RFF Classic Combination: DL BH + IO FH + FH approach

In a way sport is like music and art — music theory will tell you that while there are only so many notes to be played, it is the combinations of notes that produce harmony and melody and pleasing sound. And artists will tell you that there are infinite possibilities arising from a finite palette. Theory, then, comes from the idea that while there is an infinite number of possibilities, some are more pleasing than others.

In sports there is a similar analog to this: the combination play. In boxing and other martial forms, one learns basic combinations of maneuvers. In tennis, even the most fluent artists on court have favorite combinations.

Here in this clip, Roger Federer voices his irritation when missing an integral component of one of his favorite transition combinations.

The clip is annotated below:

Blake to serve, deuce court
1. SS :: DL FH ret
2. CC BH :: DL BH!
3. DL def FH :: IO FH (miss)

The annotation reads as follows: Blake slice serve wide, Federer returns down the line forehand. Blake topspin cross-court backhand, Federer with a break-rhythm down the line backhand (almost inside-out). Blake, now on the defensive, puts more topspin with an up-the-line forehand to buy time on the recovery; Federer, now on the offensive and reading the play, runs around the backhand to hit his inside-out forehand and open up the court.

The idea here is that Federer, having Blake on the run, will penetrate Blake’s defense, most likely drawing a sliced backhand somewhere in the midcourt area, and either hit an outright winner or approach aggressively with his forehand into an open court with Blake pinned behind the baseline. From there, he will pick off whatever remains of Blake’s attempt to survive the point. (Of course, this was the theory behind this point construction. Theory and execution are what separate tennis from, say, chess; execution sometimes fails theory (as seen in this case)).

The observant viewer will take note that it is the down-the-line backhand off a borderline neutral ball that can be considered Federer’s phase shift from defense to offense, completely skipping the neutral rally. This requires a very high level of skill due to the abrupt change in direction of the ball and typically cannot recommended for beginning players. However, intermediate to advanced players looking to round out their attacking skills should try their best to add this shot to their arsenal because it can lead to opportunities to open up the court like this: