Pete sampras' 2 hander

http://216.194.87.192/samprasws-gall...erBackhand.jpg



nice backhand. Do you think he would have done better at roland garros with a two hander? what about wimbledon?

[gofederer]

Didn't somebody (a coach or guru or whoever) say "Once Sampras change to one-handed backhand, he'll be able to become world number one" sort of thing when he was a rising youngster?

Given that such a graceful one-handed backhander like Kuerten could win the French Open three times, using one-handed backhand may not have been the crucial factor in Sampras's failure on Rolan Garros. S&V doesn't seem to get along with two-handed backhand either. Rather IMO his general backcourt game on both wings was a bit too shaky to win grueling groundie battles when his serves were no longer such a lethal weapon.

[Greg]

Just looking at that picture is strange.

[Anonymous]

Yes, Sampras' first coach said something along the lines that Sampras would be able to win the biggest tournament if he had switched to a one-handed backhand. Not many Wimbledon champions with two-handed backhands existed up to then except, most notably, Borg and Connors.

Sampras' backhand was his biggest weapon before the switch to one-handed. He was a small kid. It certainly couldn't have hurt him on clay and very well may have shifted some of his fast-court wins over.

[eric draven]

I doubt Sampras would have won the French based soley on his having a 2-hander. He did make the semis at one point (losing to eventual champ Kafelnikov). He was also lightning quick in those days, a defenite plus when having to run down shots during those long rallies. I think ultimately his downfall on clay was his fairly flat shots off of his forehand (in comparison to clay court specialists) and his inabilty to become comfortable moving on clay.

[@wright]

I don't think it looks that great, but then again, his one-hander sometimes looked a little ackward.

[JB]

Weird seeing that picture - both the two had backhand and the amount of hair.

[Pete Sampras]

I won 14 slams one-handed. I don't care to think about how many I would have lost with a two-hander.

[@wright]

Pete, I think your 2-hander in that picture looks mediocre at best.