If in doubt... whack it

It wasn't that long ago that Lleyton Hewitt was World No.1. Crazy. No offence intended, but the little Australian's game was all about getting the ball back in, scampering around the court making his opponent play one more shot. It feels like a million years ago. The progression of men's tennis to a bigger, stronger game, where serves are faster and points shorter has been an inexorable one. Racquet technology, greater physicality amongst the players and even a quickening of the courts has had its influence, but a change in mentality might have been a bigger factor.

I think we may have seen another big leap in that direction this week at Roland Garros. Robin Soderling played the game of his life to beat Rafa Nadal, the World No.1 and a man who had never been beaten at the French (who didn't play badly), by hitting 59 unforced errors. His 61 winners were worth it though. I'm watching Belarussian nineteen-year-old Victoria Azarenka push the women's No.1 Dinara Safina to the limit in the third set of their quarter final. Azarenka stormed through the first set 6-1 (Safina had only lost 5 games in her 4 matches before today!) by going for her shots. When you hit clean winners, there's nothing your opponent can do about it. And this is on clay, where getting the ball back has long been the secret. Not any more.