Almagro, Gasquet or Wawrinka. Whose backhand do you take to play Nadal on clay?

[tennis_hack]

The three kings of the 1hbh. The poll only refers to the backhands, btw. You can't for example, pick Wawrinka over Gasquet with the reasoning that you think Gasquet's backhand is slightly better than Wawrinka's, but Wawrinka's forehand being much better than Gasquet's makes up for it. Pretend that all three guys have exactly the same serve, forehand, volleys...etc... as each other, and only have different backhands...

I'm veering between Almagro and Wawrinka. I have realized that Gasquet's backhand is pretty overrated and is actually just as vulnerable as Federer's to the high ball. When it kicks up on him, Gasquet is powerless to do anything other than looping it back softly, and it always lands short and sits up to be punished. What's worse is this happens to him on standard rally forehands as well, but at least he can keep his rally backhand deep if not hit at him too high.

Wawrinka and Almagro look to be much stronger in the shoulder and can rip high balls instead of breaking down.

I am leaning towards Almagro because he can and does hit the 1hbh from an open stance when pushed wide, and because he has taken Nadal to very close sets every time they've met at the French Open, and has taken sets off him on clay elsewhere. But Wawrinka is good at the high backhand as well, and perhaps his problems are tactical and/or mental (not that Almagro is mentally solid either).

The poll is up, you choose and say why. If none of these three, pick another active 1hbh player (and they have to be right handed as well, otherwise they don't face Nadal's crosscourt forehand) - and say why you've picked them...

 

[Overdrive]

This is about the third thread you made about the OHBH. Heck, you even argued with another user about it.. I suspect that you have an obsession with the stroke..

Stanislas' stroke is the most successful right now. Gasquet is too dependent on his; and Almagro's falls apart during important points. But then, Wawrinka and Gasquet can be inconsistent as well during some matches..

 

[tipsa...don'tlikehim!]

Gasquet, it's no contest

He's the only one able to win a point cross court against Nadal 's FH
check out this http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9g0zn8X9PMk#t=147

 

[Overdrive]

^ Yeah, but Nadal started to not hit the ball towards his backhand later..

 

[GoaLaSSo]

On clay I would take Gasquet's. When he has the time to wind up his backhand he can hit the ball with more spin and power than the other two.

On medium and faster hard court I would probably take Wawrinka's backhand. It is a little more compact and direct, which allows him to be a bit more consistent while maintaining good power.

 

[chjtennis]

Wawrinka's backhand.

 

[Steve0904]

Definitely Almagro's. He can really flatten it out, and he has often played at least one competitive set with Nadal at RG before getting worn down. If Almagro was a bit better mentally he could've taken some of the sets he's lost against Nadal at RG.

 

[objectivity]

This is about the third thread you made about the OHBH. Heck, you even argued with another user about it.. I suspect that you have an obsession with the stroke..

Stanislas' stroke is the most successful right now. Gasquet is too dependent on his; and Almagro's falls apart during important points. But then, Wawrinka and Gasquet can be inconsistent as well during some matches..

lol yeah... really an obsession. why are these people so angry that tennis is no longer played as it was in laver's days? i know they are old fodgies... but my god, can we just move on?

 

[heninfan99]

Gasquet has no problem handling Rafa's forehand with his backhand --it's just everything else in the match-up is a problem.

Almagro has the best chance because of my "same country theory". When a tennis player plays a great from his own country he has less fear and really goes for it. Tons of examples of this. Probably due to a combination of pride and just being around the other player so much. Whereas Gasquet and WOWrinka already look beaten as they step on the court with Rafa. But Gasquet has that one victory when he was 14 yrs old.

 

[Maximagq]

I honestly think Almagro has a better backhand than both of these guys. His firepower on his groundies is insane. Too bad he is a mental midget.

 

[President]

I think Kohlschreiber's backhand handles Nadal's forehand exceptionally well, although I haven't seen them play on clay. I would vote for him or Almagro.

 

[sam_p]

Gasquet can do anything with his backhand - top, slice, flat bomb. He just can't do squat with his forehand and is too passive.

Gasquet is a top player ONLY because of his backhand. Wawrinka and Almagro have other impressive weapons. Thus, I think you have to give pure backhand to Gasquet

 

[bullfan]

Zero of these players

 

[papertank]

Funny considering all of these guys have never beaten Rafa, if I remember correctly. Nevertheless I would take Almagro's easily. On clay, it's the best 1HBH around by a clear margin. On other surfaces I would say Wawrinka's.

 

[Phonco]

I would probably say Gasquet has the best backhand out of those three. sam_p has a point. For a guy who is supposedly lacking in footwork, fitness, serve, forehand etc., he has done just as well (or as badly) against Nadal as Wawrinka and Almagro. Both of whom have good forehands and, more importantly, huge serves that can score aces or at least start the point at an advantage. If everything was equal except for the backhand, then I'd say Gasquet since he has more setbacks compared to the other guys. Make them equal would only make him that much better as a player.

Based on results, I'd probably say Almagro because I think the key to beating Nadal is to flatten out and take the forehand topspin shots on the rise. Gasquet tries to outspin the forehand which I tends to fail, and Wawrinka slices the backhand too much which also tends fails e.g Federer.

 

[tennis_hack]

lol yeah... really an obsession. why are these people so angry that tennis is no longer played as it was in laver's days? i know they are old fodgies... but my god, can we just move on?

Lol if you think Almagro/Gasquet/Wawrinka hit their backhands anything like Laver did.

You could argue that these backhands are more modern than Djokovic/Murray's backhands, because they're much heavier, topspinning, windshield-wiper finish strokes.

 

[Tennis Fanatic 070]

Newsflash, 1hbh aren't suited to hit back Nadal's high topspin on clay, which is why this thread is a joke.

 

[tipsa...don'tlikehim!]

I think Kohlschreiber's backhand handles Nadal's forehand exceptionally well, although I haven't seen them play on clay. I would vote for him or Almagro.

What you say is true, Kohlschreiber usually does well against Nadal
often takes a set

 

[Chanwan]

Almagro - based on their clay matches and how well his backhand is holding up in them. He really could beat him from time to time if he had belief and didn't choke

 

[Crisstti]

So what if the OP wants to ask about OHBHs?.

Anyway, I'd probably say Gasquet's. Nadal avoids his bh, I'm not sure he does that against the other two.

 

[tennis_hack]

Actually, screw all those guys, I'd take Gaudio's backhand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rQcum1ARfM

The guy is only 5ft 9in, has never been very highly ranked, and yet has several wins over Nadal on clay, has won sets on clay against Nadal with a freaking breadstick and another one with a bagel, and even when he lost he almost always took a set.

Check the above video where he heavily drives a backhand that bounces above his head, and then hits an on the run open-stance topspin backhand winner. Who says the 1hbh can't do open stance? (Well, suresh and Netspirit say it, but they're just misguided).

If you transposed Gaudio's backhand to someone the height of Djokovic or Murray it would very effectively negate Nadal's beloved cc forehand rally. Gaudio's extreme backhand grip would counter the height of Nadal's forehand, and his ability to hit backhands open stance would counter the width of Nadal's forehand. Gaudio can drive the very high ball even better than Djokovic, though Djokovic is better at playing the high ball before it gets high i.e. on the rise.