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Few players embrace the traditions of Wimbledon with more gusto than Roger Federer, from the white clothing rule to the hushed quiet between points. At the age of 32, Federer has seen Wimbledon evolve from a haven for serve-and-volleyers to a place where baseliners rule. But the art of the serve and volley and net play, at least in moderation, may not be dead quite yet.
The seven-times champion crushed Italy’s world No83 Paolo Lorenzi 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the second round, the 10th time in 11 years he has won his opener here in straight sets. But the victory was most notable for how often he made his way to the net, sometimes through serve and volley, other times through approaches by stealth and occasionally even through the old-fashioned chip-charge.
When he shot to fame here in 2001 with a fourth-round victory over Pete Sampras in 2001, Federer served and volleyed almost exclusively on first serve and half the time on his second serve. As the surface has slowed and as string technology has enabled players to hit with extra zip and dip on their passes, serve and volley has almost entirely disappeared. But Federer believes it’s still possible to play the net-rushing game, if done correctly.
“I think it could be that little extra piece to the puzzle that could bring me through, to have that extra option,” said Federer, who next plays Gilles Müller of Luxembourg or Frenchman Julien Benneteau. “I think it is helpful. I’m going to still see against who I can do it and who I can’t. If I can’t, I’ll have to rely more on my baseline game, on the first shots; serve, returns, first strike, which almost everybody plays nowadays.
It’s nothing new for Federer, who is more accomplished at the net than most. But in the past, he has often struggled to accept being passed, almost as if it’s an affront to his skills, and so he has stopped doing it. The addition of Stefan Edberg to his coaching team, since last December, has reminded him that serve and volleying, and attacking the net in general is also about putting doubt in his opponent’s mind.
“A traditional serve‑and‑volley player, which I’m not clearly anymore, is used to taking return winners, passing shots,” said Federer, who also said his larger-headed racket is giving him more power and consistency on serve. “It’s the overall picture you have to be able to see, that it’s worth it, it’s putting the pressure on the opponent, knowing that any short ball will be attacked, there will be not too much rhythm out there.
“It’s not just trying to serve and volley some more. It’s really the bigger picture. You have to take some passing shots, you have to be willing to dig deep on the volleys. I think there’s a way to do it here. You need to be able to serve well, move well at net, anticipate well, come in on the right shots in the right way. Many things need to work well, but it definitely is still worth it.”
It is only two years since Federer won his 17th grand slam title and he believes he can win another. If he does it by going back to the future, so be it, but winning remains the only goal.
“I’ll still have to see how it’s going to go from here on, because at the end I’d rather not serve and volley and win my matches than go out in style serving and volleying. I’m here to win the tournament”
theguardian.com.
Next match will be the one to watch for all who went out early during 2nd round last year including Nadal. Nail biting time!.
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