I'm more than aware of how youtube highlights can skew perception, but I'll post this anyways.
Was Laver unwilling/unable to hit serves out wide when serving into the deuce court? Was this some tactic?
Have a look at 3 videos - they show fifty or more serves from Laver against Newcombe and Ashe - I can count only about 3-5 serves that actually stretch the opponent out wide on deuce court serves. (2 were aces against Newcombe I think)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpdPX9avs1M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q13_STOUBc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePo6KcGQd4M&feature=related
Hell - Look at where Newcombe is standing at 2:50 in the second video (second link above) to return Laver's serve - Its pretty obvious where the serve was going. And inspite of this standing position, Laver's serve wasn't really too far away (would've been a body serve if Newcombe stood in the usual place).
So, any thoughts? Was this a serve that Laver had trouble hitting correctly? I'm geniunely curious since I only started watching tennis in the early 90's.
Was Laver unwilling/unable to hit serves out wide when serving into the deuce court? Was this some tactic?
Have a look at 3 videos - they show fifty or more serves from Laver against Newcombe and Ashe - I can count only about 3-5 serves that actually stretch the opponent out wide on deuce court serves. (2 were aces against Newcombe I think)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpdPX9avs1M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q13_STOUBc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePo6KcGQd4M&feature=related
Hell - Look at where Newcombe is standing at 2:50 in the second video (second link above) to return Laver's serve - Its pretty obvious where the serve was going. And inspite of this standing position, Laver's serve wasn't really too far away (would've been a body serve if Newcombe stood in the usual place).
So, any thoughts? Was this a serve that Laver had trouble hitting correctly? I'm geniunely curious since I only started watching tennis in the early 90's.
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