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Best backhand?
Does anyone agree with me that Kuerten's backhand is the best the game has ever known?
Agassi's is probably more powerful but because he's a two-hander he doesn't have the reach that
Kuerten has.
Richard D
2 March 2001
A vote for Andre
Hi. I would have to disagree with Richard D (2nd March 2001). I believe Andre Agassi to have the best
backhand in the world. The racket speed he generates is just phenomenal and at the pro level when
all the modern players have such amazing physical conditioning the issue of reach on the
groundstrokes is not such an important one. Andre is just as capable of making wide balls to his
backhand as Gustavo but the power he can produce gives him a significant edge in my opinion.
On another note- how you can possibly watch Gustavo Kuerten and comment on his backhand rather
than his superb forehand?????
Mark W
12 March 2001
Disreputable ladies?
What on earth was Venus Williams wearing at the Australian Open?
Seems to me she's far more interested in promoting herself than her tennis. Surely the WTA
should take some action to stop players like her bringing the ladies game into disrepute?
Jacqui Seymour
13 March 2001
The negative media and public opinion of the Williams sisters is self inflicted.
Family life and religion is supposed to be important to them. But what kind of religion do
they believe in that teaches them to treat players and people in general with disrespect
and rudeness. They have no courtesy, manners or humility. Even though I do not condone the
treatment they received from the crowd at Indian Wells, I can well understand why. I don't
believe for one minute that this smacks of racism - that's just media hype. As for
the top that Venus wore at the Australian Open and the dress Serena wore at Indian Wells,
the television cameras took more close up shots of their busts than the tennis.
But wasn�t that why they wore them?
B.M.W.
19 March 2001
Less quiet please!
Tennis authorities have discussed all sorts of changes to the game to make it more
popular. We've had shorter sets and bigger balls. They've thought about stopping the server
from jumping and changing the dimensions of the court.
Why don't they do just one simple thing instead of all this tinkering about with the game
itself? All they need to do is allow the spectators to get involved. No more "quiet please!".
Let them shout and cheer through the match, just like in a football match. The players will
get used to it and we'll have a more exciting sport to enjoy!
Dominic Harris
8 April 2001
Britain needs better coaches!
As far as I am aware there is nothing physically, mentally or genetically that should keep
British tennis players from being just as successful at the sport as players of other
nationalities. We do not have shorter limbs, weaker bones, or limited brain capacities compared
to our foreign counterparts. We do not have big feet and we do not take longer to react to an
approaching ball. In short it seems that there seems to be very little that is actually stopping
us from consistently producing players who can compete at the highest level.
So if we have all the neccessary attributes then what is it that is preventing so many of our
younger players from realising their potentials? Maybe we need to look at whether they are being
taught the right things in the right way in the first place. As far as I am aware tennis is one
of the only sports that allows someone who would struggle to distinguish between a backhand and
a back-flip to take a qualification that allows them to coach the sport! It is the only sport in
which you can join a club and sign up for lessons with someone who is less proficient, but more
importantly is less knowledgeable about the game than you are!
I am by no means denying the existence of coaches who have limited playing ability but still have
a great deal to offer in terms of knowledge and tactical awareness. In fact for the majority of
my own playing career I was coached by someone whom I could beat with relative ease but who, to
this day, still has the ability to effectively analyse my game and give me useful insights into
my performance. But these coaches are very much the exception.
Any person, regardless of experience or knowledge, can apply to take their DCA (Developmental
Coach Award) qualification in order to earn some extra cash in the same way that they might apply
for a place on an IT course or evening art class. And with just a little bit of common sense they
can pass it! It is frightening to think that these 'coaches' then go away with the responsibility
of managing tennis at the grassroots level and they are often the first contact that these young
kids have with the game of tennis.
Poor coaching can actually be detrimental to the games of children (or anyone!). Incorrect advice
leading to bad technical and mental habits becomes completely ingrained at this highly-cognitive
stage of their development. A 10 year-old girl who is prompted into making an incorrect technical
change may never get rid of that hitch in her service action or jerk in her forehand take-back.
Dont' get me wrong- I mean no disrespect to individuals but I do not see how somebody who has not
reached a significant level of playing tennis themselves can expect to be given the chance to
teach others how to play the game. This is just in the same way that I would not expect to be
able to go out on a whim and become a football coach. I have no skill in the game whatsoever and
would not dream of advising other people how they should be playing!
It's an age-old adage that we should aim for 'quality not quantity'. I think this very much
applies to coaching in tennis. I can't believe that there is a shortage of current or ex-players
out there who would make excellent coaches. I recognise that stipulations of playing standard are
implemented at CCA (Club Coach Award) level but in my opinion this standard should be set from the
start. It is all too easy to get exasperated with our players but if we are going to expect
excellence from them I think we first need to expect excellence from our coaches.
Mark W
14 April 2001
Hail Pete the Great!
Now that he's getting close to the end of his career, it's fitting that we should acknowledge
Pete Sampras as the greatest player of all time.
Some people point to his failure to win the French Open, but thirteen Grand Slams is
a phenomenal achievement. In Britain, we've been slow to appreciate him, but this year at
Wimbledon, all those lucky enough to see him in action should give him a welcome that befits
a man whose talents will soon become the stuff of legend.
Malc
7 May 2001
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