Roger Federer Magic — Flawless Tiebreak

When The Mighty Federer hits fifth gear, the opponent is basically rendered a stage prop.

Note a few basic similarities in point construction here. Federer will play Hewitt’s backhand when put in neutral-defensive situations, but Hewitt’s forehand on offensive situations. One reason for doing this is that when you strike a ball cleanly, it is easier for an opponent to change directions on the backhand side.

In general, on a cleanly struck ball with pace into your opponent’s forehand moving away from the court, your opponent will usually roll the forehand cross-court. It is by and large the safest shot one can hit, the rolling forehand cross-court over the high part of the net, with the fat chunk of the court as a target. It really depends on the level of competition involved; at some levels, this shot is good enough to reset the point back to neutral, or sometimes force an outright error from the previously aggressive player. But the higher the level, the more this predictable cross-court roll gets hammered and put away. Federer in particular gets this to happen with great frequency due to the strength of his forehand, and it’s no great secret that attacking the forehand is a pet play of Federer’s; if you cannot pull your opponent off the court with your forehand, however, this is less an option. Even so, it is instructive to consider how Federer opens up the court with such stunning regularity against even top professionals; and it’s something to consider integrating or experimenting with your own game.