prosealster
Professional
sampras serve i say... that shot has won him more matches than fed's forehand...
Greatest shot ever?
- Thread starter redsoxrock930
- Start date
MEAC_ALLAMERICAN
Legend
Sampras serve w/ Federer's forehand.
JacKKyKung
Semi-Pro
sampras running forehand
L
laurie
Guest
I would certainly have voted for that if it was in the poll.
superstition
Hall of Fame
Very enlightening.Oh, the amazing things 'Big Bill' Tilden could do with 'wood' .... especially young wood!
BackHander22
Rookie
Fed's forehand.
roddick telegraphs his serve. sampras was taught by pete fisher to toss the ball in the air and when the ball was in the air, fisher would tell him what serve to hit. it was impossible to read. ivanisevic might have had a better 1st serve but was prone to inconsistency and double faults. sampras was money in the clutch with his serve.
drakulie
Talk Tennis Guru
Better placement, spin, and disguise.
Andres
G.O.A.T.
Against Goran:
Placement: We could argue about this all day long
Spin: Definitely
Disguise: Not even close.
Against Roddick:
Yes,
Yes,
Yes.
federerfanatic
Banned
^^^ Problem with that is, that if I had Sampras's serve and you had Fed's forehand you would never use that Forehand to break me. I would simply serve to your backhand and win every single point.
The single most important shot in the game is the serve.
Awww but if you did that all the time might the opponent not cheat a bit, not deliberately moving over to make it blatant of course, but doing it in advance to be over there to hit the forehand, especialy on the 2nd serve.
federerfanatic
Banned
The loyal Goran fan has emerged to defend his guy.
I agree Goran's serve is better then Roddick's atleast though.
Andres
G.O.A.T.
Oh come on!!! You cannot be serious!!!The loyal Goran fan has emerged to defend his guy.
I admit Pete had a better spin, and we could argue about placement, but disguise?
I haven't seen anyone so confused while returning a serve. With Sampras, you could somehow read it. Goran's 1st serve was unreadable. The short toss, quick delivery, and BOOM.
Sampras had a WAY BETTER 2nd serve, though. But I'd rank Goran's first serve over Sampras every day of the week.
And also weekends
federerfanatic
Banned
Oh come on!!! You cannot be serious!!!
I admit Pete had a better spin, and we could argue about placement, but disguise?
I haven't seen anyone so confused while returning a serve. With Sampras, you could somehow read it. Goran's 1st serve was unreadable. The short toss, quick delivery, and BOOM.
Sampras had a WAY BETTER 2nd serve, though. But I'd rank Goran's first serve over Sampras every day of the week.
And also weekends
I think Goran had the better 1st serve, Sampras the better 2nd serve. Sampras was the better pressure server IMO, but I dont know if it is fair to say that had anything to do with serving ability or more to do with mental strength. I agree Goran had the even better 1st serve, so I guess you could argue his serve was better just for that reason. When they played one another IIRC Goran had the edge on aces almost always.
zagor
Bionic Poster
Oh come on!!! You cannot be serious!!!
I admit Pete had a better spin, and we could argue about placement, but disguise?
I haven't seen anyone so confused while returning a serve. With Sampras, you could somehow read it. Goran's 1st serve was unreadable. The short toss, quick delivery, and BOOM.
Sampras had a WAY BETTER 2nd serve, though. But I'd rank Goran's first serve over Sampras every day of the week.
And also weekends
Finally,someone who agrees with me,Sampras had a better second serve and was better clutch server but there is no way that he had better first serve,Goran's first serve is the best ever,even Sampras admitted that.
pabloJD
Rookie
I don't know if he admitted it was better than his, but he said it was ''The most devastating serve I've ever seen or had to play against,'' ''I actually like watching him.''
And this is what Mark Woodforde said in that press conference:
"He just has a unique action. I mean, it is a terrifically relaxed action and he is able to get a lot of disguise on it, I guess similar to a pitcher who, I don't know winds up and pulls his leg up and sort of gets ready to throw it down. If that is the disguise in it, but Goran just seems to be able to -- he just has great disguise on it and he is able to hit it anywhere in all parts of the court. I mean, that is what makes Goran Ivanisevic one of the better players around. It is just really hard -- I mean, obviously I found it very, very hard to return today. Maybe one other time at Wimbledon, he served something like that to me where it is just back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, as you know, really not much you can do except, I don't know, try and hit him over the head on the change of ends or something."
"I actually think with Goran's serve, if you gave him a wooden racket, he'd probably serve that way still. I really believe that. The pace of it may come down fractionally. As I said, he just has great disguise. The way it sets up, it makes you, I guess the way he just sets up it, makes you think that he is going to serve out wide on the first court and really down the tee on the second court. But he serves great down the middle on the first court and he serves fantastic outside on the second court. It is just -- I don't know whether the wooden rackets would slow him down, but I'd like to maybe try that possibility, suggest it to him when he comes in here."
and then he said some bad things about the rest of his game...
zagor
Bionic Poster
Thanks,very interesting read,I also think that the best part of Goran's serve is disguise and I think that both Sampras and Goran would be serving bombs even with the wooden rackets,IMO racket technology was more helpfull to returners and baseliners than servers.Here is what Sampras said in interview with SI about Goran's serve:
SI: The one stroke from any player in history you would like to borrow for one match?
Sampras: How about Goran Ivanisevic's serve? On grass. That was pretty rough
andyroddick1
Rookie
Roddick has awesome disguise on his serve. The only people who actually seem to be able to read it seems to be Fed.
zagor
Bionic Poster
LOL! I'm so glad I joined this forum,it is very entertaining.
Kid Carlos
Semi-Pro
Even tho Sampras serve was more important and usual, It would be nice to hit the Fed forehand!
The great Woodforde vs Ivanisevic battle of the press room.
The great Woodforde vs Ivanisevic battle of the press room.
MARK WOODFORDE
Q. If you could sum it up in a couple of words, how did that feel?
MARK WOODFORDE: He just won with his serve. That was all. Once the points extended past, you know, either a doublefault or an ace or a missed return, I felt like I was doing okay, but he just served me off the court, basically, that is all. Goran has his serve and not much else, so it seems like he has got it back going together with his serve. Over in the year he had the yips with it totally and, you know, wasn't putting them in. He had poor results and then, you know, probably from grass courts on he seems to have, you know, just -- got back into to sync with it. He is starting to win. He wins with his serve. It is not much else that he wins with it.
Q. Is that a fault in the men's game that a guy can go out there and just serve people off the court and not really have to structure points?
MARK WOODFORDE: Well, I don't see what the attraction is. I can't believe that the game is going that way and the fans want to see tennis like that. What do you want to see? There is nothing happening. It is just a big serve and nothing else. His games were going by so quickly. I think that is why he probably -- when he is not having a good day and someone returns his serve back all the time and he sort of blows up because what else can he do? I just -- for me, I mean, if I was watching tennis, I wouldn't go and watch a guy like him play because what does he do? He doesn't do anything except serve, but he is still one of the stars of the game. He has developed it and that is great. It is a beautiful serve to watch. It is very natural, but I wouldn't -- if I was paying money to come to the US Open, I wouldn't go and sit by his court. (Laughs)
Q. On McEnroe good days when he was -- obviously different kind of serve, but even on McEnroe good days, were you able to guess right?
MARK WOODFORDE: Well, when probably -- when McEnroe was playing, I mean, he didn't serve up to -- I don't know exactly, but I would doubt whether he was serving consistently 120 odd like Goran was today. McEnroe certainly had fantastic disguise, but he also had a lot more to his game, I think.
Goran Ivanisevic
Q. Woodforde was in here. He said that you have a serve and not much else. He wouldn't pay to watch you play tennis. What are your views on his comment?
GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know, he once -- he doesn't like me too much. He wanted to hit me today with this ball. Actually he hit me and he didn't say sorry, but he said once he is better player than me, but I don't see how, the way he is, the way his game is, man, it is very tough to watch. I think it is time for him to retire singles. In doubles, he is still good, because he still can cover half the court, but he looks very poor at the court. Pretty old, can't move, with that ****ty backhand you can't beat anybody. If I have son, just show Woodforde picture, you can't play tennis like him otherwise, man --
Q. Apart from that, what is it between you?
GORAN IVANISEVIC: Me and him?
Q. Yeah.
GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't have nothing against him, but he always talks how bad I am, but you cannot be bad and beat second in the world and Top-10 for six years, and at least he hit me on the purpose, I was at the net. He had straight forehand to me. He had a smash. He could -- I turned my back and he hit me, I don't know, somewhere he hit me, he didn't say sorry. So he hates me. But then I hit an ace after that and that kills him. I see on his face, those guys are poor, they can't do anything and then they hit you, it is a poor thing.
The great Woodforde vs Ivanisevic battle of the press room.
MARK WOODFORDE
Q. If you could sum it up in a couple of words, how did that feel?
MARK WOODFORDE: He just won with his serve. That was all. Once the points extended past, you know, either a doublefault or an ace or a missed return, I felt like I was doing okay, but he just served me off the court, basically, that is all. Goran has his serve and not much else, so it seems like he has got it back going together with his serve. Over in the year he had the yips with it totally and, you know, wasn't putting them in. He had poor results and then, you know, probably from grass courts on he seems to have, you know, just -- got back into to sync with it. He is starting to win. He wins with his serve. It is not much else that he wins with it.
Q. Is that a fault in the men's game that a guy can go out there and just serve people off the court and not really have to structure points?
MARK WOODFORDE: Well, I don't see what the attraction is. I can't believe that the game is going that way and the fans want to see tennis like that. What do you want to see? There is nothing happening. It is just a big serve and nothing else. His games were going by so quickly. I think that is why he probably -- when he is not having a good day and someone returns his serve back all the time and he sort of blows up because what else can he do? I just -- for me, I mean, if I was watching tennis, I wouldn't go and watch a guy like him play because what does he do? He doesn't do anything except serve, but he is still one of the stars of the game. He has developed it and that is great. It is a beautiful serve to watch. It is very natural, but I wouldn't -- if I was paying money to come to the US Open, I wouldn't go and sit by his court. (Laughs)
Q. On McEnroe good days when he was -- obviously different kind of serve, but even on McEnroe good days, were you able to guess right?
MARK WOODFORDE: Well, when probably -- when McEnroe was playing, I mean, he didn't serve up to -- I don't know exactly, but I would doubt whether he was serving consistently 120 odd like Goran was today. McEnroe certainly had fantastic disguise, but he also had a lot more to his game, I think.
Goran Ivanisevic
Q. Woodforde was in here. He said that you have a serve and not much else. He wouldn't pay to watch you play tennis. What are your views on his comment?
GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know, he once -- he doesn't like me too much. He wanted to hit me today with this ball. Actually he hit me and he didn't say sorry, but he said once he is better player than me, but I don't see how, the way he is, the way his game is, man, it is very tough to watch. I think it is time for him to retire singles. In doubles, he is still good, because he still can cover half the court, but he looks very poor at the court. Pretty old, can't move, with that ****ty backhand you can't beat anybody. If I have son, just show Woodforde picture, you can't play tennis like him otherwise, man --
Q. Apart from that, what is it between you?
GORAN IVANISEVIC: Me and him?
Q. Yeah.
GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't have nothing against him, but he always talks how bad I am, but you cannot be bad and beat second in the world and Top-10 for six years, and at least he hit me on the purpose, I was at the net. He had straight forehand to me. He had a smash. He could -- I turned my back and he hit me, I don't know, somewhere he hit me, he didn't say sorry. So he hates me. But then I hit an ace after that and that kills him. I see on his face, those guys are poor, they can't do anything and then they hit you, it is a poor thing.
Techniques
Rookie
Hewitt's lobs. He seriously is an awwsome lobber. I don't know who is a better lobber. However Sampras and Goran had the best serves. Gorans serve was crazy- so hard to read some lefty serves. Wayne Arthurs who recently retired also had a Goran-esque serve. Nadal rated it the best serve in mens tennis or something after he played him.
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