Who had the second best serve in Sampras’ era?
- Thread starter zill
- Start date
Ash Tennis
Professional
Imagine picking Becker 
BorgTheGOAT
Legend
Krajicek. With Goran having the best one.
skaj
Legend
The Big 4 with Isner.
zill
Legend
surely Kyriogs would be in there?? So big 5?
zill
Legend
if Krajicek was left handed would that have changed anything?
zill
Legend
What does Sampras do differently on his second serve then the others? From footages he kicks them in just like the others.
Shaolin
G.O.A.T.
You must be blind or know nothing about tennis. Maybe both.
zill
Legend
Can you give me a constructive answer please? All I can see is he kicks his sermons serve into the box but maybe with better placement than the other pros.
skaj
Legend
Maybe?
Larry Duff
Legend
Krajicek
zill
Legend
why
zill
Legend
Imagine picking Becker
Becker’s serve is listed as one of the all time greats. Why not?
zill
Legend
But did Becker have better other strokes?
Olli Jokinen
Hall of Fame
Better backhand.
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Sorry, I misunderstood the title, as "who had the best second serve in Sampras' area?" Well, to me Pete as I said.
Otherwise and to answer properly to the OP's question, that would be Boris or maybe Stich. In my memories, Ivanisevic double-faulted a bit too much, especially in crucial times. As for Krajicek, yes great server but as far as I remember, nothing quite special about his second serve (for a server of his caliber).
zill
Legend
Has that got to do much with his small 88 sq inch head size racquet with a dense 18 by 20 string pattern?
Olli Jokinen
Hall of Fame
Sampras and Krajicek both used the Pro Staff, later on Krajicek played with a Yonex.
zill
Legend
Why did he change?
Crazy Finn
Hall of Fame
I'm guessing you haven't watched enough Sampras slam finals (or slam matches, in general).
It seemed like every time the opponent (*cough* Agassi or Goran, often) had a break point and Pete missed the first serve, he'd load up a second and either get a error from a lunging returner or a straight up ace. Since, generally I was rooting for Pete's opponent, it was constantly soul crushing.
zill
Legend
Crazy Finn
Hall of Fame
Figures.
As far as Pete, I don't know. I was an Agassi guy - I loved his style of play. Pete just bombed aces and was boring (his game was much more than that, but I didn't appreciate it at the time). I appreciate him, now, years and years later, and but generally I root for the underdog and Sampras wasn't really ever that. I despise the Yankees, I hated the Cowboys (they were good in the 90's), and I didn't hate Pete, but generally rooted for his opponent.
10 seconds of searching and came up with this. You can note that almost ALL of them are at slams.
sandy mayer
Semi-Pro
I am not so convinced Sampras' serve is the best ever. Ivanisevic and Krajicek were possibly better. I think Sampras was a better clutch server (and probably the best server in history on big points) but Ivanisevic certainly hit alot more aces and Krajicek seemed to have a bigger serve. I think the serves of Karlovic and Isner have overtaken Pistol Pete's. Roddick's serve is up there too. Sampras doesn't have the best first serve ever, but he probably does have the best second serve in history.
In Sampras' autobiography he says his overall game was better than the other big servers of his day, and this is what gave him the edge over his peers. History has been re-written which says all Sampras was a monster serve. His best shot was his serve but the rest of his game was also superb: fantastic forehand, underrated backhand (he hit plenty of winners off it) excellent at the net, supreme athlete, mentally as strong a player as anyone in tennis history. No other massive server could match these elements of Sampras. I saw Sampras outdo Agassi from the baseline. Ivanisevic, Krajicek, Karlovic and Isner would not be able to do this.
In Sampras' autobiography he says his overall game was better than the other big servers of his day, and this is what gave him the edge over his peers. History has been re-written which says all Sampras was a monster serve. His best shot was his serve but the rest of his game was also superb: fantastic forehand, underrated backhand (he hit plenty of winners off it) excellent at the net, supreme athlete, mentally as strong a player as anyone in tennis history. No other massive server could match these elements of Sampras. I saw Sampras outdo Agassi from the baseline. Ivanisevic, Krajicek, Karlovic and Isner would not be able to do this.
zill
Legend
What is the reason Sampras’ second serve was so good? From replays it definitely is a kick serve. Does it have more or weirder spin? Or just top placement?
Crazy Finn
Hall of Fame
Most players don't hit second serves on the T line or the outside line of the service box at 110-120 mph. Especially, when they're facing a break point.
Every once in a while, Sampras would do it and miss and double fault. But, it wasn't often.
zill
Legend
How did he do a kick serve with so much pace?? Was a different technique he used?
Everybody seems to not understand the beauty of Petes serve was he hit all varieties of serves off the same contact point making it impossible to read
sandy mayer
Semi-Pro
I am not disputing this at all. Pete had one of the greatest serves ever. I am just saying I am not convinced his serve was head and shoulders the best. Sampras wasn't a greater player than Ivanisevic and Krajicek because he had a clearly better serve, but because the rest of his game was clearly better. Sampras has said this himself.
Ivanisevic was much harder to ace than Agassi by Sampras. in 1998 final zero aces from Pete till middle of second set.
then in the second set tiebreak ivanisevic had 2 set points on sampras second serve, and another second serve at 8 : 8. sampras hits a zverev like slow second serve 3 times, ivanisevic manages to miss the return 3 times, sampras wins.
agassis return is the most overrated shot in the history of tennis, sampras aced left right and center with first and second serves.
Agree just talking 2 Nd serve though he had the most difficult to read I watched all and they were all easier to read thrn the rest and backed it up better
Ash Tennis
Professional
Yes just for everyone’s info; I did pick BeckerImagine picking Becker
mental midget
Hall of Fame
2nd best or best 2nd? not really a question on the first, it’s goran. ace machine and stats back it up.
best 2nd, yeah it’s pete. why? he hit it hard and placed it well, that’s pretty much it. went for more and usually made it. as to why it’s such a good shot...a very heavy racket traveling very fast, basically.
best 2nd, yeah it’s pete. why? he hit it hard and placed it well, that’s pretty much it. went for more and usually made it. as to why it’s such a good shot...a very heavy racket traveling very fast, basically.
zill
Legend
Thought overall best serve is Sampras. Wanted to ask who was second best after him in overall effectiveness first and second serves combined.
zill
Legend
The stats show Sampras had the best serve in his era. But Krajicek came out as number 2. Am perplexed why most people selected Goran to have the second best serve after Sampras.
TexasVolley
New User
I personally liked Rafters 2nd serve. He could kick it something crazy but he was also a big fan of the body serve. He would often follow it with a easy volley because of his opponent being handcuffed. Pete of course still has the best 2nd serve ever IMO. It wasn't just because it had more pop and spin than others but from the same toss he could hit all any part of the box with any spin. He would also throw in a 1st serve on a 2nd just because. I remember Roger saying he could still compete on a fast courts with the best in the world because of how good his serve was even years after retirement.
Crazy Finn
Hall of Fame
Excellent points about being difficult to read, being able to hit several versions and spots while looking the same.
And yes, Rafter had an effective 2nd serve. Good point. It was a good alternative to going big like Pete, and worked quite well.
zill
Legend
my question was not about the second serve.
D
Deleted member 22147
Guest
I don't know if Sampras had the best serve of his era, but the three best I'd give to himself, Ivanisevic and Krajicek. Philippoussis had an excellent serve and on any given day could possess the best serve in the world, but overall it was just under the likes of those 3 guys.
Phoenix1983
G.O.A.T.
Essentially, Sampras didn’t have a second serve. He had two first serves.
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
I'd say that Goran had and maybe still has the most powerful and fastest serve, mainly his first one. I remember he could serve aces so easily... But for me, Pete's was better, no question. His second serve was way better and he could hit both his first and second serve wherever he wanted with very few double faults. Also he was so confident with his serve... as Goran, strangely, could choke under pressure and start to rush and double fault.
zill
Legend
He usually kicks his second serve whereas the first serve was faster and flatter. So 2 normal serves to me.
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Maybe what Phoenix1983 implies is that his second serve was just as efficient as his first.
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