[WhatTheDeuce]

Today against Aniko she is not driving the ball into the corners against quite frankly the worst second serve on the WTA Tour. I noticed the same thing against Dementieva's second serve, she didn't attack it well at all...I don't mean to brag but I personally can crush those second serves for winners almost every time and it baffles me to see she has trouble doing that

 

[MartinaI]

Yes, I have noticed this too. She struggles against Dementieva, and Venus Williams whose 2nd serve is appalling too, and now Kapros. Something Carlos should be looking at I think. I suppose she has been concentrating on how the majority of players play their 2nd serve which is quite right. She just needs to expand her repertoire further. It just goes to show that her game is nowhere near complete and yet she plays so well. She didn't serve or play well herself today though.

 

[treufreund]

she knows how but once you start missing she probably felt that playing more consistent that she could win during the rallies. Capriati has also this tendency not to attack second serve and same with Mauresmo. I think they should just go for it but when they don't feel comfortable cappy and juju are so fast that they feel they will win most rallies.

 

[mishar]

Capriati has a tendency not to attack second serves? Are you kidding me? That's her bread and butter.

I think players like Jennifer, Monica, Venus, Lindsay and Serena have strokes built for aggressive shots on the return. (Also Hingis as well)

Justine and Amelie are alike in their having bigger takebacks on their forehand, and single-handed backhands, so they tend not to go for so much on the return, but just to block back powerful first serves, or try to put a lot of spin on the second.
It's perfectly fine on the clay, but I do think it's a weakness on the hard courts and one reason why Justine has struggled on hard courts.

But she was probably smart not to go for it today. She didn't want to get too upset with herself for missing too many, so she played it safe, just tried to get through the first round.

 

[controlfreak]

Maybe that was her downfall against Kapros at RG, and she didn't want to make the same mistake again. Anybody?

 

[fleemke³]

RG 2001 she was ill
I think it's hard to return those service because you 'know' you'll have to take advantage of it and that gives you some extra pressure ...

 

[*JR*]

The main problem I have with this strategy is that on the 2nd serve, a player with a bigger swing still may have time to hammer it. (It's on the first serve that she won't). This gets into that whole open vs. closed stance stuff, the speed of the 2nd serve, spin, etc. One "missing element" may be: does the player need rest, and want short points; or is she trying to "find the range" in a match she's gonna win either way, and thus wants to get into longer rallies as "live fire practice".

 

[mishar]

I just think it's not so much justine and Amelie's mentality to blast away at the return.

But it's also hard to generate your own pace, particularly if you're used to being more of the counterpuncher. I thought Justine was being smart today by not going for too much and getting frustrated when she probably wasn't in a rhythym yet, but she also was playing very conservatively. She could have been attacking the net a lot more.

 

[Hingiswinsthis]

Actually, Davenport has a tough time returning some of Dementieva's cream puff second serves. I mean, Elena D's and Kapros's 2nd serve makes Martina Hingis's 2nd serve look not bad after all!

Case in point, Justine most of the time has a pretty competitive first round matches in a big tournament. Her score today was the same scoreline as her 1st round match in Roland Garros So that's a good omen.......Justine's not one who wins matches 6-1, 6-0 in the first 3 rounds of a major.

 

[auntie janie]

MonicAnna,
check her interview -- she addresses this --

 

[controlfreak]

I don't think Justine really has a problem with generating her own pace...

 

[*JR*]

Actually, Davenport has a tough time returning some of Dementieva's cream puff second serves.....Justine's not one who wins matches 6-1, 6-0 in the first 3 rounds of a major.

Re. Linzi, she'll "get there", but on the late side so she can't do that Serena slamdunk kind of "whole body going into the ball" return, it's "more arm and less torque". Juju may well be an example of someone without a fatigue factor or nagging injuries who wants to get a workout in vs. easier early round opponents.

 

[per4ever]

If you saw Justine's match against Kim in San Diego (or RG) then you saw that she can attack second serves.

Justine is a player who grows in a tournament, she always peaks in the second week. She was just trying to be consistent, getting that matchrhythm.

 

[Hingiswinsthis]

amen.