The keys to grasscourt success

Published by Matt Trollope

Roger Federer in action at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle: "Maybe your first reaction (on grass) is going forward rather than backward ... then of course you've got to back yourself when you're volleying." (Getty Images)
Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Kei Nishikori sat down with Tennis TV to discuss what it takes to have success on a grass court.

Grass is one of tennis’s more distinctive surfaces, a naturally-growing playing field that has become increasingly rare in modern tennis.

Once the predominant surface of the amateur era, the grasscourt season now comprises just five weeks of the 11-month tennis calendar.

Yet that’s actually a week longer than in 2014, the last year in which there were just two weeks of grasscourt events between Roland Garros and Wimbledon before in 2015 an extra week of lawn tournaments were added to the schedule.

Roger Federer, speaking to Tennis TV during the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, believed this expansion would see more players develop better-rounded grasscourt games going forward.

“I think because of the short grasscourt season that we’ve seen over the years, it’s been actually difficult to perfect the grasscourt (style) for many players,” he said.

“Whereas maybe now, we’ll see better grasscourt players as we move along because we do have a week more to actually improve your footwork, your mindset. And I think it’s actually only positive for the players that we have more grasscourt play.

“I think we’re going to see quite an interesting change in the next five years or so.”

So what exactly does it take to play well on grass? Several ATP stars gave their views when chatting to Tennis TV in Halle.

Roger Federer

“I think movement and footwork is the biggest difference I see in terms of how you play on grass. Because you have to protect the middle (of the court) in a different way that you do on the hard courts or clay courts. You’re caught more often than not in awkward positions which we’re not that used to.

“Maybe your first reaction is going forward rather than backward like on other surfaces, so it is worth it to just come in (to the net) and see what happens with the bluff play … then of course you’ve got to back yourself when you’re volleying.”

Dominic Thiem

“I think the serve gets even more important than it is already. And also concentration-wise you are a little bit more focused because every point is really important. On clay, somehow, or a slower hard court, you can always get a break back or something and on grass it’s really difficult.”

Alexander Zverev

“I think the shots maybe have to be a bit flatter, a bit more precise. On clay you have to give a lot of topspin, you have to try and push the player back. Where on grass, it’s good, it’s a little bit different.”

Kei Nishikori

“The balls are much faster and bounce low. So you’ve gotta really stay down on the return. And sometimes you have to come to the net a little more, to play aggressive.”

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