All posts tagged: backhand

How does Alcaraz trap Sinner in the backhand corner? Like Nadal used to do against Federer | Tennis News

How does Alcaraz trap Sinner in the backhand corner? Like Nadal used to do against Federer | Tennis News

Published by Webster

This weekend, after 20 years, Rafael Nadal wouldn’t be competing for the French Open title. Novak Djokovic will be there, but in a way, he too isn’t in the competition to take the Cup home. At 38, he looks too jaded, too uninspired to win five-setters on clay against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the 20-something stars ready to conquer the world. Generational shifts can take a toll on fans. It’s tempting to get wistful about the end of tennis’s golden age, entertain thoughts of staying aloof to the happenings at Roland Garros. It’s also a guilt-ridden ordeal to switch loyalties, root for the new stars when the old ones are still around. But like market analysts love to say during every churn — it is always wise to stay invested. The new crowd-pullers, Alcaraz and Sinner are still works in progress but there is a bit of the Biggest 3 in the current Top 2. Watch Alcaraz, and Sinner carefully to stumble upon a few snatches of the incredible era that has just passed …

Backhand deception is the new back-stab in badminton | Badminton News

Backhand deception is the new back-stab in badminton | Badminton News

Published by Webster

English badminton player Sean Vendy — all tattoos and aggressive hitting, had been trying to match Taiwanese Lee-Yang on speed at the Round of 16 of the All England a fortnight ago. His partner Ben Lane, a leftie, is a more skilled and creative player capable of mic drop-moments when playing from the front court. But Vendy, who offers the hustling muscle to the combination, stepped it up this time. He went charging at the net and got both Lee and Yang (who eventually won 23-21, 23-21) who were on the right side of the court, taking steps to the left, almost as if synchronized, anticipating his intention to play the cross backhand flick. Instead, he had them both fooled, sending it down-the-line in a cheeky feint. The blazing backhand cross had just gone gloriously rogue. The deception was dazzling not just in Vendy’s execution in going straight instead, but in how both Lee and Yang, standing front and back, moved the other way confident that the Englishman would go cross. Act 3 of this …

Why Rakshitha, a shuttler with a tactical mind who aces rally game, is one to watch out for

Why Rakshitha, a shuttler with a tactical mind who aces rally game, is one to watch out for

Published by Webster

Promise 2025: As a new year begins, there is bound to be fresh hope for India’s upcoming young athletes. From a pre-teen chess player to an early teen cricketer, we take a look at who can make their mark in the coming years. The quiet state of Indian badminton in the south – Tamil Nadu – with its self-effacing players, could start roaring this season with Rithvik Sanjeevi Satish Kumar picking some clutch wins at the end of 2024. But the hidden talent that could see some breakthrough results in coming months is Coimbatore teen Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, a rally player who’s switched gears and is learning to let it rip. She is 5 ‘6 ” at age 17, with a natural inclination to keep the rally going, but blessed with a good punch from the back-court. Encouraged by her father to start out in the sport at 9, she made the move to Hyderabad pretty early, with her mom accompanying her. It was a tough two years as Covid struck within weeks of …

French Open: Alexander Zverev’s solid backhand and power can nullify Rafa Nadal’s topspin-laden lefty forehand | Tennis News

Published by Webster

And so it may not be. What had been billed for months as the grand farewell, for the grandest of relationships between an athlete and his favourite hunting ground, may not be a farewell after all. Rafael Nadal could return to Roland Garros after this year – “maybe, maybe not.” Ahead of the start of this year’s French Open, Nadal bounced into his pre-tournament press conference, smirking and chirping at questions about his future – a far cry from his bleak outlook from a month ago – and left things tantalisingly ambiguous. “If I have to tell you it’s 100% my last Roland Garros, sorry but I will not, because I cannot predict what’s going on. I hope you understand,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters. “I don’t want to close 100% the door… Maybe in one month and a half I’ll say ‘OK, it’s enough, I can’t keep going’. But today I cannot guarantee that it’s going to be the last one.” Order of play for day 2, what a day ⚡️ Check …

In Indian tennis, the one handed backhand is not so rare | Tennis News

Published by Parlour News

Dirges are being sung for the single-handed tennis backhand. For the first time since the ATP rankings started in 1973, no rebel with a one-hander will figure in the updated men’s top-10 rankings. Rohan Bopanna in action. The single-handed backhand is a graceful shot, but not as safe as the double-hander. Pragmatism often beats risk in life’s key choices. Hindustan Times – your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Indian men’s tennis, however, has produced a fair number of one-handers, from Ramanathan Krishnan to man of the moment Rohan Bopanna. Here’s a list: Ramanathan Krishnan Nearly all Indian players of that vintage had single-handers as they followed the classical style, predating the two-hander trend started by the likes of Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert. Krishnan’s was the most productive. It made him Asia’s first ever junior Wimbledon champion (1954) and took him to the men’s semis of a major twice. No Indian man has made the last four of a major since. Ramesh Krishnan Ramesh was a clone of his father Ramanathan. …