Safin backhand vs Sinner backhand
- Thread starter Aabye5
- Start date
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
Beauty is subjective.
Who said safin has natural talent and sinner doesn't. This is pure assumption. Sinner is perfecting his serve and +1 forehand and his slice etc .
He has innate backhand talent and was in discussion of best backhand on tour back in 2022 itself.
Both required training and even if Safin stopped training that doesn't mean he had somewhere up to go on backhand. Another assumption.
The excuse makers make preparedness a negative when it's in fact a positive.
FedForGOAT
Professional
It’s hard for me to take your opinions seriously when you make outlandish claims like that.Sinner has average BH.
It's not even close - Safin easy had much better backhand. Even not in his prime
It would make more sense to compare Safin's BH with Agassi, Nalbandan, Djokovic or Kafelnikov.
By every metric, including pace, spin, depth, W/UE, the eye test, and yes, results, I believe Sinner’s bh grades out as well above average.
You are totally within your rights to think Safin’s was much better, but you have to admit the facts.
Winner Sinner
Hall of Fame
Obviously agree with everything.
The only thing I wonder is how we could come to consider his movement, let's say before 2024, as a weak point.
But does anyone remember the Sinner sunshine double 2023 version?
The one who humiliated Rublev in Miami with some fearsome defenses resulting from an incredible movement compared to his height?
Obviously he has perfected the movement in recent years, consequently he has also significantly improved his defense, given that here too two things are quite consequential.
But Sinner 2023 was already an elite athlete.
The real change of gear on a physical and athletic level in his career occurred between 2022 and 2023, in the first off-season in which he was able to work with let's call Vagnozzi's staff.
The Sinner at the beginning of 2023 was already a monster.
PS
Incidentally, purely personal taste, I consider her sunshine double 2023 outfit to be the best I've ever worn.
Rovesciarete
Hall of Fame
Reviewing highlight videos allows us to appreciate some aspects of their respective backhands. Safin relied far more on it to finish points, while current Sinner has one of the best forehands of the last two decades. Spectacular shots from sharp angels cross-court and down-the-line dominate in Safin's highlights. Still Murat could not defend so well on that wing, lacking the ability to slide into shots.
His backhands were more dualistic, flat and hard or loopy and softish.
Not just backhands but moments of brilliance...
Sinner is from the post-Djokovic era. Jannik can do everything Safin could, but mostly better and a lot more. In fact the great quality and versatility of his groundstrokes enable him to win matches from the back...
His backhands were more dualistic, flat and hard or loopy and softish.
Not just backhands but moments of brilliance...
Sinner is from the post-Djokovic era. Jannik can do everything Safin could, but mostly better and a lot more. In fact the great quality and versatility of his groundstrokes enable him to win matches from the back...
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
I think sinner has ability to be better backhand player than Djokovic if he isn't already.
Winner Sinner
Hall of Fame
Rovesciarete
Hall of Fame
Maybe if taking his current form versus the career average of Novak. There is clearly a lot of Djokovic in Sinner's backhand. For me the inside-out is a Novak special, Jannik is able to roll them at surprising angles. Sometimes it almost seems to be a one-hander if he goes sharply cross-court.
BauerAlmeida
Hall of Fame
Safin is better at going DTL, and cross-court he can generate more angles.
Sinner hits very powerful and deep but he doesn't have Safin's versatility, he is a bit more solid and defends better.
Sinner hits very powerful and deep but he doesn't have Safin's versatility, he is a bit more solid and defends better.
Lavs
Hall of Fame
True. Safin hardly used his BH as a defensive shot, he had majority of winners from his backhand (DL or deep angles).
Sinner from other hand uses it at defense. Not saying he does not finish the point using BH.
Safin had more natural flow and swing. At least it looked smoother and more effortless to me.
I already responded to this useless argument. I never said any of that.
You’re the fourth person saying this after I’ve painstakingly explained that that wasn’t my point. Please learn to not just read the words in front of you, but also think about what the message was that the other person is trying to convey.
TennisGrandpA
Rookie
He started working on his movement from 2023 and reached his peak in 2024. His movement was not world class when dealing with angled shots as we saw that in his matches against Djokovic in Wimbledon .Rublev is a flat hitter and doesn’t have variety in his shots to exploit movement.
TennisGrandpA
Rookie
Naah,Djokovic in his prime could break Rafa’s FH with his own BH, it was that good. Basically Djokovic’s BH had everything from shot tolerance to attacking prowess , could generate crazy angle and would barely make errors.
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nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
Sinner showed the same ability at similar age vs Nadal.
TennisGrandpA
Rookie
I am a big Sinner fan but old Nadal exposed his movement ( Djokodal were best at it) and made Sinner go for extra in their RG matches. Sinner can be scary good but Djokovic faced prime Nadal.
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
I don't see any difference. Nadal beat him in 2020 and 2021 rome ? Both times winning the title. In 2021 rg Nadal played superbly.
The peak or prime is just a suggestion. It's not binding anyone from playing their best. Nadal played his best in those matches.
Winner Sinner
Hall of Fame
As already mentioned, with the Vagnozzi staff they began to strengthen the physical and athletic part during the 2022 off-season which preceded the 2023 season.
Just look at the difference in muscle tone between 2022 and 2023, very significant.
That the Sinner 2023 did not yet have the movement of 2024 is one thing, but talking about a weak point is also not.
The matchup with Rublev has nothing to do with it, I posted those videos to point out how super movement had related to his height already in that season.
Those images are quite eloquent.
And I could also report this video, nothing changes, he was already a great athlete who made a big leap in quality compared to 2022.
Huge difference between the 2021 and 2023 movement, but the diversity in terms of muscle tone is also very accentuated.
Rovesciarete
Hall of Fame
I think both views regarding Sinner are quite compatible. Early on he was excellent despite his clear physical handicap against the tour as a whole.
It can take a while to work up to a challenge. Djokovic's first victories against Nadal on clay occurred in 2011, when Djoker was 24. Before then, Djokovic lost nine straight matches on clay to Nadal. Sinner obviously couldn't have the same long-term opportunity to improve, adapt, and problem-solve against an opponent who was 15 years older than he.
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
nolefam_2024
Bionic Poster
Third Serve
Talk Tennis Guru
Sinner also has a better serve and broader sex appeal
Rovesciarete
Hall of Fame
Young Jannik was an incredible ballstriker, especially with his backhand and not that bad at the net. Hubi and Piatti’s staff did well. Maybe the latter was even too careful with the loads but credit for not chasing too quick gains.
Happily they never met recently on hardcourt, it would have been sad to see Rafa getting smashed, on clay it could have been more interesting…
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