by Rajat Subhra Chatterjee

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The three-week long French Open Tennis Championship is scheduled at Rolland Garros from Monday, 20th May, 2024 where Tennis lovers will have yet another opportunity to witness  scintillating tennis from greats of modern age. And it will not be improper here to discuss on one of the almost-extinct art of Tennis that may not be seen aplenty even in the coming tournament.

The single handed backhand return is one of the finest sights on a tennis court. Specially, when it is executed from the ‘advantage court’. It has been poetry with  racquet. It’s been an art which was practiced in pre-open era when high caliber players like Pancho Ganzalves, Pancho Segura, Alex Olmedo, Ashley Cooper, Lew Hoad followed by Neil Fraser, Rod Lever, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, Tony Roche, John Newcombe, Ken Rosewall, Stan Smith excelled. Most of them had played with wooden racquets and most of them had single handed backhand returns. That was the puritan way of playing tennis. Only lately in the ‘70s, Lever and Newcombe on their extended career, had the opportunity to play with racquets made of other than wood. Yet, even those were no way near to the modern age high quality ones. Today’s racquets and guards with given pressure are merciless ones for big hitters. Flat strokes, top spin or underspin – all  are effective weapon from these racquets.

The one-handed backhand stroke is one of the hardest shots in the game as well, especially against faster serves. But, if executed well, it can be one of the most versatile and lethal shots in the game and helps winning more matches…

As on March, 2024,  the top ten in ATP rankings are-

  • Djokovic, 2) Alcaraz, 3) Sinner, 4) Medvedev, 5) Rublev, 6) Zverev, 7) Rune, 8) Hurkacz, 9) De Minaur, 10) Fritz .

Sadly, for the first time in the history of the game, none amongst these top ten plays with one handed backhand ! All power with occasional touch-play.

Why.. double handed back hand ?

 Post olden days of early tennis, in course of time, the weight of the racquet prevented the younger ones from swinging effectively on the backhand stroke, thus some started using two hands. Much later, Borg said he kept with the double handed backhand even after being told to cut it by his coach. But when he started winning, he started hitting the double handed with spin. There were already some players like him, with the double hander, but Borg was the first to hit it with spin. ‘Pistol’ Pete Sampras also grew up with a double handed backhand, but was told by his coach to switch to a single handed if he wanted to win Wimbledon.  Pete took his advice, and world has seen his exploits thereafter!

Effectively, both single handed and double handed back hand play has remained same. Borg with double handed and Sampras with single handed backhand had mesmerized tennis world. But aesthetically, single handed ones have been beautiful.

Basically, a two handed backhand gives the player more power and more control, due to the controlling weaker hand reinforcing the dominant hand. But it comes with the price of less maneuverability and reach, as the weaker hand can’t stretch to the other side. A single handed provides more maneuverability, versatility and adaptability, as one can hit drop, drive, slice or more variations. Thereafter, as the courts and the balls started getting slower and softer, the double handers got the advantage as they didn’t need to run and stretch as much. That’s the reason, why more and more double backhanders  and less and less single backhanders were on show. It is an observation that generally serve and volleyers play with a single handed due to having to reach and adapt at the net, while baseliners prefer double handed for the ability to generate more power.

The overwhelming stats reveal that Male players with one-handed backhand accounted for just seven of the 40 Grand Slam singles titles fought over in the last 10 years (3 by Roger Federer, 3 by Stan Wawrinka and 1 by Dominic Thiem). Dominic Thiem is the last player with single handed backhand to have won grand slam (US open 2020). Since 2007, not a single woman won a major with one handed backhand – the last player to accomplish was Henin in 2007. The double fisted backhand is no doubt a superior weapon with compactness. Yet, one handed backhand is  artistically and aesthetically pleasing. Even Nadal, Djokovic and other players started serving kickers to Roger Federer’s backhand above his shoulder. Even great Roger could not handle the challenge as effectively as he would have liked to. Federer’s forehand was a dream stroke. However, opponents were able to extract errors from his single handed backhand.

This brings us to the inevitable question. Who have been amongst the best in single handed backhand returns ?

Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Richard Gasquet, Gustavo Cuertan , Gaston Gadio, Steffi Graph, Justin Hennin must rank amongst the better single- handed- backhanders in modern tennis.

Pete Sampras – changed from two handed to single handed backhand, on the advise of his coach –  with the goal of being better prepared to win Wimbledon, and he won Wimbeldon record 7 times. Being the typical serve and volley specialist, he had very effective single handed backhand volleys.

Roger Federer – All the varieties he had. It was hard to guess whether he would hit a passing winner or he would go for drop shot. Only after he had executed, opponents and viewers realized. And he used to get it right when it is most needed. Federer’s slice was special yet his backhand was always his weakness and tend to crumble under pressure.

Stanislas Wawrinka – John McEnroe once described Wawrinka as having “the best one-handed backhand in the game today”. He is one guy who goes for backhand when he can still take that on his forehand, whereas normally players take the ball in forehand though the ball is dead on backhand corner.  Stan used to get immense power on his backhand and he could consistently hit winners with it. Backhand has always been a weapon for him.

Richard Gasquet – His single-handed backhand was considered as one of the most graceful, efficient and effective backhands ever. He had hit winners all over the court with his backhand by using insane topspin and speed. He could generate massive pace on his backhand, even from far behind the base line.

Gustavo Cuertan, Gaston Gaudio ( Argentina)  were very good as both have been amongst the last to win grand slams with single handed backhands.  Ivo Karlovic, Grigor Dimitrov in singles and Leander Paes in doubles had effectively used single handed backhand gracefully. Juan Martin del Potro now a days uses a single handed slice backhand.

Amongst ladies, Steffi Graph had one of the best back hand slices that were ever seen. Apparently she had a very strong single handed backhand. She was all grace throughout her career. Her backhand down the lines were simply unforgettable.

Justin Hennin had one of the best single handed backhands. She could generate such power with accuracy that women players would struggle to generate even with forehand. She could hit backhands flat with heavy top spin or slice ( underspin ). Her slice backhand was regarded as one of the best of all time. McEnroe again on TV had said “ Hennin has the finest single handed backhand amongst tennis players, men or women.  Now it is Wawrinka”.  Other greats with single handed backhand were Martina Navratilova, Jana Novotna.

At present very few players like Tsitsipas, Shapavalov and Lorenzo Musetti are still using single handed backhand. Hardly any woman player is using single handed BH now. It appears that single handed backhand is almost an extinct art !

Seemingly on the brink of extinction, there are now growing whispers about its quiet return to the upper levels of the men’s game. This resurgence generally has been met with enthusiasm, for the stroke is prized for its aesthetic appeal as well as the variety it lends to a tennis landscape now dominated by two-handers. Lets hope to get back the ‘almost extinct’ art of Tennis from Gen G.

 

Concluded….

 

 

 

 

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