[DA FOREHAND]

Where is all this finesse her fans speak of? Variety? I don't see anymore finesse or variety in her game than I see in any of the other current top six players. It seems to me that she gets this "finesse" tag simply because she hits slice backhand. What does she do besides hit the one handed backhand that the other top six don't/can't/haven't done?

 

[alexusjonesfan]

yeah, it's true...she's a power player.
she sure dropshots and slices a lot more than most people in the top 10 though. I still like her and Amelie's stylish power play, though some prefer the more raw power of others...whatev

 

[DA FOREHAND]

Oh it's more "stylish" to hit w/a one handed backhand?

 

[alexusjonesfan]

Oh it's more "stylish" to hit w/a one handed backhand?

not really...I just said that to start an argument. (I was looking for attention) Venus has a lot of style on court

 

[Diya]

I guess you watch the RG SF JHH v/s SW Set 1 again and you'll see!

 

[The Crow]

Difference imo: Justine's game is based on her technical ability, but she had to add (a lot of) power to cope with the game of the other (power) players. Most of the other players game is based on the power they (naturally) have, but of course they have added more technicality.

To compare her with e.g. Serena: Serena can overpower anyone (and before someone bites my head of, of course her game is not 'all' power). Justine can overpower everyone besides top 10 (roughly speaking). Playing the top 10, she has to add more technicality than e.g. Serena to win. Still using power of course...

And yes her backhand is one of the technically best shots in the game. It seems to be much more natural than other players' backhand.

 

[Knizzle]

I guess you watch the RG SF JHH v/s SW Set 1 again and you'll see!

That set was won with power, NOT finesse. I was amazed at the power Justine was hitting with in that first set.

 

[The Crow]

That set was won with power, NOT finesse. I was amazed at the power Justine was hitting with in that first set.

That's just it, you can have all the finesse you want, if it's not hard enough Serena runs almost everything down and tries to make winners of it. So Justine had to add power to her game. That set was imo won by the right mixture between power and finesse...

 

[DA FOREHAND]

justine especially on her forehand side appears to throw her entire body behind each forehand, that's finesse? Her forehand "technically" is not very sound. Her backhand is technically solid.

Still nobody has answered the questions posed in the threads opening statement.

 

[SJW]

she hits more baseline winners than many others on tour

shes a power player. no doubt

 

[minboy]

Finesse is not about hitting a slice backhand.
Finesse is about hitting a slice backhand at the right time.
Justine is still a finesse player because she has a game plan, against everyone. She only uses power to make her game plan more effective.
On the other hand, power players's game plans are just about "hitting hard".

 

[Diya]

That set was won with power, NOT finesse. I was amazed at the power Justine was hitting with in that first set.

IMO No ONE can out-hit Serena Williams in a match consistently for over the period of a set ! You can beat Serena by using other ways but definitely not by matching her power ! Take Mirjana for example ...........She was almost hitting harder than Venus in their match at Wimbledon but still lost 6-0 6-0

 

[Ryan]

Where is all this finesse her fans speak of? Variety? I don't see anymore finesse or variety in her game than I see in any of the other current top six players. It seems to me that she gets this "finesse" tag simply because she hits slice backhand. What does she do besides hit the one handed backhand that the other top six don't/can't/haven't done?

You're blind.


It's not about what the others CAN, or HAVE done, it's what they do now. And most of the top players just pound away at the ball, occasionally throwing in a bad dropshot or coming to net to put away a volley. Henin does have lots of variety, and she uses it in every match she plays. Her slice backhand *IS* variety, like it or not. The way she hitsh er backhand is very different because she can get sooo many spins off of it. She has the best volleys of the top 10, and she gets to net more then the other top players to use them. Henin never will hit as hard as Venus, Serena, Kim, or Lindsay, so it's obvious she's doing something different to make the top 5.

 

[Knizzle]

IMO No ONE can out-hit Serena Williams in a match consistently for over the period of a set ! You can beat Serena by using other ways but definitely not by matching her power ! Take Mirjana for example ...........She was almost hitting harder than Venus in their match at Wimbledon but still lost 6-0 6-0

In that one set she did outhit Serena, and I think it rattled Serena a bit, but in the second and third set Serena changed strategy and took control of the match until the "incident"

 

[SJW]

IMO No ONE can out-hit Serena Williams in a match consistently for over the period of a set ! You can beat Serena by using other ways but definitely not by matching her power ! Take Mirjana for example ...........She was almost hitting harder than Venus in their match at Wimbledon but still lost 6-0 6-0

you mean their match at the US?

Henin fans want to claim shes not a power player then say "oh look how good she is! her first serve average is the same as Serenas!"

one or the other......

 

[DA FOREHAND]

Bad example...hitting hard is nothing if you can't keep the ball w/in the confines of the court.

So now finesse is having a game plan? That's something all the top players enter a match with. It's not unique to justine. justine hits her slice backhand slice forehands as part of her defense you don't see her employing this tactic when she's in an offensive position.

 

[Knizzle]

You're blind.


It's not about what the others CAN, or HAVE done, it's what they do now. And most of the top players just pound away at the ball, occasionally throwing in a bad dropshot or coming to net to put away a volley. Henin does have lots of variety, and she uses it in every match she plays. Her slice backhand *IS* variety, like it or not. The way she hitsh er backhand is very different because she can get sooo many spins off of it. She has the best volleys of the top 10, and she gets to net more then the other top players to use them. Henin never will hit as hard as Venus, Serena, Kim, or Lindsay, so it's obvious she's doing something different to make the top 5.

Capriati hits a slice backhand often too. No one gives her credit for "finesse" Henin doesn't get to net against the top players enough. Venus pounds Henin at the net, and although at the beginning of their Wimby 2003 match Serena was missing the volley, she made the commitment to come to the net and it eventually paid off. Serena must have asked Venus for advice before the match on how to beat Henin. Henin hits nearly as hard as anyone else in the top ten. I find it funny how everyone here thinks it's so easy to strike the ball hard and still find placement and control as Lindsay, Venus, Serena, Kim, and Capriati do.

 

[Glenn]

Bad example...hitting hard is nothing if you can't keep the ball w/in the confines of the court.

So now finesse is having a game plan? That's something all the top players enter a match with. It's not unique to justine. justine hits her slice backhand slice forehands as part of her defense you don't see her employing this tactic when she's in an offensive position.

She's for sure the player out of the top 10 that ventures to the net the most.
I wouldn't call this finesse, but it's more varied than any other player out of the top 10.

 

[Ryan]

Capriati hits a slice backhand often too. No one gives her credit for "finesse" Henin doesn't get to net against the top players enough. Venus pounds Henin at the net, and although at the beginning of their Wimby 2003 match Serena was missing the volley, she made the commitment to come to the net and it eventually paid off. Serena must have asked Venus for advice before the match on how to beat Henin. Henin hits nearly as hard as anyone else in the top ten. I find it funny how everyone here thinks it's so easy to strike the ball hard and still find placement and control as Lindsay, Venus, Serena, Kim, and Capriati do.

When did I say it was easy to hit super-hard with contral and accuracy? It's probably one of the hardest things to do, hitting as hard as Serena with that accuracy. I was merely responding to DF, saying that Justine has more variety then the other top players. I never said it wins her matches all the time.

 

[bandabou]

Capriati hits a slice backhand often too. No one gives her credit for "finesse" Henin doesn't get to net against the top players enough. Venus pounds Henin at the net, and although at the beginning of their Wimby 2003 match Serena was missing the volley, she made the commitment to come to the net and it eventually paid off. Serena must have asked Venus for advice before the match on how to beat Henin. Henin hits nearly as hard as anyone else in the top ten. I find it funny how everyone here thinks it's so easy to strike the ball hard and still find placement and control as Lindsay, Venus, Serena, Kim, and Capriati do.

Word! That´s the reason Serena lost at RG....her netplay wasn´t good that day, as Justine kept passing her...