a recreational players game.
Its a completely different world kind of like if you compare a pro video player to an amateur or an F1 racer to an amatuer.
Obviously you can apply what the kid here employed in this game here but rec players already know that its just completely different worlds colliding.
A 4.5 player without slices, volleys and overheads won,t go far either. You have to have offense ANDdefense. Ben learned defense first. Most people learn offense first. The defensive players willl usually win at the lower levels
One of the best videos on this channel on how to play MEP, but I don't know how to become 12 again.
Great patience and maturity Simon, well done, the adorable MEP is a wily opponent.
Thank you MEP for bringing us more entertaining tennis content! You’re a great sport
This kid is a rock star. Super fun matchup!
That kid is amazing! First one I’ve seen to defeat MEP so comprehensively! If he works on his first serve % he’ll climb up super quick.
This kid's creativity and feel around the net is impressive.
10 points in a row from the start against mep - don't know if that happened before and whenever you showed up at the net it was game over🤣. Great play and very intelligent. And i might add positive vibes too. Your game is inspiring, so you're actually also helping the sport. Go simon! Keep up devotion and hard work. I wish you luck, healthiness and the abiltity to take a step outside the box, especially if things don't work out from time to time.
Tennis seems to have no problems with recruits. Great!
Holy moly the kiddo is impressive. To show that touch and beautiful technique at his age, wow! Hope he goes pro and this video lives on as early days of a tennis great.
I love how this kid hits the ball. He plays an effortless game and doesn't overthink or panic. It's just the right shots over and over.
Amazing matchup to watch. The kid makes it look so easy and effortless. He didn't have a monster serve (I'm sure he will in a couple years), but so consistent and just gets the point started and then works it. Well done!
Haha, who could have a monster serve at 4 feet tall? I actually thought his serve was solid with kick and only 1 double.
It’s easy and effortless because mep has no weapons at all makes it easy to hit your kind of shots
@@arnisbole7821 MEP has a great drop shot/lob combo, and is great at placing slices deep, which is a great defensive shot that can keep an opponent off balance. his placement on passing shots is also a great weapon when someone is able to reach a drop shot. its just that all these tools are not as helpful against someone who is really mobile and consistent.
@@tsm2112 I’m just saying all his shots are slow and easy to get to so like you said if your semi mobile and have any kind of offensive firepower or good touch at net the balls will be easy to put away like it was for this kid
MEP doesn’t seem to have weapons but he kinda does in different ways, and his variety is tough to zone in for opps. His FH slice is very good if he has time, it can be very effective forcing his opps to hit awkward shots.
But yes, at a certain level, you gotta more pace and deeper penetrating shots along with a solid serve to be effective.
If I was a bit younger....like 10 years ago...I think I could beat this kid. Of course, he'd be 2 years old at that point. But I think I could still win in 3 sets.
Seriously, he's amazing and sounds like a really cool kid.
put power serve right at him or topspin too high for him
You can dream. The quality of the kid's shots, all of them, was insane ;-) He could have stayed back and out hit MEP all day long
Saw this kid play at SSTC outside of Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. He's incredible!
Sandy springs?
The only time I actually watched this channel is when MEP is playing,, And now you can add the 12 year old in… What a great kid
What about me? Kidding : ]
The keyboard warriors dissing the rest of MEP's opponents on this channel by virtue of this kid, seem to ignore the fact that this kid has 1) all the shots 2) speed 3) stamina 4) tactical awareness 5) mental strength. Of course, "all you need to do" against MEP is make no mistakes, come forward to the net and finish it off in style. You're 4.5 to 5.0 if you can do that 2 sets straight.
Court positioning, court awareness and touch were top class. Serves and overheads are yet to come. Stay tuned for this youngster!
Maybe this kid has a bit more allround game than his peers but believe me, this is very standard amongst most juniors playing tennis today. They are taught not to miss and to come to the net to finish points off.
@@msalvs Of course, but the point is that most of us recreational players don't have this level of tennis in us! Especially when it comes to consistency, which is, as we all know, where most rec level matches are decided.
Great comment knot
Wow. I am a DIII college coach and I see college kids all the time who don't have 1/2 the game this kid does. I see lots of comments about his volleys, ability to stick to game plan, movement and consistency. I agree with them all. The shot that blew me away though was the squash shot return on a wide MEP serve to ad side at th-cam.com/video/z9QgmLYNTcw/w-d-xo.html That's next level skill. And he even finishes the shot as he is moving to better court position. Wow
WOW indeed. An approach slice with karaoke with calmness manner step is surely highly skilled. Thanks for pointing that out.
Amazing how the kid knew almost immediately to center his shots to Mep
backhand and get to the net. The kid hit at least 70% to the backhand and just worked that shot over. Touch volleys are easier to hit off soft ground strokes but the kid has very good hands. Hope the youngster keeps playing because with a serve and some pace he will be monster.
Not really, that’s what kids are taught at every tennis academy in the world these days. Hit with spin to the opponents backhand whenever possible, forcing errors rather than hitting winners. You hardly ever see a kid hit flat anymore. I suppose it works.
This is just standard elite level play bruh, kids few years older at my club are hitting with this spin but with 4x the pace coz puberty kicked in. People seem to underestimate the level of mastery of the ball and racket elite players have.
So nice to see a junior player utilizing the net game as well. Drop volleys are 👌 Get this kid back to play in 1-2 years! Love to see what's happened with a bit of time and growing
That's how you counter MEP's play! V good volleying skills! Love the drop volleys.
The angles and whip he is able to create is really something else. Good for this kid
Well done guys for putting yourselves out there. Junior looks like a proper player with a big future. For MEP, it felt like you lacked a bit of your usual consistency, maybe making a few more errors than you usually do. MEP, I know you've got your own style but I'm thinking you could work on your double handled backhand groundstroke a bit as that didn't seem as comfortable or solid for you compared to your block/slice shots. Thank you for sharing the match.
MEP, aka SUPER PUSHER, his game annoys everyone, except, a 12 year old superstar!! This kid is used to the no pace, floating crap this guy regularly does, and, not only is he used to other 12 year olds floating short balls, he is EXCELLENT at ANGLING THEM OFF FOR WINNERS! His hands at the net, half volley drop shots? Just INSANE SKILLS!!! I only watched the first set so far, and this is a CLINIC for how to properly ATTACK AND PUNISH THE HORRID PUSHER! Great game Kid, soo impressed!!!
Exactly. MEP plays like most 12 year olds. This kid is the top 12 year old so he crushed him.
So good to see this clown get a bagel
I saw this kid practice with his coach a couple weeks ago, and he was striking balls with such precision and ease. The kid is passionate and very determined for perfection. I was in awe just watching him that in between points I would observe his beautiful form.
And then tell myself if I played him I would be lucky to get 1 game. Lol
Great work 12 yo ... keep growing with the game as you have tons of potential
Simon is an outstanding player. I love that he used the entire court, different heights, angles and moved forward.he has a very bright future. Bravo👏🏽
High quality match. He played really well on those short balls and floaters. He sliced well too.
Wonderful, feel good interaction both on and off the court, thank you.
This channel is so dag-gone cool man. Great work to everybody involved!
Gotta love all these Fed like slice drop volleys at the net, a thing of beauty.
This is the matchup I didn't know I wanted.
Not only does Simon have great skills. He's got great instincts, far beyond is age.
Me: Nervous.
12-year-old-kid: Wins first 10 points of the match.
It's a relevant question to estimate if this kid can become a pro.
My comparison is a 14 years old that I played some months ago and got defeated 3:6 3:6. My opponent is no. 2 allstate his age, but I am not on MEPs level. So this kid here is special. Most impressive is his versatility. I have never ever seen a kid that age playing slices and volleys and drop shots this consistent, smart and precise. Becoming a pro is very difficult and it's impossible to predict here, but this kid is special anyway. 💪🏾
WOW! The touch that young man has is awesome. It's not all about power, keep it up!
The kid is a complete player, in my opinion. I thought he was very intentional with every shot he hit. He didn't just hit balls to the middle of the court. Every chance he got, he put MEP in trouble with well-placed shots. MEP was reduced to hitting back to the middle which gave the kid further chances to hurt him. The kid's putaway shots were excellent, including touch volleys and drop volleys! He took every opportunity to follow up good shots or weak replies to get to the net and finish the points! Basically, he just played his game and wasn't inhibited at all. Most adults try to overhit and lose their confidence which plays totally into MEP's hands.
As for other opponents, I think someone with good power and decent consistency could probably overwhelm the kid simply with power, but otherwise the kid would be a tough out for anyone... It would be interesting to follow his progress over the next 6-8 years!!!
He is just awesome!
We need to wait few more years for this kid to rise. Superb skill at that age. Overall attitude as well
You see a lot of kids grinding it out from the baseline with topspins. This kid not only has great volleys but he knows where to put it. That’s quite rare for kids his age.
Very impressive kid. His lefty forehand is especially deadly and very well disguised. Hope Simon keeps it up and improves further as he grows. I hope he maintains the variety on display here and not change to overpower people in the future.
This kid proves that you do not have to play harder to beat MEP but have to play smart. He took advantage from the lack of pace of MEPs balls, made him run to the sides and finished at the net, a simple but very effective strategy.
Amazing kid with great tennis skill & IQ! Any videos online of him competing against his league? Thanks for putting up this very interesting match up...
This is the first video of him.
Kudos to this kid for showing us all how it’s done.
It's amazing it took this long for someone to consistently move forward against this guy
It’s super difficult to do. This kid executed perfectly over and over
Because it's usually self-taught weekenders. :/
You have to recognize that Simon is a trained tennis player. It’s like the kid has a black belt in all court tennis. He is also a tournament player who has lots of match experience. He played to win instead of simply just trying to hit it in so he would not lose. Based on his lefty’s use of spin and unrelenting net attack he could be the next McEnroe. The kid took the ball in the air like he just didn’t care. He was not afraid to miss a few shots and ended up winning lots of points.
Wow! The kid is amazing all over there court! Shots placing is insane! MEP is as consistent as a recreational player can be, but this kid is another level!
For those of you who don't know why playing against certain M.E.P's is tough, it's because at some point they try to (or) get you into their game which can even cause a level drop, and if you don't find out soon enough you can lose.
But the kid played properly, against players like these, you have to get into the net ASAP to finish the point. If not, each point gets more and more exhausting.
Yes, it becomes moon ball city.
That 12 year old was very talented and had a great attitude. I wish you well in the future.
The "12 Year Old" has amazing touch, variety, and overall feel for the game. Great maturity too--kudos to his parents for raising such a mature young man. Would love to see how his career is progressing.
Most a player came to net against MEP and most MEP was at the net.
Also kid was not phased at all from a stamina perspective. Nor nervous about missing balls. Two things a lot who lose to MEP run into.
This kid just showed us the "correct" way to play MEP and that is to rush the net at every opportunity and not get pressured to play MEP's style of play. Awesome !
Well, a lot of people try, but this kid has the volleys to back it up.
@@lzls4379 I have seen people start but then get dismayed quickly. Out of the many opponents I think boss of Atlanta is one of the few that keeps coming to the net even when getting passed multiple times. Goes to show it needs a lot of perseverance
Great game. This kid can definitely beat other rec players besides MEP despite what commenters seem to think. Obviously he isn't going to blow adults off the court with power but his confidence and ability at the net to finish easy points is as good as most rec players. Aside from the sun, his ability to take balls out of the air is impressive and the average rec players would have dumped them into the net or hit them out. He acknowledged MEPs lack of pace indicating he has probably trained/played against competition with stronger ground strokes than MEP so it would be interesting to see how he handles faster flatter shots. Thanks to both plays for the match and congrats to Simon.
the kid has a beautiful game. coming forward when possible.
One service game and one return game is all it took and I knew this kid was about to feed MEP a bagel!! Which is extremely impressive given MEPs resume!!! This kid would do the same to me most likely lol... His control, decision making, and court awareness is through the roof!!!!!! Always in the right spot, knows when to wrong foot his opponent and when to hit into the open court..... I don't need to be watching Pro matches to learn, I need to be watching this kid!!!!!
I need to watch him too.
@@TennisTrollChannel Maybe you can get him on your channel more, we'd all benefit from it haha.
@@Sleepymoto1 I’m hoping to. He’s exciting to watch.
@@TennisTrollChannel I agree!!
After watching the first few serves and strokes, i predicted a 6-1 6-1 win to the junior. Was pretty close. Junior has goods skills and great potential to be better as the foundation is solid. MEP unfortunately has peaked out, wont improve further unless he relearns everything
Everything? If he added a decent serve (it's improving) and got more comfortable at net he could be a McEnroe-like counterpuncher/magician. He has good feel and shot selection, he's just a little one dimensional now- hit low and move well.
@@rsmith02 Not everything, but he needs to learn some fundamentals.
Yes everything. MEP is close to a zero in fundamentals. Even his ready stance is weak. Nothing against MEP. Just calling a spade a spade.
Excellent match! Very entertaining the young guy has a really nice game and a great feel for shot making and opening up the court, and is a great sport as well. I love how he already has some great touch at the net with those little slice angled volleys, that shot and variety will serve him well.
Skilled and adorable kid. Feel and touch of a competitor I would expect from a much more mature age. Keep at it!
This kid really knows what he is doing. Superb shot selection and execution.
Wow... If he is 40, I'd hate to see what the other 39 are like... Speed. Stroke production. Hand skills. Just great!
I had thought MEP's serve was probably his best shot but this kid totally blitzed his return games and all the close ones were on the 12yo's serve. Its probably to be expected when the intensively coached player has time to set up and hit the ball he's hit thousands of times in practice.
At 3:47 MEP puts up a lob that wins him the point. He then says “ My only chance is the sun”. He knew that his lob wasn’t that good and that the major reason the kid missed was because the sun blinded him. This illustrates what really separates MEP from being just your average pusher. His powers of observation are above average and not clouded by his ego. This allows him to quickly identify his opponents weaknesses and tendencies and then exploit them with the odd assortment of tools he possesses. His analysis of the match at the end was also spot on.
But when he comes up against a competent player without glaring weakness the tables get turned and MEPs many weaknesses get exposed.
MEP’s tennis IQ is high in my opinion. I think he’s one of the best on channel with being able to counter an opponents strategy.
Great strokes are a given, more impressive is how he chooses his shot selection, strategy and decisiveness.
Great idea for a video. Most of us could learn a lot from that kid. His tennis IQ is insane! Also, he showed exactly how to beat a pusher without needing power or height.
This was really fun to watch. That kid has some impressive skills for his age, look forward to seeing him play in college.
Hopefully the pros instead of college.
Solid fundamentals by the young man, I hope he continues to grow in the sport and continues to have fun!
for his age, the kid is very well composed. MEP didn't give him too many problems. would like to see how he deals with someone who puts constant pressure on him.
Kid's got game. Besides his willingness to come in to the net, what impressed me most was his clarity of thought. MEP will make you doubt everything about your own game, including which hand to hold the stick in, but NRJ (nationally ranked junior) just hit his shots. Time. And. Again. That's tennis.
Every time I see pickleball lines on a tennis court ... I cry.
The one by my house just got reserved by pickle ballers from 8-12 daily I’m so annoyed by it
There could not be a greater difference in technical fundamentals. Learning Tennis so early is a gift. Most of the younger players have problems playing old people becouse they play totally different than what they are used to. But 12YO did had no probs with slices or slow balls. Great match. Would love to see more, perhaps against Wannabe Pro.
WBP is an excellent suggestion.
I definitely wished I had started playing tennis earlier than 32, but it would have largely come at the expense of playing basketball, which I also enjoyed quite a bit. Plus I wouldn't want to give up my 2000 Dobbins Air Reserve Base 3-Point shooting championship.
@@MEPTennis I started with Tennis when i was 40, 12 years ago. Since a few years i try to improve technically, it is hard and of course i will never be as good as 12YO, but it is doable in small steps with a lot of training. I know Ben, you have your style of play, but you should always try to improve.
@@MEPTennis How old are you now Ben?
@@noramin7904 44, 45 next month
Took me 40 secs to say wow on this video. The bait movement to make his opponent play where he wanted the volley. It's almost scary how a 12 yo is already thinking at that level
Oh, this kid is nice with it. NextGen grip/strokes, good court geometry. Hit behind the player. Nice kick serve motion. He's for real.
MEP definitely was outclassed in this match. The cream definitely rose to the top. The young man has AWESOME skills and has a very good chance for a tennis scholarship, and who knows after that? CONGRATS to the both of you. 👍👍👏👏🎾🎾🎾🎾
The accuracy of this kid is amazing! This was really enjoyable to watch, (not only because it's nice to see MEP get defeated... sorry MEP!), but also because it was great tennis.
I would be very interested to extend a little support to this awesome kid, hope I can get his parents’ contact info.
MEP you serve a great purpose to other tennis players. You’re an acid test and gatekeeper to others’ improvement. I learn a lot just by watching your matches.
More power to both of you!
If you would like to, send us an email at TennisTrollChannel@gmail.com and I can reach out to his parents and see.
No shame, the kid would beat plenty of adults. Good to see MEP being up for the challenge.
Amazing volleys for a 12y old! Mostly they learn how to percentage tennis the hell out of a match on the base line. This one actually comes to the net and finishes it off almost flawlessly!
This match is also a good example of what happens when your tempo is just too high for MEP. Easy win.
12 year old has some great volleys. Wish I played as well as him
Hahaha the guy in the red shirt may be a 4.5, but he definitely was playing more like a 2.5. The kid played great though.
LOOOOVE that kid's willingness/desire to get to the net!
The kid’s tennis iq is just amazing. This time it’s actually the other way around, the kid is the MEP!
MEP holding his racket like he learned to play tennis an hour ago lol
By the time this kid is 16 or 18 years of age he is going to be really hard to beat in singles. This kid has a lot of potential to be a phenomenal Division 1 tennis player when he is older.
The kid is very disciplined for his age. His variety, skill, patience and willingness to go for every ball is basically what meant victory against MEP. Him also being left handed also helped a lot bc MEP would not be able to target his bh as easily, instead it goes straight into Simon’s strength.
the 12 year olds ability to volley well is key in defusing MEP pushing style., kid has tons of potential