January 11, 2012
Where have all the serve and volleyers gone?
By Bob Tremblay
Tennis legend Bill Tilden has been quoted as saying a great baseline player --- like himself --- will always beat a great serve and volleyer. That may have been true in Tilden's day when he typically throttled players who rushed to the net. And it may even be true today as the bigger rackets in the hands of a strong player can create such hellish topspin that net play can become match suicide. Anyone who has tried to volley the insane topspin of Rafael Nadal would agree.
However, the facts in recent tennis history don't support Tilden's statement. For example, Andre Agassi, one of the game's greatest baseline players and arguably its greatest returner of serve, had a losing record when he faced off against Pete Sampras, one of the game's greatest serve and volleyers. The two played against each other 34 times from 1989 to 2002 and Sampras won 20 of their matches, and in their five grand slam finals, Sampras won four. Granted, any match played on a fast surface, like the grass at Wimbledon, gives the server an advantage. So? Tilden played at a time when three of the four majors were played on grass.
On the women's side, Chris Evert, one of the game's great baseline players, had a losing record when she faced off against Martina Navratilova, one of the game's greatest serve and volleyers. The two played against each other 80 times from 1973 to 1988 and Navratilova won 43 of their matches, and in their 14 grand slam finals, Navratilova triumphed in 10.
John McEnroe, another great serve and volleyer, also has winning records against two more great baseliners: Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors. While McEnroe and Borg each won seven times in their 14 meetngs, McEnroe took 3 of their 4 grand slam finals. McEnroe and Connors, meanwhile, played against each other 34 times from 1977 to 1991 with McEnroe winning 20. In their 9 grand slam finals, McEnroe captured 6.
You would think that the success of Sampras, Narvatilova and McEnroe would breed more serve and volleyers. But it hasn't. You would also think the size of some of today's players --- Ivo Karlovic is 6'9'' --- would make serve and volleying more widespread. But it hasn't. McEnroe, by comparison, was 5'11'', Sampras 6'1'', Navratilova 5'8.''
While the bigger rackets can create more topspin, they also can produce a faster serve. Though Andy Roddick possesses one of the game's fastest serves, he seldom comes to net behind it. One wonders how he would fare if he did.
Technically, the volley is the easiest shot to execute in tennis. You stick your racquet at the ball and direct it. Firm wrist, racquet raised and in front of you. Bingo. Now if the ball comes back at you like a rocket or dipping at your feet, the shot is a little more difficult. Still, when a right-handed player is taken wide off the ad court when a lefthanded player hits a serve, the return is not likely to be very damaging, giving the server a wide open court to hit the volley. It's not a coincidence that three of the game's greatest players were lefthanded: McEnroe, Navratilova and Rod Laver. Why the lefthanded Nadal doesn't serve and volley more boggles the mind. His serve is decent and he can volley.
While the slower balls today don't do the serve and volleyers any favors, they don't diminish a powerful serve that much. While many of today's players, especially the Europeans and South Americans, started playing tennis on slower clay courts, that doesn't mean they can't make adjustments. It would behoove them to do so because it's only a matter of time before another serve and volley master arrives on the scene. If history provides any lessons, it's that these baseliners will get plenty of practice raising trophies --- as the runnerup.