Top seed Novak Djokovic defeated No. 8 Milos Raonic at about 9:30 p.m. local time in the 2015 Australian Open.
More than 9,000 miles away in Baton Rouge, it was around 4:30 a.m. and too late for even the biggest tennis fans to watch.
The 17-hour time difference might prevent the LSU men’s tennis team from watching many of the matches live, but the Tigers learn from the world’s best players when they have the opportunity to watch the pros.
LSU coach Jeff Brown said watching matches can be a good way to see different strategies and tactics at work.
“You might start watching a match thinking there’s no way that one person could beat this guy,” Brown said. “Then you say, ‘Oh wow, look at that tactic that he used, that strategy.’ It can open your mind up a little bit.”
When Rafael Nadal frequently steps around his backhand to take more shots with his dominant forehand, Brown notices. When he finds a video or highlights worth sharing, he’ll pass it on to his team. Brown said the gameplans top players employ can, in turn, be emulated by those who watch.
“You can also see some things that maybe somebody plays a style similar to you, even though they’re probably a little further along in it,” Brown said. “But it kind of lets you know, if you develop, whether its a little more speed, or whether it’s a little more endurance, or what have you, that maybe that’s a style you could employ or a tactic that you could use.”
Watching professionals is also a display on the importance of basic fundamentals. They are often overlooked, but not by junior Tam Trinh. He said he is most impressed by the their footwork and fitness. 
Junior Boris Arias said it’s possible to pick up on something new every time you watch the pros.
“Every time you watch pro players, you always learn something different, Arias said. “They do everything right.”
The Tigers don’t just learn by watching others — they learn by watching themselves. The team films its matches and sends the footage off for an analytical breakdown. Brown said it’s crucial for the players to be able to watch themselves
“It’s very important. I think it starts with yourself because not everybody has seen themself play,” Brown said.
The footage is analyzed by a company and then sent back for the Tigers to study and make improvements. It allows the players to identify weak and strong strokes and accordingly adjust their game.
“They realize how to utilize that stroke so it’s not such a penalty for them and maximize the things they’re better at,” Brown said.
You can reach Jack Woods on Twitter @Jack_TDR.