Who was overall a more aggressive player Wawrinka or Roddick?
- Thread starter zill
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Deleted member 754093
Guest
Roddick’s late career decline into loopy forehand and slice and dice mode makes this an easy choice for me
That’s true. But somehow he remained his aggressive mindset despite lacking the groundstrokes. That’s why he rushed to the net against Federer after bad approach shots and got passed left and right. To be fair, he would never beat Federer from the baseline either, but still it looked very weird.
I also like Wawrinka’s game more because it is obviously far less about the serve compared Roddick.
NatF
Bionic Poster
Wawrinka. Roddick was a grinder at heart which was often at odds with his natural strengths, post 2005 he lost a lot of the aggression behind the forehand that took him to #1 etc...
I'd say early Roddick was a bit more aggressive than Wawrinka e.g. pulled the trigger earlier in rallies.
I'd say early Roddick was a bit more aggressive than Wawrinka e.g. pulled the trigger earlier in rallies.
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Sysyphus
Talk Tennis Guru
Maybe in a sense Roddick had the more aggressive mindset but (after ~2005) not the same quality tools for effective aggression off the ground as Wawa, if that makes any sense. That is to say, Wawa does more damage of the ground, but mostly just because his groundstrokes are a bit better, not because his general approach to the game is more offensive.
Worth bearing in mind that Roddick was much better on grass than Stan, and vice versa on clay. That also tells us something about their respective strengths and approaches to the game.
Worth bearing in mind that Roddick was much better on grass than Stan, and vice versa on clay. That also tells us something about their respective strengths and approaches to the game.
JasonG2019
Rookie
Wawrinka
tennis_pro
Bionic Poster
I don't even think 2004 Roddick was as aggressive as Wawrinka.
JasonG2019
Rookie
Wawrinka has the game to beat Djokovic
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Deleted member 743545
Guest
Who is more agressive than Wawrinka? Not even someone like F.Gonzalez, Thiem or Del Potro.
Sysyphus
Talk Tennis Guru
Most of the serve bots, Raonic, Federer, Basilashvili is up there, Shapovalov is in the discussion.
Stan and Thiem hit monstrous rally balls to be sure, but there's more to aggression than that. There are also things like forcing the action, taking time away from the opponent, rushing the net, and so on, and they don't do much of that. They are generally happy to grind a bit, just very powerfully.
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
Aggressive Roddick>Wawrinka>Passive Roddick
Roddick had much, much more fluctuation.
Also interesting to note that Roddick's break% on grass was higher than Wawa. Roddick was a fast court player, Wawa a slow court player. Neither of them were great movers but Roddick was best when he could defend his backhand effectively with the slice and when he only needed a few good forehands to set up a point.
Roddick's forehand imo was one of the first stereotypical modern forehands, but I think it's underrated how compact the swing actually was so that he didn't need all that much time to set it up. He never really had the footwork to adapt it or to step through a ball like Federer excelled at. It would actually have been one of my main things had I coached Roddick
lud
Hall of Fame
Roddick was way more aggressive. Waw is just pure baseliner, with cannon in his hand.
Roddick was like wild(stupid) pitbull, just attack every possible ball there is. Waw otoh is much bettee ball hitter, aggressive - yes, but also tactically very wise. He knows when attack and when stay in rallies and wait for moment.
Roddick was like wild(stupid) pitbull, just attack every possible ball there is. Waw otoh is much bettee ball hitter, aggressive - yes, but also tactically very wise. He knows when attack and when stay in rallies and wait for moment.
George Turner
Hall of Fame
Never understood why Roddicks game devolved into loopy grindy forehand, he had the game to take out anyone bar Federer.
Perhaps he tried to adapt too much to try and beat Federer but in doing so lost his edge over other players. Still has a 5-4 h2h over Djokovic.
Perhaps he tried to adapt too much to try and beat Federer but in doing so lost his edge over other players. Still has a 5-4 h2h over Djokovic.
Djokodalerer31
Hall of Fame
Over pre-2011 Djokovic right...that's...very reliable metric! LOL Are we going ignore how he lead Hewitt 4-1 during the same period, who is bigger and greater player than Roddick or what?...
MeatTornado
Talk Tennis Guru
His entire goal became to beat Fed. I think he saw the direction Nadal was starting to take the sport and he figured it was worth a shot.
Spoiler Alert: it wasn't
NatF
Bionic Poster
Post surgery Hewitt though
, Roddick also evened out his h2h with Hewitt in that same period. I think Tsonga led pre 2011 Djokovic as well, obviously that turned around fast...Djokovic had a lot of problems in 09-10.
George Turner
Hall of Fame
Djokovic was a permanent fixture in the top 3 from end of 2007-2010, wasn't exactly a terrible player then. And that 5-4 h2h was against "loopy grinder forehand" Roddick.
Roddick is supposed to be the face of the weak era so you wouldn't think he'd have a winning h2h over Djokovic.
Deon Sanders
Legend
Roddick on grass was more aggressive than any version of Stan honestly
He would continually force the end of points
Just "hitting it big" isnt the end all be all of aggression
He would continually force the end of points
Just "hitting it big" isnt the end all be all of aggression
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
For those saying Roddick wasn't aggressive, please watch the 2009 Wimbledon final again. For the first three sets, he was using his non-Stefanki FH and coming in a lot and volleying well for him. Yes, I know about the botched volley at 6-2 in the second set. But Andy played a brilliant match those first 4 sets, then his legs started to go in the fifth.
Red Rick
Bionic Poster
It's like a top #3 mystery scientist haven't figured out.
If you ever find the answer, there's a nobel prize with your name on it.
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
Debatable topic, well done.
But subjective aggression aside... though Roddick did end a year at number one, i think he would be pleased to be compared with a three slammer like stan.
But subjective aggression aside... though Roddick did end a year at number one, i think he would be pleased to be compared with a three slammer like stan.
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