Great Serve and Volleyers of the last 20 years

[Gaudio's Backhand]

Having only started playing and watching tennis about 5 years ago, I never got the chance to watch any major pro serve and volley (since nobody does it anymore on the tour). However, I want to get some dvd's and tapes of great ones from the last twenty years, especially ones that attacked the net off of the return. Can anyone suggest some players to go back and look at? Players that attacked, attacked, attacked. I'd really like to go back and watch how it was done. I know Sampras and Edberg, but anyone else????

Thanks.

 

[CEvertFan]

Having only started playing and watching tennis about 5 years ago, I never got the chance to watch any major pro serve and volley (since nobody does it anymore on the tour). However, I want to get some dvd's and tapes of great ones from the last twenty years, especially ones that attacked the net off of the return. Can anyone suggest some players to go back and look at? Players that attacked, attacked, attacked. I'd really like to go back and watch how it was done. I know Sampras and Edberg, but anyone else????

Thanks.

Boris Becker was a great serve/volleyer when he wasn't in one of his "I'll beat you from the baseline" moods. Henman, Rafter, Cash were also very good serve/volleyers.

 

[BTURNER]

I remember this character from a few years back. He had a decent attack game. Jack MacEntosh, MacEnbraugh, somthing like that. Irish name, won some tournaments and came in a lot opponent's serve. Used a lot of drop volleys, lefty. You might see about his net game.

 

[Elina]

Patrick Rafter The best serve & volleyer ever.

 

[andreh]

John McEnroe.

Try to find Wimbldeon matches from the 80s and early 90s. Everyone played S&V on grass in those days.

 

[DJG]

John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Patrick Rafter, Pat Cash.

For modern-day examples, wait for Stella Artois and Wimbledon and take a peek at Nicolas Mahut. (He is not the best ever, but a good modern example.)

 

[daddy]

John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Patrick Rafter, Pat Cash.

For modern-day examples, wait for Stella Artois and Wimbledon and take a peek at Nicolas Mahut. (He is not the best ever, but a good modern example.)

Michal Llodra is by far the best todays example of how players used to play in 90's. He is a doubles specialist and I wonder if two singles titles he got this year will mean something in terms of him playing more singles. Id love to see him on grass, his volleys are amasing.

 

[DJG]

^^^ Indeed. Good catch.

 

[tennisdad65]

John McEnroe.. Often serve and volley even on second serves. He rarely stayed at the baseline for more than 2-3 shots and always looked to come in.

current players: stephanek and mahut

 

[Djokovicfan4life]

Yes, Llodra serves and volleys, it's really fun to watch.

 

[Zimbo]

Edberg, McEnroe, Cash, Rafter, Henman, Becker, and Sampras just to name a few. The last 2 brought a huge serve to the table and had a lot of easy put away volleys.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Having only started playing and watching tennis about 5 years ago, I never got the chance to watch any major pro serve and volley (since nobody does it anymore on the tour). However, I want to get some dvd's and tapes of great ones from the last twenty years, especially ones that attacked the net off of the return.

Here are some of my favorite S&V matches:

2001 W Rafter-Agassi
2000 W Rafter-Agassi
2001 USO Sampras-Agassi
1984 FO Lendl-Mac
1985 W Becker-Curren
1991 USO Edberg-Courier

and Llodra-Roddick from last weekend was also a good match to see, it showed S&V still can work. or the Stepanek-Djokovic match from last year's USO.

Was just watching Paes-Agassi '96 USO, that has some of the most insane chip & charging I've seen, Paes was up 6-3,4-0, he couldn't miss for that stretch.

 

[joeri888]

The big ones I've seen as active players: Sampras, Rafter, Henman, Philippousis, Federer(in his early days), Krajicek,Ivanisevic,

 

[hollywood9826]

I remeber watching Wimby 96 and richard krajicek. he was doing everything possible to get to net. He would chip and charge off all 2nd serves. I was only 16 at the time and was too worried about baseball to play closer attention than that.

 

[Motherwasp]

Henmania!!

 

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

Edberg, McEnroe, Rafter; in that order; maybe put Sampras at the 4th spot.

 

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

Forgot Becker. So

Edberg, McEnroe, Becker, Rafter, Sampras.

 

[Gaudio's Backhand]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I'll definitely get some of Edberg's and Mac's matches, perhaps the 84 French to see how Mac did it on clay.

 

[Deleted member 3771]

watch some of the woodies too- in doubles. They were masters of the serve volley. They had to be because neither had a big serve. I don't remember any specific match the most, but I'd get some of their wimbledon matches.

 

[jaggy]

Dent had potential but never came close to fulfilling it, not sure why, injuries maybe.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Here are some of my favorite S&V matches:

2001 W Rafter-Agassi
2000 W Rafter-Agassi
2001 USO Sampras-Agassi
1984 FO Lendl-Mac
1985 W Becker-Curren
1991 USO Edberg-Courier

and Llodra-Roddick from last weekend was also a good match to see, it showed S&V still can work. or the Stepanek-Djokovic match from last year's USO.

Was just watching Paes-Agassi '96 USO, that has some of the most insane chip & charging I've seen, Paes was up 6-3,4-0, he couldn't miss for that stretch.

i was also thinking on that one !

the beginning of that match was... AMAZING.
there were so many incredible points... and agassi was playing good, but paes was really possessed by the devil at the net !
unfortunately, he collapsed after this stretch and the end of the match was a real punition...

PS: good choices for the other matches

 

[rolandg]

In my era, it would be Edberg and Rafter.

 

[0d1n]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Michael Stich. He had better volleys (technically, especially on "touchy - feely" shots) than people like Sampras and Rafter IMO and probably at their very best only McEnroe and Edberg were better @ net.
Sampras had many other things going for him though ... mostly his "head/heart" combination and his movement. The movement/athletic ability was also Rafter's advantage...he wasn't really "great" technically at the net (not "Edberg great" at least), he was more of a "blood and guts" net player rather than a "smelling of roses" net player (Edberg/Stich/McEnroe).

 

[A.J. Sim]

On the women's side, Navratilova would probably be the greatest female serve and volleyer. Jana Novotna was also one of the last good female serve and volleyers.

People have already mentioned a lot of the great ones: Sampras, Edberg, Becker, McEnroe, Rafter, Henman, Cash,.

 

[Nellie]

Edberg, McEnroe, Cash, Rafter, Henman, Becker, and Sampras just to name a few. The last 2 brought a huge serve to the table and had a lot of easy put away volleys.

Sampras may be the greater serve-volley player of all time. His matches will teach you the most about how to play - when to approach, when to stay back, how to

Rafter is my favorite player, but it is tough to learn much from his power game

Watching McEnroe and Edberg will teach you everything about the position/approach shots, but these were guys who had to s&V because their groundstrokes. In particular, Edberg moved beautifully and is still a great model.

 

[agarasbattier]

Here are some of my favorite S&V matches:

2001 W Rafter-Agassi
2000 W Rafter-Agassi
2001 USO Sampras-Agassi
1984 FO Lendl-Mac
1985 W Becker-Curren
1991 USO Edberg-Courier

and Llodra-Roddick from last weekend was also a good match to see, it showed S&V still can work. or the Stepanek-Djokovic match from last year's USO.

Was just watching Paes-Agassi '96 USO, that has some of the most insane chip & charging I've seen, Paes was up 6-3,4-0, he couldn't miss for that stretch.

The 2000 Wimbledon final between Rafter and Sampras was also another great mathch that is fairly recent.

 

[sunflowerhx]

True Natural S&V - Edberg & McEnroe

Great S&V - Sampras & Becker

Good S&V - Cash & Stich (Both underachievers)


There's a big difference between a great S&V and a great volleyer.
Henman is a great volleyer but only a competent S&V.
Rafter had a technically poor forehand volley but succeeded because he was a great athlete.

 

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

True Natural S&V - Edberg & McEnroe

Great S&V - Sampras & Becker

Good S&V - Cash & Stich (Both underachievers)


There's a big difference between a great S&V and a great volleyer.
Henman is a great volleyer but only a competent S&V.
Rafter had a technically poor forehand volley but succeeded because he was a great athlete.

I don't think there is a lot of people disagreed with you. Good post.

 

[Ljubicic for number1]

Rafter is obvious, Phillipousis was pretty handy before all the knee blow outs too.

 

[morten]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Michael Stich. He had better volleys (technically, especially on "touchy - feely" shots) than people like Sampras and Rafter IMO and probably at their very best only McEnroe and Edberg were better @ net.
Sampras had many other things going for him though ... mostly his "head/heart" combination and his movement. The movement/athletic ability was also Rafter's advantage...he wasn't really "great" technically at the net (not "Edberg great" at least), he was more of a "blood and guts" net player rather than a "smelling of roses" net player (Edberg/Stich/McEnroe).

I agree, what a player! more feel/timing than anyone i have ever seen(except maybe Mac)