On watching Roddick’s game, made me ponder on the slump of American tennis (men’s tennis, to be specific). Roddick playing the shots from the baseline, reminded me so much of Agassi! Similarities between two players of contrasting styles?? Well, yes.
There’s an old school of thought in tennis which goes “Never aim for hitting the ball on the line. There is no difference between hitting the ball 6-inches of the line and on the line. The former is lot safer.”
That’s the way the Americans play their tennis. Roddick over does it and hits the ball some 2 feet away from the sidelines! Agassi never used to go for the kill (I remember as a kid, sitting in front of the television, routing this charming guy with a beautiful ‘duck walk’, screaming ‘Finish it’!!! but Alas! That was not to be!). Sampras is known for setting up the point (his game anyways is on the verge of extinction - serve & volley. Thanks to the slower courts and heavier balls)
Well, the game as evolved and with the ‘Challenges’ being introduced in the slams, the shots are getting bolder all the time. Depth is the ‘in thing’! Further, the Americans never work on the ‘angles’. ‘Angles’ is the new mantra for scoring points! And, the Germans, Spaniards, Serbs, ….all of them are experimenting with it (well, our own Sania is doing her bit as well).
There’s an old school of thought in tennis which goes “Never aim for hitting the ball on the line. There is no difference between hitting the ball 6-inches of the line and on the line. The former is lot safer.”
That’s the way the Americans play their tennis. Roddick over does it and hits the ball some 2 feet away from the sidelines! Agassi never used to go for the kill (I remember as a kid, sitting in front of the television, routing this charming guy with a beautiful ‘duck walk’, screaming ‘Finish it’!!! but Alas! That was not to be!). Sampras is known for setting up the point (his game anyways is on the verge of extinction - serve & volley. Thanks to the slower courts and heavier balls)
Well, the game as evolved and with the ‘Challenges’ being introduced in the slams, the shots are getting bolder all the time. Depth is the ‘in thing’! Further, the Americans never work on the ‘angles’. ‘Angles’ is the new mantra for scoring points! And, the Germans, Spaniards, Serbs, ….all of them are experimenting with it (well, our own Sania is doing her bit as well).
Well, at the moment the Americans are content winning the Davis Cup!!!
5 comments:
Interesting insight..but i think youy are making a trend out of nothing..i mean..you look at the open era..and you get 4 tpop draw US players..Connors, J mac, Agassi and ASampras...all were different..i mean..Mcenroe was all angles..but thts hardly a trend..Tennis is an in dividual sport...tis hardly feasible for a coun try to develop a system...it all un ravels...look at the Spanish clay court factory...it dies down in 5 years..
its a individual sport alrite…. but am talking about the kinda of players American coaching centres are churning out.....
no no..my point is..twas always the same....its just that in the earlier generation -- they had two top players-(sampras and Agassi)...this generation..they haven't had any this time around..but its not a trend or anything..its just that the way it is sometimes..or in other words..i think you are over analysing things here...
yes, after Agassi and Sampras der isn't anybody but why? becoz their techniques are outdated.
Although an outdated comment - but looks like American tennis has very much improved. The recent wimbledon between Feds and Rods will stand as a testimony to it. A 5 setter down to the wire!
To this day Federer admits that none picks a federer back hand top spin better than Roddick does.
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