Nice!

yea!! go fed go!! :D

oh btw,thanks Tignor for writing such amazing pieces of tennis literature!:)

What a masterclass performance by Federer today...Vintage Federer!And so is this article...if one watched the game live, he/she will agree with me that the full essence has been captured here of Federer's breathtaking shots today!After reading this, I was rendered speechless as my mind wandered back to compare today's match against his previous matches and what future will look like without Federer!

I really don’t know how tennis will be in the absence of Federer, but one thing is for sure that we are really lucky to watch him play. The more he plays, better it is for tennis fans. With his goodbye, we can also unofficially call it an end of the one handed backhand shots in tennis.(Here is my take for Federer fans who grew up watching tennis in 90's: Roger Federer- The Last Link To The 90's? http://bit.ly/sPzObf )

"Fed needs a two handed backhand to handle power"

Yep. that is exactly what we need more players to play the same kind of game. Everyone should have 2 handers. Everyone should run around like rabbits on steroids. The way things are going tennis will lose alot a fans unless there is more variety in the game asap.

f(oneHandBackhand,Fed,Sampras,Henman)=Annacone :-)

Great writeup. It wasn't that Fed was back to his old self, it was that he learned some new shots and strategies. His return of serve, the drop shots, the backhand, especially down the line. And the pace! Both those guys were crushing the ball but Then Fed would completely change direction. What an extraordinary performance. I was absolutely speechless watching that and I will be replaying that tape many times over the years.

Fed is a beast! :)

I mean it in a good way :)

Fed is the best. I hope he gets past Nadal to have a shot at the titel!

Federer was almost perfet against Delpo; next is Nadal. Go Federer the GOAT!

Fed played well today, and as you mention he mixed it up really well.

However, it wa so dissapointing from Del Potro. Yes Fed played great, and he didn't exactly hand the match to him but I just felt that he came out so flat. He just never seemed to get the weight behind his groundstrokes that we know he can do.

I really was looking forward to a good contest, but then we all got what we wanted with another Fedal match. I'll never be dissapointed seeing those two play, especially in slams.

After Nadal's long match Fed has to be the favourite. I can't wait.

Although I have never played competitive tennis, I wouldn't brand single backhand as playing with one hand tied behind your back.

With single hand backhand, tennis is a play. With double backhand you play tennis.

If anything, at least for me, it's the other way round.

Double backhand, although giving you more control and reliability also limits your game and options.

Personally, I'd ban double handed shots, they spoil the original purity of the game.

Federer's bakchand is at least as good as his forehand, it's just awesome.

The fact that Nadal exploited it, and Federer allowed it to be exploited does not detract from its never-praised-enough quality and beauty.

Everything about Federer starting with his build, down to game and basic shots is really perfect on the eye.

Full credit to Nadal and Djokovic to have pinned him down.

I don't know a lot about tennis pre 80s, but form what I have seen in the clips, tennis as a game has evolved and peaked with Federer.

Whatever direction it keeps evolving into it will have never moved the zenith point of Maestro open-stanced mid-court, sending that inside-out forehand silently into roar of tennis joy.

Another insightful article. Thank you. Federer displays two attributes neglected in today's game: "versatility," as Tignor puts it, and age. There is a connection between the two. Federer may be in full command over the exigencies of the game--its variances in tempo, position, strategy--as no other player I've watched has. And he hones his prodigious tools to meet those exigencies. He merges the wisdom of a thirty-year-old and lovingly honed skills; we see this as versatility. The one-handed backhand, dismissed widely, might be the most obvious marker of this quality, the singular stroke that marks this potential.

This puts a bit of a lie to the conventional wisdom, offered by Patrick McEnroe, for example, elsewhere on this site in discussing the adolescent girl, Ingrid Neel, who wants to serve and volley. McEnroe, ensconced in the tennis establishment (which now apparently has the vocabulary of a teenager), actively discourages the strategy, which is one form of versatility. We might think, as Tignor suggests, refreshingly, that versatility is a vital, active, potent way of play. But it is more demanding than the baseliner game, and takes more physical and spatial imagination--both of which can be nurtured. But that takes time and takes age.

Don't cry for the Humble Bull, Fernando ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SreCQSmXD34&feature=related

Wonder what Steve's analysis of the Fedal semi will be?

Fed was playing sublime today and Nadal was as tough a gladiator human wall as ever. Fed conserved a lot of energy this week and a 4 hour match to Nadal is just normalso tiredness wouldn't be a factor here....

Not sure exactly what to expect - will it be the same old backhand drubbing by the lefty top spin forehand or will Fed have learnt some new tricks to counter that? It'd be good to get some surprises in the rivalry lol!

Either way it's gonna be an exciting one! Rooting for Fed to come out on top as the old underdog in this matchup.

A Federvic final after that would be a bonus extra lol :>

Interesting post. I don't agree with the premise, however. There is quite a bit of variety available with the two-handed backhand. It's just that most players don't learn to use it. Just look back at Jimmy Connors. Many of his two-handers were flat or with low-skidding slice. Same thing goes for the forehand. How many players today seem to even know that a forehand slice approach shot even exists?

Federer's variety off both wings is an amazing thing. I, for one, love watching Dolgopolov and Tomic in addition to being a Fed Fan since both of which aren't afraid to mix it up.

Del Potro is soooo overrated! What has he done in his comeback that made anyone think he would threaten Fed? There is lots of postulating when the draw comes out, but in the end, the semis will likely involve the only four guys that matter.

Thanks for this, Steve. I get so tired of the old "two-handed backhands are so much better than one-handed backhands" argument, it makes me sick. Look, they're different tools, and like all tools they are especially good for accomplishing specific, and different, tasks.

[Full disclosure: I have a one-handed backhand, and as my moniker suggests, I rely quite heavily on my slice, which I am often told is one of the heaviest shots my opponents have ever faced.]

If I could resurrect my 12-year-old self, I would learn to hit a two-handed backhand to complement my one-hander and augment my offensive options on that side. To be specific, I'd like to be able to step up to a big serve out wide to my backhand and take it early and drill it flat cross-court, or take a serve that's drilled at my body and fend it off with a strong two-fisted block return. However, when it comes to operating in "open field," nothing beats my one-handed topspin drive from corner to corner, or my one-handed slice up the line as I'm moving quickly into position at the net, where I can use my best weapons -- my volleys and overhead.

There's no question that we're seeing a bit of a resurgence of the one-handed slice backhand among two-handers in the pro game -- see MNurray, Tomic and even the archetype of modern-day two-handers, Djokovic, for evidence of this fact. And for good reason: it offers certain options that the two-handed backhand does not, and it uses a lot less energy to execute.

So, people, can we please put this silly argument to rest and simply admit that both shots/styles have their place in the game, even at the top? Thank you.

JMDP hits a flat ball, so Fed doesn't face those high hops on the backhand side like he will against Nadal. That topspin forehand of Nadal's is kryptonite to superFed.

It's so fun to read these columns while re-watching the match, looking out for the shots/moments you discuss. You really are the best companion to a grand slam!

Can we also just talk about the return of serve for a second? Federer's improvement on that front is striking.

If Federer's backhand weren't a weakness, he wouldn't need to run around it so much.

This is the most relaxed and confident I've seen Roger going into a major in a while. It's reflected in his level of play. The dude is just happy.
Allez!!

Roger is my favorite :) Nadal is struggling and Nole is the guy to beat. So, it's going to be interesting this time around.

my favorite blog http://www.fit-2-hit.com

GO ROGER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone what time the Fed Del Porto match will be replayed today? On either espen2 or tennis channel? I screwed up the taping of the march. Argh!

This is stupid. You don't need a single hander to have a good slice, good vollies and so on. You really really don't. You just need to practise those shots correctly to be good at them. Simple as that.

Im rooting for Nadal. I hope he meets Djokovic in the finals.

Here is the match-up history between Nadal and Federer:

http://myballsmyballs.blogspot.com/2012/01/federer-vs-nadal-on-friday.html

not sure if anybody agrees with me, but Roger reminds me of Steffi Graf. They both play with similar style... beautiful tennis...

It would be nice if Fed could hit a two hander return then just switch back to one hand. Either way, his date with Nadal is just going to be a brutal spanking for everyone's favorite Swiss.

Another nice piece of tennis writing, and it's clear that many of the commenters understand and appreciate what Federer has brought to tennis. I always make a point of watching his matches; I can't say that about any other player.

When they flashed on the screen (before the match) that he had reached 31 consecutive QFS, I thought: "Will this never end?" On last night's evidence, not any time soon. But there's no denying that he's reaching the late stage of his career, which is all the more reason to watch this artistry every chance we have.

I noticed but couldn't quite describe the time aspect of Federer's backhand today, and I'm intrigued to see how, or if, it will any difference in his next match. While nearly all my favorite players play with both fists for the backhand, the classic look of the one-handed backhand is still probably my favorite shot in the game.

I'm a huge Nadal fan and from what I saw last night I expect the Fed to EASILY best his rival. The simple truth is that, as much as I like Nadal, he has never had the fire in the belly that Fed has. Resultingly, he's not tweaked his game as willingly, especially in the face of Nole's supremacy, as Fed seems to have. All in all, I expect Fed to dispatch Nadal in three and take out Nole in four.

IL, while you are technically correct, as any player worth his or her salt can tell you, executing the slice with one hand is much more "natural" and "fluid" and often results in a better outcome -- both in terms of the shot's efficacy and in terms of the positional advantages one can gain as a consequence of using one and only one hand.

Conversely, the topspin backhand lob can be executed with one hand, too, but there is little disagreement among players that the two-handed form of the shot is more effective -- easier to execute, and easier to disguise.

Fed's got unlimited options with the one handed backhand, and he can disguise his shot soo well with it, where tow-handers have to wind up in order, you can kinda tell by the amount of "Wind" where the shots going. He's perfected the backhand slice and his slice, drop shot and cross courts all mechanically look the same. He's hitting the backhand so well, really since the end of the year. I notice he's making less errors with it when it hits with more topspin rather than flatter. Gives his shots more net clearance.

If Fed can continue to play this well, serve this well and mix it up against Rafa he's got a great chance. Variety is what gets to Rafa when these two play, but often times Federer gets into too many baseline rallies.

A lot of pundits used to same a similar thing about Steffi Graf's slice backhand. The lament always was "Why doesn't she hit with topspin like she does in practice??" She didn't because she didn't have to. Her slice backhand was the setup shot to open up the forehand. A lot of the women, then and now, have 2 handed backhands and they all struggled against her slice.

Eventually they woudl get a low one that handcuffed them and they would scoop up a low ball and drop a short ball. Steffi's footworj enabled her to get to it and kill the point with a forehand.

Roger, I believe, uses the variety he is able to produce on the bankhand side in much the same way with added advantage of having more confidience in the topspin backhand.

I think Steve should reserve a OHBH vs THBH discussion part 2, after the Rafa/Rog semifinal and then see what people feel...

Today's strings, raquets and court conditions and playing types (extreme western grip and bolo fh) are very top spin oriented and make the ball bounce really high...so, yes, against a specific type of opponent (one-dimensional flat hitter, bad mover), the OHBH comes out looking great and it is a thing of beauty by itself no doubt, but you will see that it belongs in the museum today, against the 80% of top. It is a testament to Federer that he has won so much with it and is keeping things competitive at 30 with such great young guns, but he is an anamoly, and even he has to fight with one hand tied (seems like a unfair disadvantage).

Dont get carried away too much by the Ivo/Bernard/Delpo matches, they are a certain breed...

Full disclosure: I play with a OHBH, love it to death, suffer competitively bcos of it with a good number of opponents in long running matches (but win bcos of it against a select set who cant handle variety) and have tried quite a few times to switch to THBH and failed miserably (it is not natural for me).

Ozone, I hear you. And yes, today's professional game, being skewed by the preponderance of the slower, higher-bouncing surfaces, generally fabors the two-handed backhand players. It is a testament to Federer's brilliance, to be sure, that he has been uber-successful in this day and age.

And S-n-D, I have a lot of respect for your comments, and though I dont know you, I feel you are a good tennis player and analyst and like your comments.

I even wish what you say were true...but unless you are uber talented like Federer, as all the good doubles players say, THBH seems to be the percentage play here (the middle of the court...).

I have a 5 yr old son who likes and plays tennis and if he continues, I may have to make a decision how to steer him. He is left handed but uses right hand for many things. I am not sure if I will decide with my head (THBH) or heart (OHBH)...

Solid performance by Roger and very disappointed by Del Potro. Del Potro lacked speed, movement, and had zero anticipation. Totally agree that Del Potro is overrated and is no competition to any of big 4.

As a one handed backhand user myself, it's nice to see Steve give this neglected technique the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, this might serve as a eulogy the way things are going with the pro game lately.

I was one of those kids that heard the stories about Edberg and Sampras switching from two hands to one, and couldn't help but do so myself. Fortunately, this was a good decision for me, as my topspin backhand is a particularly heavy shot for my opponents.

As for Fed vs Nadal, I've always thought that maybe Roger just needed to try moving his grip to the more extreme Henin-ish Eastern Grip. I always thought that might help get over the ball when dealing with Nadal's vertical bounce. I haven't faced anybody with that type of game, so this is just a thought experiment on my part. I'd be curious what other one handers think. Slice? Ozone? Anyone?

:)

squarish... look at that photo of Federer at the top of Steve's post. That's about as extreme a backhand grip as you're going to see. Knuckles up. Not recommended for the slice or volley (use continental, instead), but excellent for taking a topspin ball on the rise and countering it with topspin of your own. Not easy to do, but then how many Federer's (or Nadal's) do you know?

Thanks Slice-n-Dice, I do see what you mean. However, I actually don't consider that to be that extreme. :) I do wish there was better consistency between the nomenclature of the forehand and backhand grips.

I would consider this grip to be similar to the strong eastern forehand grip, while I was thinking that maybe Fed could move to more of the Justine grip that is like the Full Western forehand. That's the grip that I use when hitting topspin, and I'm able to nicely roll the knuckles over the ball. Granted, I am a 105 kg wrecking ball on the court, but Justine was able to use it quite well at her size. I just figured maybe moving towards that extreme might've been a better suggestion than telling Roger to use the left hand as well against Nadal.

Then again, it involves bringing the index finger in to more of hammer grip as opposed to the fanned out position he's used to. That would probably be the bigger adjustment, as that changes the forearm angle at contact.

It's kind of like telling someone to try the Berasategui style Hawaiian grip, only as a counter measure for a single opponent, but I thought it was worth trying.

The key point for Djokovic who beat Nadal so consistency recently is that backhand down the line. Novak can hit backhand down the line with the control and very little error . Watch every match Djokovic vs Nadal and you will see. Djokovic don't want Nadal to use his forehand. He force Nadal to play with the backhand rather than let Nadal did that (like he did against Fed ). So what problem with Fed head to head against Nadal ? FED CAN'T PLAY BACKHAND DOWN THE LINE AS MUCH AS HE SHOULD AGAINST RAFA

Squarish, as a user of an extreme one handed grip, I would agree that for the most part it solves a lot of problems that onehanders generally encounter. It puts more of your hand behind the racquet so you have more leverage up high for those topspin balls and gives a more solid base for returns. I've got a feeling that we're going to see more of that type of backhand in the future (it also solves the return of serve problem with changing grips, since it is the same bevel as a semi-western forehand).

Roger makes playing tennis looks easy. Look at his his face. It is so serene. Whereas when Rafael and the others look like they are in pain with their crooked face. Thats why Rafael is so angry at Roger's fantastic body who according to Rafael's own word will retire like a rose.

Dear darna, that's the reason why usually Fed is the first one to abandon the boat when the pain appears, he is not used to suffer! Rafa is an spartan instead.

Fernando says vintage Maestro but remember Slender Gaucho is a one dimensional power player. He can be beaten with tactic by the top tier.

Rafa will beat Maestro-- the truth is he always does, except at the end of the year on an indoor court. Maestro's wins over came when Rafa was very young and had not yet mastered all court tennis and these wins were nip and tuck. For quite some time. it has not been competitive on hardcourt, clay or grass for that matter since Maestro cannot even seem to make the finals at Wimby anymore. Check record book.

To the Federinas, with respect, by all accounts Maestro is playing as well as he ever has. He is rested and fit as well. Please, when Rafa wins again do not use age as a fallback excuse. Console yourself by saying that The Humble Bull is simply is not a good match up for Maestro becasue Rafa is a lefty, has a high bouncing ball with topspin, etc. Yet the truth is that The Humble Bull is just better, no?

I am Fernando

Iz why hez da GOAT, no?

Learn some things about tennis Fernando you troll. By the way Lendl and Laver both put Fed on the top of their GOAT lists this week. That makes Borg, Sampras, Lendl, Laver, and Agassi to just name a few who have infact said Roger is better than Rafa:) Now shut it troll, no one likes you here:)

@ Fernando, Let's see how this tournament pans out, even if Federer loses Nadal will have to face his nemesis Djokovic. It's funny how Federer can beat Novak but Rafa can't.

You guys remember Steffi Graf? She won 20 slams including a golden slam (calendar year grand slam with Olympic gold to boot).

She paid the mortgage by hitting a biting slice backhand that forced her opponents to play a low mid-court ball. Her opponents usually lifted it but not too offensively since they made contact below the net. She then ran around the medium speed reply and wacked a forehand to one corner or the other. Once she had them on the forehand rope, they rarely got off.

This is a classic play - slice'em low, run around and wack the reply with your forehand. Fed uses it better than anyone today.

One handed backhand is more entertaining to watch. Not sure if it is the future - hybrid of 1 handed slice and 2 handed topspin/flat may be the future. Dolgopolov and Tomic are examples of hybrid players and Murray to a lesser degree. Dolgo and Tomic believe in the slice and variety just like Fed does. I don't think Murray is a true believer in the variety as he uses the slice as more of a defensive shot.

Tennis is not a sport that gives game points for style. If it did, all players would play with a one handed back hand!

"Tennis is not a sport that gives game points for style. If it did, all players would play with a one handed back hand!"

Exactly!
Which is why I said that with a single handed backhand tennis is a play, with a double handed backhand you play tennis: you increase reliability and margin for error, you also get a backhand down the line as a weapon.
Yes, it can be hit with single hand as well, but you wouldn't put your house on that shot match point or een break point down...unless you are French, of course...

I tried double handed backhand once, and felt like a different player, not bad, but wouldn't swap it for the freedom and joy you get with the single handed one. NEVER!

Totally agree Noleisthebest (is he the best? hmmmmm). The one-handed backhand is natural, fluid and in my eyes the more technically advanced shot. It can be a liability I know, mainly against Rafa, but you gotta love the variety. Simply sumptuous when Fed is on song!

p.s. the Wimbledon trophy is inscribed with the words “the All England Lawn Tennis Club single-handed champion of the world". So when it is always described thus and picked up by a two-handed "slugger"…..well, you CANNOT be serious!! :-)

Fernando, how many times are you going to cut and paste that same reply on other threads hmmm? Like the humble bull you are becoming all too repetitive an almost unoriginal.

The BH grip is a good discussion point. Both Henin and Richard (Gasquet) have a more extreme BH grip than Federer and hence come over the ball with more spin whereas Fed has more variety. Even Stanislas Wawrinka, Haas and Ivan Ljubicic have the same grip as Henin and Richard (about the same). And another example is Guga.

But Fed grip is better to hit low BHs, particularly on grass etc.

If Fed changes his grip now, it will take him a while to recalibrate. Also, DTL shot is tougher with this.

Problem is not just this, OHBH has to be played from a closed stands, with a lot of body turn. If the lefty puts severe angle on the BH side, with this closed stands, you get pulled too wide out, and the return might be weak with the OHBH. Then a good player like Nadal will now yank you to the FH side with more severe angle and you are on the run, then go again to BH side even if you defend FH, then come to the net and finish. This is a staple pattern that will work all the time or yield an error of the BH side...

Whereas the biggest advantage of the THBH is, it can be played with an open stance just like FH is played nowadays, can put angle, pace etc. and recovery is much better, even though THBH requires you to be closer to the ball than OHBH. Even that, guys like Djoko are stretching it nowadays, he plays THBH so far away from his body, with an open stance and still puts so much pace, spin and angle on it.

This is the biggest problem in the court positioning chess match that Fed loses with Nadal, Djoko and Murray all the time. And they all dont get fooled much with variety etc. either nowadays. That is why Fed serving is so important, but they are all very good returners, so they affect that part of his game too.

"Yet the truth is that The Humble Bull is just better, no?"

No.

Agreed 100% noleisthebest (Not that Nole is the best) that style does not give you points in tennis. As one coach used to say to my son "Do you want look good on tennis court or win the point ?" His reply used to be "Both". I guess Federer (not my son) has achieved both for an extended time.

I would rather watch Federer play (even if he loses the match) than say some of the grunting, grinding machines playing each other on the tour. I would rather watch David Gower making stylish 28 runs than Jeoffrey Boycott's double century.

I believe most of the people who like Federer or watching Federer, like his style and also his one handed backhand. I also have a feeling that one handed backhand is something comes to you naturally and not everyone feels comfortable with it.

Just another opinion.

While the OHBH is a thing of beauty, people who denounce THBH as a being the forte of grunting automatons, are not very well informed.

Yes, a lot of people who play the THBH are the Bolliterri factory manufactured screaming automatons, that is true, but that doesnt mean THBH is a lunch bucket stroke by itself.

Watch Novak, Nalby, Murray, Agassi and Rafa, just to mention a few. It is very versatile stroke, has lot of nuances, capability for angles, spins, change of direction etc.

A clean hit THBH DTL is also a thing of beauty, ala cover drive by Tendulkar or Lara...

So, elevate a given stroke or style if you want, but dont put down another to acheive the same. That is just ignorance or lack of complete knowledge of the game...

Ozone, I have been trying to get this danged site to post my response to your 12:03 PM, but it will not go through (I've been trying since around 12:15 PM).

At any rate, I agree with much of what you have written here today. I, for one, will never put down any particular style (and I've played against quite a few); even if I may have a proclivity toward one or another, and may even find one or another more aesthetically appealing. That's all personal preference, and has absolutely nothing to do with efficacy.

There used to be a guy who played the age-group tourneys around here who had a most unusual backhand. He was a former Double-A ballplayer who'd hurt his rotator cuff so badly he retired in his prime. He had 4.25 40-yd speed (in his ballplaying days), and was a very good athlete who then decided to try tennis. His serve was his weakest stroke, due to the old rotator injury, but his backhand was a nightmare of a shot to defend against, and particularly to attack. He hit a 2HBH, but what made it so unusual was his follow through. His arms would come up over his head so that his biceps each passed by opposite ears. You couldn't read it at all, and it had massive amounts of topspin and more power and pace than seeemed possible with that motion. In short, it was ugly, but highly effective. It seemed so strange back then (late 80s through late 90s).

Wouldn't you know it, along comes Serena Williams, and she possesses the exact same stroke.

Funny story about this guy. He went down to Van Der Meer's weekend camp one year and actually asked Dennis to help him fix his ugly strokes. He told him he was a competitive 5.0 player, ranked sectionally, yaddi yadda. So Dennis paired him up with a few of his pros and, after beating every one of them he came off the court and asked Dennis what he thought he should do. The answer: "Don't change a thing. You're driving everybody you play crazy!"

Fed has the game to beat anybody...I just hope that he can continue to keep his level as way up as it has been when he's really pushed in a long, hard match...having to win 3 sets vs. Djoker seems a monumental task...if he can do it the accolades to his legendary status will be unparalleled.

Federer's 2 hands will be tied to his back watching Rafa across net... He will choke.. Go Rafa!!

bull is not better and not humble. 'umble, more like.

Go Federer! I am praying for you to beat that beast Nadal! Beauty over the beast!!

Fernando has a point. Nadal has always given Federer a tough time and seems to gave a mental edge. It is not really that Nadal is tougher but more a function of their styles. However I favor Federer in this match up. He gave Nadal a real challenge on clay this year. They went 5 sets in Australia in 2009 when Nadal was at his peak and Federer was serving around 45%. I think Federer will win this match and it might even be a blowout.