an interesting exercise:approach for the match.

[BTURNER]

hopefully! You lucky guy are serving match point down against a former number 1 player on a medium fast hard court, who's game you think know very well. You MUST APPROACH. As specifically as possible describe the spin trajectory and placement of your one approach shot and describe what you will anticipate and which of the three options you will best try to cover.

example. I will pick Evert. I will slice my approach deep down the center, more towards the forehand wing, hoping to force an open stance forehand. I will make sure to anticipate the topspin lob (her most dangerous shot from there) and cover the crosscourt and give more space for the forehand down the line, from the center of the court, her weakest pass sans angle. I WILL be praying. trying to pull her wide on either side is dangerous. She anticipates direction , moves too well horizontally and hits angles too well to risk a wide approach .

Vs Navratilova: I am hitting it flat hard and wide into her backhand wing. No doubt she'll get there, but she might smother it, in any case her pass is more readable has less pace on that wing. I will cover that crosscourt . It's her pattern and her best.

Pick Agassi, Fed, Serena, Graf, Connors, McEnroe, Sampras, Lendl, Austin, King, whoever. I have no idea where I'd send those approaches to Borg or Seles. They are equally dangerous on either wing and pass/lob so well.

[matchmaker]

Originally Posted by BTURNER

hopefully! You lucky guy are serving match point down against a former number 1 player on a medium fast hard court, who's game you think know very well. You MUST APPROACH. As specifically as possible describe the spin trajectory and placement of your one approach shot and describe what you will anticipate and which of the three options you will best try to cover.

example. I will pick Evert. I will slice my approach deep down the center, more towards the forehand wing, hoping to force an open stance forehand. I will make sure to anticipate the topspin lob (her most dangerous shot from there) and cover the crosscourt and give more space for the forehand down the line, from the center of the court, her weakest pass sans angle. I WILL be praying. trying to pull her wide on either side is dangerous. She anticipates direction , moves too well horizontally and hits angles too well to risk a wide approach .

Vs Navratilova: I am hitting it flat hard and wide into her backhand wing. No doubt she'll get there, but she might smother it, in any case her pass is more readable has less pace on that wing. I will cover that crosscourt . It's her pattern and her best.

Pick Agassi, Fed, Serena, Graf, Connors, McEnroe, Sampras, Lendl, Austin, King, whoever. I have no idea where I'd send those approaches to Borg or Seles. They are equally dangerous on either wing and pass/lob so well.

Agassi: I will try to keep the ball away from the center. He reigns from there. Agassi has terrific passing shots of both wings so any approach could be hazardous. I guess I would go for a shot that pulls him wide, but really wide and he couldn't get behind it. However, I have to watch my back and see to it he does not have a lot of angle. This is really tough. I am thinking maybe an inside in FH a la Fed or Sampras attacking the forehand and covering the angles or a deep and skidding angled slice to the backhand.

But all depends on what happened before that approach and where Agassi is standing on the court. The main thing is keeping it out of his reach. Agassi has a limited wingspan and isn't the greatest on the run, he has to be moved around to be uncomfortable.

For Fed I think a shot DTL to his FH could work, or a deep shot to the body, slightly towards the backhand side. It would be very difficult for him to slice on that and he would probably be late for a good topspin as the ball comes straight at him. A DTL approach to the BH also sound like a good idea. Keeping it DTL or to the body does not give him any angles. Fed is very mobile and good on the run. Any crosscourt or inside in could be punished.

[BTURNER]

only one poster liked this idea? Well matchmaker and I did !