[NinaNina19]

A lot of people complain about the extinction of S&V tennis and how tennis is so boring nowadays. Watching Sampras yesterday, I have to say S&V tennis is not that interesting for me. The point is over in like 3 seconds. I do enjoy when players mix it up and I agree that constant ball bashing and counterpunching by itself is boring but I also don't mind that todays game is more baseline. I do wish that more players would mix it up like Federer and he is probabbly my favorite player to watch but imo soley S&V is almost as bad as soley baseline play.

 

[Branimir]

But serve + volley wouldn't work today as it did in the 90's. It's just that rackets are so much better now and it's easier to return very fast serves, and once the return is good, coming to the net is almost like suicide against flat and accurate hitters like Djokovic is for example. We all saw the difference between coming to the net for Tsonga, against Nadal and against Djokovic. He wasn't that good against Djokovic. Federer, when at top of his game, is the best baseline hitter. Flat, extremely heavy topspin. What can you do? You can get some points on the net, but S&V game wouldn't get you so far at all today.

 

[zcess81]

I thank god that those S&V days are over, that's all I'm gonna say.

 

[tennizen]

A lot of people complain about the extinction of S&V tennis and how tennis is so boring nowadays. Watching Sampras yesterday, I have to say S&V tennis is not that interesting for me. The point is over in like 3 seconds. I do enjoy when players mix it up and I agree that constant ball bashing and counterpunching by itself is boring but I also don't mind that todays game is more baseline. I do wish that more players would mix it up like Federer and he is probabbly my favorite player to watch but imo soley S&V is almost as bad as soley baseline play.

Yeah, I think S&V is really boring unless its mixed up with exciting baseline play. Somehow people nostalgically make the past to be better than the present, I think.

 

[NinaNina19]

But serve + volley wouldn't work today as it did in the 90's. It's just that rackets are so much better now and it's easier to return very fast serves, and once the return is good, coming to the net is almost like suicide against flat and accurate hitters like Djokovic is for example. We all saw the difference between coming to the net for Tsonga, against Nadal and against Djokovic. He wasn't that good against Djokovic. Federer, when at top of his game, is the best baseline hitter. Flat, extremely heavy topspin. What can you do? You can get some points on the net, but S&V game wouldn't get you so far at all today.

I know, I wasn't talking about which would work better in today's game, just which style is more entertaining to watch.

 

[*Ljubica*]

A lot of people complain about the extinction of S&V tennis and how tennis is so boring nowadays. Watching Sampras yesterday, I have to say S&V tennis is not that interesting for me. The point is over in like 3 seconds. I do enjoy when players mix it up and I agree that constant ball bashing and counterpunching by itself is boring but I also don't mind that todays game is more baseline. I do wish that more players would mix it up like Federer and he is probabbly my favorite player to watch but imo soley S&V is almost as bad as soley baseline play.

I totally agree. Some versatility, and a player who can mix things up, is great. But remembering back to the days of Wimbledon in the 80's and early 90's, the big serve and maximum 3-stroke rally was the most excruciatlingly boring thing on earth It's always nice to see a clash of styles, with a good S & V player against an excellent baseliner (like Sampras/Agassi in the past) but the Brit commentators' constant harking back to the good old days, and wanting players to serve and volley more, doesn't find support from me at all.

 

[BlakeJamitis]

Yes Serena and Venus are really that good ... 14 slams and counting

 

[NinaNina19]

Yes Serena and Venus are really that good ... 14 slams and counting

I said "is", not "are".

 

[sheeter]

I enjoy the longer rallies, but it is fun to see a s&v'er versus a baseliner. but a litle more mixing up wouldn't hurt, unless your name is Roddick.

 

[Chiseller]

Solely S&V as well as solely baseline is just plain boring. In the 90s it was all about S&V and at the moment it's a tad too much baseline. Speeding up the court wouldn't be bad.

 

[DDrago2]

But serve + volley wouldn't work today as it did in the 90's. It's just that rackets are so much better now and it's easier to return very fast serves, and once the return is good, coming to the net is almost like suicide against flat and accurate hitters like Djokovic is for example. We all saw the difference between coming to the net for Tsonga, against Nadal and against Djokovic. He wasn't that good against Djokovic.

I agree about the s+v, but what does the Tsonga-Djokovic part part has to do with the theme...

Federer, when at top of his game, is the best baseline hitter. Flat, extremely heavy topspin.

 

[Burrow]

It's better than watching boring players like Murray and Gulbis.

 

[Burrow]

But serve + volley wouldn't work today as it did in the 90's. It's just that rackets are so much better now and it's easier to return very fast serves, and once the return is good, coming to the net is almost like suicide against flat and accurate hitters like Djokovic is for example. We all saw the difference between coming to the net for Tsonga, against Nadal and against Djokovic. He wasn't that good against Djokovic. Federer, when at top of his game, is the best baseline hitter. Flat, extremely heavy topspin. What can you do? You can get some points on the net, but S&V game wouldn't get you so far at all today.

Flat with extremely heavy topspin? :haha: :haha: :haha:

Both are wrong anyway, he normally hits with a reasonable amount of topspin, neither extremely heavy nor flat.

 

[Apemant]

Took the smiley out of my keyboard :devil:

 

[Jaap]

Can't beat a match up between a good serve and vollyer vs good baseliner IMO. Remember the classic match ups between Sampras and Agassi and Rafter and Agassi in the 90s. Classic stuff.

Also Henman vs Canas in the 04 Aus Open was great.

Now its just baseliner vs baseliner. Gets quite boring after a while.

 

[Henry Chinaski]

People generally get nostalgic for variety at the top of the game rather than s/v in itself.

 

[StevoTG]

Yeah, I think S&V is really boring unless its mixed up with exciting baseline play. Somehow people nostalgically make the past to be better than the present, I think.

Yip, very true.

 

[General Suburbia]

Prefer Federer's or Nalbandian's style of play. Work up the majority of the points at the baseline, drive the ball when appropriate to find the short ball or take your opponent off balance, finish at net. Good all court tennis.

 

[Beforehand]

Flat with extremely heavy topspin? :haha: :haha: :haha:

Both are wrong anyway, he normally hits with a reasonable amount of topspin, neither extremely heavy nor flat.

I think he was listing ways Roger can hit, and then saying "What can you do (about this variety)?"

 

[Branimir]

I didn't write "Flat with extremely heavy topspin?"
I wrote that he can hit it both flat and with the topspin.