Memorial to the One Handed Backhand

[jimlosaltos]

As of Monday's rankings update, there will be no players with one-handed backhands in the Top 10 for the first time in --- forever.

Nada. Rien. Zilch. Nil. Null. Nul. нуль. Cero. 零

Grigor Dimitrov was the last chance for our dying breed, and had been holding up his end well of late, but falling in the Amsterdam semifinals to Alex de Minaur brought the end of an era. Stefanos Tsitsipas, I believe, sinks below 10. Thank you, Grigor, for making a last stand going to the breeches and holding off the hordes of malevolent and inelegant two-handers seeking to replace beauty with, ugh, efficiency like a swarm of mischievous bookkeepers. Photos Indian Wells c(me)

Here are links in a sort of memorial to the singleton with TPN Tour Portraits of:
(Click blue text for link to TPN album)

Requiescat in pace gloriosus unus hander

Roger Federer's Backhand

Grigor Dimitrov

Stef Tsitsipas

One lonely backhand in TPN's albums of Stan Wawrinka.

Nearly forgot Dominic Thiem, one of the very best.


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[jimlosaltos]

Heck, let's just post a few larger ones here in the forum: First Federer

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[jimlosaltos]

Grigor

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[jimlosaltos]

Stan

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[jimlosaltos]

Tsitsipas

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[jimlosaltos]

Can' forget Domi !

I was in the stands for this final between Thiem and Fed. When Domi won, Fed met him at the net beaming and hugging him like his own son had just beaten him at golf for the first time.
.
Amazing.

Shot was amazing as well. Fed attempted a second-serve-and-volley. Domi answered by coming out of his shoes to hit a ferocious, dipping backhand return from almost in the ESPN camera cut out. Passed Fed, who had no chance. Dove like a Kamakazi fighter into the service box near Fed's backhand side.

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[johnyandell]

There will be another one along... or 10.

[stotty]

Looks like the two-hander has won the day...for now.

There are two one-handers I really like: Stan's and Roger's. There are pros and cons to both and I cannot make up up my mind which I prefer. Stan is the only player I have ever seen hit dead balls from 10 feet behind the baseline for screaming winners. Once that man has his legs under him and he decides to rip a backhand...it's one of the best sights in tennis.

Roger's is so versatile and he can play it on the fly. He doesn't seem to need his legs under him in the same way Stan does.

I would love to borrow Stan and Roger's backhand for an afternoon just to see what it feels like to hit backhands like that. Would be painful to hand it back at the end of the day, though...

[jimlosaltos]

Looks like the two-hander has won the day...for now.

There are two one-handers I really like: Stan's and Roger's. There are pros and cons to both and I cannot make up up my mind which I prefer. Stan is the only player I have ever seen hit dead balls from 10 feet behind the baseline for screaming winners. Once that man has his legs under him and he decides to rip a backhand...it's one of the best sights in tennis.

Roger's is so versatile and he can play it on the fly. He doesn't seem to need his legs under him in the same way Stan does.

I would love to borrow Stan and Roger's backhand for an afternoon just to see what it feels like to hit backhands like that. Would be painful to hand it back at the end of the day, though...

Want a refresher? Take a look. From Fed's IG, practicing on a backboard today. Via @Olly_Tennis-
Meh. Hardly ever nailed the tiny target <g>

https://twitter.com/Olly_Tennis_/status/1760639969155047538

[jimlosaltos]

Looks like the two-hander has won the day...for now.

There are two one-handers I really like: Stan's and Roger's. There are pros and cons to both and I cannot make up up my mind which I prefer..

My mental image of and comparison of the two is a match they played that swung on the differences in their backhands - the finals of Monte Carlo.

Can't recall the year, but it was raining. Lots of backhand-to-backhand rallies. When the match started, Fed was in charge. Then the rain picked up, the court got progressively wetter.

Stan could hit through the mud, Fed not so much. Stan won perhaps his first Masters 1000. Fed smiled more and seemed happier for Stan than Stan did to beat his friend.

I think -- not sure -- that Monte Carlo is the only Masters Fed never won? Don't quote me, but it helps the story so I'm going with that.

[stroke]

I remember a 2015 Wimbledon match Stan vs Gasquet which was beautiful to watch those 2 trade backhands. I remember coming away from that match thinking Gasquet's was slightly better. Certainly a close call. Philip Kohlschrieber had a great one also people don't talk about much.

[jimlosaltos]

I remember a 2015 Wimbledon match Stan vs Gasquet which was beautiful to watch those 2 trade backhands. I remember coming away from that match thinking Gasquet's was slightly better. Certainly a close call. Philip Kohlschrieber had a great one also people don't talk about much.

Remember Kohlschrieber's grip? So severe he just flipped the racket over without switching.
I used to joke that since he used the same side of the strings on both backhand and forehand, his strings didn't wear out as fast.
OK, I didn't say it was a good joke ...

[stroke]

Remember Kohlschrieber's grip? So severe he just flipped the racket over without switching.
I used to joke that since he used the same side of the strings on both backhand and forehand, his strings didn't wear out as fast.
OK, I didn't say it was a good joke ...

Almagro did the same, another great one hander.

[stotty]

Almagro...yes...a great backhand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZMK36IHt_c

[johnyandell]

On the future of the one-hander:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/the-death-of-tennis-s-one-handed-backhand-may-be-premature/ar-BB1j6cBd