Hewitt has best results on grass?

[nikae]

After I saw that he has most wins on grass I was confused.
He doesn't have a big serve and he doesn't come to the net often.
He plays from baseline with a lot of spin and still has most success on grass??

[don_budge]

Traditionally speaking...

After I saw that he has most wins on grass I was confused.
He doesn't have a big serve and he doesn't come to the net often.
He plays from baseline with a lot of spin and still has most success on grass??

See this shot regarding Hewitt's retrieving, defense, grittiness skills and competitive nature, even towards the end of his career.

http://deadspin.com/5815325/lleyton-hewitt-cant-believe-he-hit-this-shot-either

Nikae...traditionally speaking your comment rings true. It used to be that the prerequisites for being a big time grass court player would be a big serve, volley and approach tactics etc. Hewitt won Wimbledon in 2002 and played the final against David Nalbanian whom he defeated in straight sets. It was the first time in the history of the game that the final was between two baseliners. Some regarded him as the first "baseliner" to win Wimbledon since Andre Agassi in 1992. Whatever...since 2002 the grass on the Wimbledon courts have for some reason been predominately worn out behind the baseline instead of the traditional path to the net. For the first hundred years in the sport of tennis the path to the Wimbledon trophy was to the net. But you have only to watch the action this week to see that all that is changed.

That has been accomplished, however, through the engineering of the game. First the racquets changed around 1980, which in the end speeded up the game too quickly to the point where the average point at Wimbledon was less than two shots...usually a huge serve and then just maybe a return in play. So then they had to slow the courts down. Today the game has been doctored up to the point that the game is played strictly in the backcourt. Now they will start evaluating about how to speed the game up...as Mats Wilander suggested on his Eurosport show...Game, Set and Mats during the French Open. Perhaps they will start monkeying around with the balls. It is important for younger guys like yourself to understand the history of the game in order for you to have the proper respect and understanding of the greatest game ever invented...one of the two actually, as golf is right up there too. It may help you to anticipate the next round of changes that will be made in the game as well.

But with regards to Lleyton Hewitt. He is the type of player that could win on any surface in the modern game of tennis. The modern game does not require a big serve or consistent net play or all court tennis for that matter. Hewitt does not have any glaring weaknesses in his game, he is extremely quick and returns serve with the best of them. His serve is adequate by todays standards as are his volleys and overhead. Hewitt has the ability to be aggressive and he also defends extremely well and the guy is a real tough competitor.

I am not sure where your statement about his wins on grass*, his serve, lack of net play comes from because these are no longer prerequisites for winning on grass...but I thought that your post deserved some kind of reply. Everybody deserves one. I am just curious...what is your mother tongue, your english is coming along quite nicely, and it was a very good question, I might add.

*I found the article that you got your info from...Hewitt has the most wins among active players on grass with an overall record of 104-27, while Roger Federer is second at 98-14. Very impressive record and equally surprising.

And a word to the wise, Nikae...don't repeat anything I have written about tradition, or history, or the past. There are some modern day tennis aficionados who will not think kindly of you...for stating the truth or talking about the past. It's sort of taboo. Enjoy the tennis at Wimbledon!

https://www.livescorehunter.com/Livescores/Livescore-Tennis.html

[nikae]

Thanks for such a detailed and great answer

I come from Djokovic land aka Serbia, where tennis has become so popular lately, that you can see tennis being played in every town, every village.

I myself play it 5-7 days per week, and when I am off the courts, I am on my computer reading about tennis techniques, tennis history and everything else related to this beautiful game...doing so for past 3 years now.

[don_budge]

Nikae...a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind.

Thanks for such a detailed and great answer

I come from Djokovic land aka Serbia, where tennis has become so popular lately, that you can see tennis being played in every town, every village.

I myself play it 5-7 days per week, and when I am off the courts, I am on my computer reading about tennis techniques, tennis history and everything else related to this beautiful game...doing so for past 3 years now.

Btw...By the way, another aspect of the Lleyton Hewitt record on grass that is worth considering is the tremendous stamina, endurance and longevity needed to compile such a record as his...to say nothing of his tennis game. Physically, that is one very impressive record.

Well...that is very interesting. I remember your videos regarding your forehand. It looked like you were playing on a football (soccer) court inside. I never cease to be amazed at how popular football is here in Europe. All of the best young boys and girls play football. In Sweden tennis seems to be the last sport the kids choose to play. Here is a couple of questions for you...I have always been curious how the Balkans are turning out so many good young players these day.

What is the court capacity situation in Serbia?

What kind of courts do you play on? Red clay? Hard courts?

Is it private clubs or are there public courts?

How many courts do you have in your area?

Do you play at different locations?

Are there tournaments to compete in?

i can imagine that Djokovic has had a big impact on the country although I notice that he is not the only player on the tour from your area. He seems very likable...and what a tough competitor. That is very cool that tennis has become a big sport in Serbia. It's good for the people.

You certainly have caught the tennis bug and your approach is definitely the way to accomplish a number of things...most importantly you have chosen the approach of being a student of the game. Tennis is truly an international game. I have found that you can go practically anywhere in the world and if you have your tennis racquet with you, you can meet a bunch of nice, decent people.

If you ever get stuck in the english...you know, of course, about google translation. Wonderful tool!

[nikae]

What is the court capacity situation in Serbia?
Not sure what you mean exactly but, Serbia is "poor" country, not everyone can afford to play this game, so you can always find an empty court to play on....every town has courts since 3 years ago or so.

What kind of courts do you play on? Red clay? Hard courts?
Red Clay only.

Is it private clubs or are there public courts?
Mostly public courts, even if there is a club on some courts complex, you can still pay normally and play whenever you like.

How many courts do you have in your area?
My town is about 16k people, and we have 2 clay courts.

Do you play at different locations?
Since I am a beginner I only play practice matches/tournaments in my town, but soon I will go to play tournaments all around the country.

Are there tournaments to compete in?
Yes, in every town, few tournaments per year.


The biggest problem around here is, coaches are terrible!!!!!
You can't find anyone to teach you anything, everyone is self-taught, even our top players coaches are terrible. Its a "new sport" around here, so I hope in 15 years or so we will actually have someone who can teach us the right way.

Right now I am trying to get a new camera, so I can record myself playing and post it on net for you guys to see and hopefully comment.
My current camera is only 30 fps, 640x480 resolution.....now that I think about it, I'll record myself asap and post it

[don_budge]

Fascinating...Nikae

This is really quite interesting...I am sure that I speak for others here on the forum. We look forward to putting our two cents in. Personal coaching via the internet. For free!!! There is a God.