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June 23, 2007
Slice and serve with a delicious volley
By Judy Murray, Telegraph
Five reasons why the Swiss is the big cheese: 1.
His serve: Federer's serve might not be the most powerful in the game
but he is still able to rack up the aces and it is one of the most
accurate and most consistent deliveries on the ATP Tour. It is also
wonderfully disguised and sets him up well for his second shot. He has
the ability to serve-and-volley, too, which is something he has been
doing a lot more of this year and which is such an effective tactic on
the lawns of the All England Club. His first-serve percentage has been
relatively low lately and that is something he will want to improve
next week.
2.
His versatility: Federer has such a wonderful repertoire of shots and a
complete mastery of the ball that allows him to construct points better
than anybody else. He can vary the pace, depth, height, spin and
direction at will and can hurt opponents from every part of the court.
He will use his slice backhand to keep the ball low and short on the
cross court (especially on the return of serve from the advantage
court), forcing opponents to hit up and will also use it aggressively
down the line as an effective approach shot. Slice keeps the ball so
low on the grass that it can neutralise his opponent's attacking shots.
It is the shot that usually unravels the big hitters such as Andy
Roddick. 3. His athleticism: Physically,
Federer is in great shape and is deceptively powerful. He is a natural
athlete and has great speed. It is not just speed off the mark and
around the court, but speed of reaction too. He has tremendous
reflexes, allowing him to adapt quickly to the biggest serves and
unpredictable bounces on grass. It is another of the reasons why he is
one of the best volleyers out there. 4. His
ambition: Federer wants to be the best in the world, to win the biggest
titles and to create tennis history. That is why the defeat by Rafael
Nadal in the final at Roland Garros will have left him emotionally
drained. But he is a great competitor, always relishes whatever
challenge is thrown at him and he will be out to lift a fifth
consecutive Wimbledon title. He may find the opening rounds a little
tricky since he will have had no grass court match practice but, like
all great champions, he will find a way to win even when he is not
playing his best. His ability to play the big points well is uncanny. 5.
Centre Court: It is like his own back yard - there is no better place
for Federer to show his superiority. He is totally at home there and
has complete faith in his own ability. He is equally effective on both
wings on grass - his slight vulnerability on the high backhand is tough
to expose on low-bouncing turf. And with all of the weapons at his
disposal and the crowds behind him, the odds are that he will retain
his crown.
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