[InfoKenway]

"I believe myself," he said. "My serve takes me a long way.

"I think the serve is not only about what necessarily you can do with it, but it's how you step up.

"If you look at results, numbers besides names, then my serve has carried me a pretty long way."


However, another big server, South Africa's Kevin Anderson, who moved into the Queen's Club semi-finals with 18 aces of his own in a win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, believes Karlovic is the best of his big-serving rivals.

"On sheer numbers in the game, I think I'd have to give it to Ivo," the World No 17 said, ranking Karlovic, John Isner, Raonic and himself as the world's top four servers.

"I think Ivo's first serve is really good. On a second serve I think Isner is a bit tougher than Ivo."

 

[MTwEeZi]

"I believe in my serve," he said. "My serve takes me a long way.

"The serve is not only the most boring shot in the game, but it's also terrible for the sport.

"If you look at my matches, and you're not from Canada, then you realize my serve has carried me all the way."

Fixed.

 

[Firstservingman]

Fixed.

Grinding/pushing is the real cheap tennis, not "servebotting".
The serve takes immense skill, anybody can push/moonball everything back if they're fit enough.

We have cycling if we want to see a field of sweaty, bulging hulks all jacked up on magic potions grinding it out until someone makes a mistake.

That kind of negative play is just to compensate for lack of actual tennis ability (serve, hands, winners, net, actually finishing points).

Federer is the epitome of positive play, and Karlovic has way more talent than grinders of similar ranking.

 

[Alex999]

the source? Thanks MT for correcting that horrible English.

 

[zzzyyy]

Grinding/pushing is the real cheap tennis, not "servebotting".
The serve takes immense skill, anybody can push/moonball everything back if they're fit enough.

We have cycling if we want to see a field of sweaty, bulging hulks all jacked up on magic potions grinding it out until someone makes a mistake.

That kind of negative play is just to compensate for lack of actual tennis ability (serve, hands, winners, net, actually finishing points).

Federer is the epitome of positive play, and Karlovic has way more talent than grinders of similar ranking.

But Karlovic is 6 feet 11 inches. It's impossible for somebody at 6 feet or 6 feet 3 inches to serve like him. Not saying that everybody his height can serve like that, but it's impossible for most people to serve from a tree unless you are extremely tall.

 

[zzzyyy]

On topic.

There's a reason why Raonic has worked his way up to #4, while Isner's high is #9 and Karlovic #14. I agree, although his ground game is also significantly better.

 

[Firstservingman]

But Karlovic is 6 feet 11 inches. It's impossible for somebody at 6 feet or 6 feet 3 inches to serve like him. Not saying that everybody his height can serve like that, but it's impossible for most people to serve from a tree unless you are extremely tall.

That's true, being short can lock you out of having a good serve, but, as you also say, being tall doesn't mean you have a good serve either, so serving is largely talent-based IMO.
Fed/Pete are average tennis player height and have serves par excellence.

And yeah, good genes is a large part of "talent".
I am of the opinion that talent is something you're born with, you either have it or you don't.

But I wouldn't call height a "talent", just an advantage you are also born with.

 

[TBkeeper]

lol Raobot is stupid robot again :haha:
Ivo is the best

 

[JMG]

Olivetti of course

 

[InfoKenway]

the source? Thanks MT for correcting that horrible English.

SkySports.

 

[darcis_forehand]

He's probably been talking to Andrew Castle.

 

[Alex999]

I had to google it to find out where the OP came up with this.

Here it is,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...s-says-beaten-Raonic/articleshow/47744723.cms

 

[InfoKenway]

I had to google it to find out where the OP came up with this.

Here it is,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...s-says-beaten-Raonic/articleshow/47744723.cms

http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/ne...-raonic-im-still-the-best-server-in-the-world

 

[LightsoutLuz]

On topic.

There's a reason why Raonic has worked his way up to #4, while Isner's high is #9 and Karlovic #14. I agree, although his ground game is also significantly better.

Your post makes no sense. You say you agree with Raonic because he was ranked better than Isner and karlovic then complement by negating what you just said, saying that he got a much better ground game than the other servebots.

There no argument to put Raonic over Karlovic or Isner. Raonic is the better 1st server but Isner got a nasty 2nd serve. Sometimes his 2nd can do as much damage as his 1st, especially against guys that are good at blocking the flat serves.

So yeh, Isner > Karlovic > Raonic.

I remember a match last year where Raonic sustained some big rally with Nadal, his BH to Nadal's FH. Altho he's not consistent but Karlovic and Isner could only dream about that.

 

[samanosuke]

just one example

Karlovic's scores vs Federer against Raonic's scores against Federer

Ivo

3-6 6-7 6-7
7-6 3-6 6-7
6-7 6-7
6-7 6-7
3-6 6-4 3-6
6-7 3-6
7-6 4-6 7-6
6-7 3-6
4-6 4-6
3-6 5-7 6-7
6-7 5-7 3-6
4-6 6-7
6-7 6-3 3-6


Raonic

7-6 2-6 4-6
6-4 5-7 6-7
7-6 4-6 6-7
4-6 6-7 2-6
4-6 4-6 4-6
2-6 3-6
7-6 7-5
1-6 6-7
4-6 7-6 4-6
5-7 4-6

so Karlderer played 16/33 tie break sets what is 48,5%. Raoderer played 8/27 what is 29,5% . Also, Karlderer played 5 clay court sets while Raoderer non, because Madrid's blue clay can not be counted as clay court. Karlovic also played 80% of his sets against probably the best block returner and tie break player ever, not this " I can not return basketball ball " and " I losing tie breaks left and right " Federer


PS at Ivo's resume 1-6 and 2-6 sets cannot be found

 

[BodyServe]

Misleading title no?

I mean 36 years old Karlovic is still the best server in the world, how anyone can argue he isn't the best server of the modern era is beyond me.

 

[Yves.]

That's true, being short can lock you out of having a good serve, but, as you also say, being tall doesn't mean you have a good serve either, so serving is largely talent-based IMO.
Fed/Pete are average tennis player height and have serves par excellence.

And yeah, good genes is a large part of "talent".
I am of the opinion that talent is something you're born with, you either have it or you don't.

But I wouldn't call height a "talent", just an advantage you are also born with.

And sometimes people never discover a talent. But that is due to external factors.

 

[BodyServe]

just one example

Karlovic's scores vs Federer against Raonic's scores against Federer

Ivo

3-6 6-7 6-7
7-6 3-6 6-7
6-7 6-7
6-7 6-7
3-6 6-4 3-6
6-7 3-6
7-6 4-6 7-6
6-7 3-6
4-6 4-6
3-6 5-7 6-7
6-7 5-7 3-6
4-6 6-7
6-7 6-3 3-6


Raonic

7-6 2-6 4-6
6-4 5-7 6-7
7-6 4-6 6-7
4-6 6-7 2-6
4-6 4-6 4-6
2-6 3-6
7-6 7-5
1-6 6-7
4-6 7-6 4-6
5-7 4-6

so Karlderer played 16/33 tie break sets what is 48,5%. Raoderer played 8/27 what is 29,5% . Also, Karlderer played 5 clay court sets while Raoderer non, because Madrid's blue clay can not be counted as clay court. Karlovic also played 80% of his sets against probably the best block returner and tie break player ever, not this " I can not return basketball ball " and " I losing tie breaks left and right " Federer


PS at Ivo's resume 1-6 and 2-6 sets cannot be found

And Raonic played Federer when the Swiss return of serve had already declined.

 

[JDD]

shut up Botnic, Dr. Ivo is still the best server in the world even though he's 36 years old.

 

[Moozza]

He's a servebot and he knows it.