Simon Reed

Favourite shotmakers: Women's forehand

Tue Oct 27 07:19AM

The best: Steffi Graf

The standout player for me, the best of all time, is Graf. She had a very good serve and won so many cheap points setting up the forehand and she'd hit a killer given half the chance.

The key thing with her forehand was the movement - she could move so gracefully but so effortlessly around the court and was able to set up the forehand time after time. When they thought they had got her out of the point, so many players tried to play her backhand.

But the way she manoeuvred around those trying to find her backhand all the time, to hit the forehand either down the line or across the court. It was a delight to see.

Her opponents were always under pressure because they knew if they dropped it short to her at any stage, they'd be dead in the point. It was putting so much pressure on the opponent - they were constantly trying to find the backhand and she would constantly dance around the court and hit forehands.

It was quite staggering really. Yes the backhand was a weakness, compared with the forehand, although it didn't lose her too many points. But what was amazing was the forehand. It just crushed her opponents.

The best of the rest:

There's no-one really of Graf's level in the modern game, but for power Ana Ivanovic is good. When she was playing well and went to number one in the world - obviously at the moment she's all over the place - but 18 months ago when she was really firing she had an amazing forehand. It was a bullet.

Of those playing well now, Svetlana Kuznetsova has the biggest forehand. She's got so much core strength, which she uses so well, producing a lot of whip on her shots and generation of pace on the ball. I think Kuznetsova's got it. When she's playing at the top of her game, which she seems to be again now, it's great when she hits that forehand. I think it'll be one of the key shots in Doha this week.

Linsday Davenport set up so many points with a big first serve and then a forehand into the corner. Serena Williams does exactly the same. But they are more all-round players, and it's Kuznetsova's forehand that I think is a beautiful shot.

There are also a lot of players coming out of Eastern Europe, particularly Russia, with big forehands now. Russian Elena Bovina had an extraordinary forehand. She just cracked it. That was a few years ago, but sadly she got injured and isn't playing any more.

Comments1 - 20 of 20

Kim Clijsters, anyone???
From yawboakye86 on Tue Oct 27 08:49AM
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Reed, please rewatch a few matches of the 90s. The Pierce forehand was a booming one and actually killed the Graf one in 2 matches they played in 1994 (especially their French open semi that year). And how about the two handed Seles forehand, quite a killer too.
Graf's forehand is still the best of course
From ilove.juju on Tue Oct 27 09:17AM
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How about Maria Sharapova's forehand? At AO2008, when she was at her best, no one could trouble her groundstrokes wise. Both wings were top notched!
From linuslafunk on Tue Oct 27 09:49AM
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As I've said in free-online verse, females should play TABLE tennis, which puts far less stress on the racket/bat arm (whatever shot one is making).
From david1franks on Tue Oct 27 09:49AM
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If he had picked anyone other than Graf it would have been off to the looney bin for Mr. Reed - what he didn't mention was how Grafs backhand helped set up her forehand so often. Players were busy trying to dig up that vicious slice and Graf would then have the time to move round and pounce on the reply with another forehand. He never mentioned the belgians who have better and far more reliable forehands than both Kuzzy and Ivanovic.
From mohawk393939 on Tue Oct 27 10:23AM
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i miss steffi
From ajpbolton on Tue Oct 27 11:24AM
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Definitely Clijsters!
From longroadofhair on Tue Oct 27 12:25PM
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Please, release us from Simon Reed ! ! !
From morisjak on Tue Oct 27 01:32PM
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Steffi not only had the best forehand but she was and is the best tennis player ever. She won no less than 22 slams and all 4 in 1 year too. Federer
has a long way to go to catch up with her.
From katy.hume on Tue Oct 27 01:53PM
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katy.hume, steffi is the best female player of all time, i grant you that, but dont start comparing mens achievements to womens because you cant.
From ajpbolton on Tue Oct 27 02:10PM
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I agree with Mr. Reed's top rankings for men (Federer) and women (Graf) forehands. Graf's forehand was such a major weapon back then. She just overpowered her opponents with that shot. However what made that shot great was her court coverage. She had the ability to run around the backhand and go for her shot, yet still be able to over the rest of the court. Steffi to me was the best athlete ever in terms of female tennis.
From kucg123 on Tue Oct 27 02:42PM
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I think patty schnyder has a remarkable forehand too...
From jeremyvicencio on Tue Oct 27 02:55PM
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I think patty schnyder has a remarkable forehand too
From jeremyvicencio on Tue Oct 27 02:56PM
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Steffi forever!
From tcipoauuu on Tue Oct 27 05:01PM
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In my very honest opinion, if steffi graff and ana ivanovic went forehand t forehand, i honestly think ivanovic would blow her off court, graff just would not cope with the power. sorry.
From sean_jones1990 on Tue Oct 27 05:38PM
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Ivanovic forehand is poor, all power and no control. Pierce when fit had a great one, Seles forehand was good before the stabbing, and now I think Clijsters shot is terrific. Graf's though clearly the greatest ever, but who said Sharapova??? Do me a favour.......
From justgetsnasty on Tue Oct 27 06:05PM
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I couldnt agree more.. Steffi.. we miss u so much. you were the best ever in my eyes.
From melhimaa on Tue Oct 27 06:50PM
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ajpbolton, why can't I compare women's tennis to men's. Is it easier for a woman to win a Grand Slam than for a man? By Grand slam I mean all 4 in 1 year. Women are not as strong as men but women play against women and men against men. Isn't the effort and skill involved the same?
From katy.hume on Tue Oct 27 10:27PM
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Where is Martina Navratilova in the all-time greats? I'd put her a small notch above Steffi at Number 1. Lengevity aided her record but that just marks her out as being truly the greatest.
From nacflynn on Wed Oct 28 11:43AM
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Sean, Ivanovics forehand can be great but it has proven to be more of a liability than a strength. She tries to use the same technique Graf used but because she doesn't have anywhere near the same level of athletisism or fitness it breaks down - she can't keep up the tempo and that is why she is where she is now. Graf proved over the years that she had developed the greatest single shot the womens game had ever seen. It was so consistantly destructive that nobody apart from Seles at her peak could cope with it and even Seles like all Grafs opponents tried to stay clear of that wing. Capriati was another one who had a great forehand and also props go to Dementieva from the current generation who has the most explosive forehand but all pale in comparrison to Graf.
From mohawk393939 on Wed Oct 28 12:13PM
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