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Former World No.1 Pete Sampras smiles during a press conference marking the 20th anniversary of his first Australian Open win. Aijaz Rahi/AP/Press Association Images
FR TED RABBIT
Sampras laments modern one dimensional tennis
It’s 20 years this week since the American won his first Aussie Open.
AMERICAN TENNIS LEGEND Pete Sampras Friday lamented the lost art of serve and volley tennis and the one dimensional nature of the modern game, which he likened to “throwing rocks” at each other.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion, who is in Melbourne to present the trophy to the men’s winner of Sunday’s Australian Open final, was the master of serve-volley, replete with a intuitive single-handed backhand.
Sampras said tennis has changed substantially since he retired after winning the 2002 US Open.
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“The game certainly has changed in the last 10 years. The serve and volley tennis is a lost art. No one is really doing it,” he said. “Everyone is staying back and hitting the crap out of the ball, which is fun to watch.
“You look at Wimbledon these days. It is one-dimensional. It’s just the nature of technology, maybe the nature of how everyone is growing up with technology. They’re used to not having to volley, serve and volley. It takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
Sampras said in his era Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic were great serve-vollyers along with him.
“Now everyone plays the same way; there’s just four or five guys that are a lot better than the rest,” he said. “Roger Federer has a little more variety, to come in, slice it, chip and charge occasionally, show a little bit of that.
“For the most part it’s just everyone staying back and throwing rocks.”
Asked if he was still playing would he be serving and volleying, he said: “Yeah, why wouldn’t I? Serve and volley on both serves. That’s the only way I know how to play.
“People say it’s harder to do it with the technology. But I think technology would have helped me out
“If I used these racquets that Rafa Nadal is using, it’s easier to serve, easier to volley. I could serve harder, longer. It would have been easier.
“It all evens out. But I think serve and volley tennis it would have been just fine today. I just think you need to know how to do it.”
Complete nonsense – the sport has reached it’s zenith in the Federer/Nadal/Djokovic era and Sampras appears slightly jealous that he finished up just before this point.
In terms of enjoyment for the spectator give me the incredible rallies of the 2008 Wimbledon final over the serve and volley stuff any day the week. Average point in the men’s game lasted about 5 seconds in Sampras’s day!
Sampras laments modern one dimensional tennis -” “Asked if he was still playing would he be serving and volleying, he said: “Yeah, why wouldn’t I? Serve and volley on both serves. That’s the only way I know how to play.”"”
This is a great time for tennis . Sampras era was terrible for spectators . Short rallys , booming serves . Agassi showed the way forward with his baseline play and brilliant returns . As great as Sampras was , he never managed to make it to a French open final .
If it was advantageous to serve and volley then every player would do it. However, just like serving under-handed, no one does it so you must assume that it’s no benefit. It’s better to have longer baseline rallies anyway, what’s so interesting about a point being decided in three strokes? It’s good to see a player approach the net but every point? Nah
Pistol Pete “Boring”. Complete and utter nonsense. Give me serve and volley to watch any day . It brings the best out of serve return merchants and adds pace to the game. The greatest matches ever were on fast surfaces between S+V vs baseline players.
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Complete nonsense – the sport has reached it’s zenith in the Federer/Nadal/Djokovic era and Sampras appears slightly jealous that he finished up just before this point.
In terms of enjoyment for the spectator give me the incredible rallies of the 2008 Wimbledon final over the serve and volley stuff any day the week. Average point in the men’s game lasted about 5 seconds in Sampras’s day!
Sampras was possibly the most boring man ever to play tennis! He made Ivan Lendl look interesting
Lendl had some amazing shots. No-one will be as interesting nor as naturally talented as Miloslav Mecir.
Sampras laments modern one dimensional tennis -” “Asked if he was still playing would he be serving and volleying, he said: “Yeah, why wouldn’t I? Serve and volley on both serves. That’s the only way I know how to play.”"”
Sure what does he know about tennis anyway.
Oul jealous arse just because he’s past it
Everything has changed. Get with the programme dude.
This is a great time for tennis . Sampras era was terrible for spectators . Short rallys , booming serves . Agassi showed the way forward with his baseline play and brilliant returns . As great as Sampras was , he never managed to make it to a French open final .
If it was advantageous to serve and volley then every player would do it. However, just like serving under-handed, no one does it so you must assume that it’s no benefit. It’s better to have longer baseline rallies anyway, what’s so interesting about a point being decided in three strokes? It’s good to see a player approach the net but every point? Nah
Pistol Pete “Boring”. Complete and utter nonsense. Give me serve and volley to watch any day . It brings the best out of serve return merchants and adds pace to the game. The greatest matches ever were on fast surfaces between S+V vs baseline players.