[Venus Forever]

Now, we all know how many tennis analyst have proclaimed that you need to center the ball the beat the Williams. I think this exact tactic would work well on Kim.

Just face it, she's too good on the run. She gets to everything and she gets them back with something on it.

I see Kim as having more problems when the ball is hit to her, that's when the errors fly off her racket. Lindsay tried the wrong tactic today. She tried to blow Kim off the court, but Kim just hung in there. If you are going to move Kim side to side, I believe you need to come to net and finish that point off up there; it's no use in keep banging away from the baseline.

However, I think centering the ball would work wonders. Kim is still not consistent, or as consistent, off the ground as she is when she is on the run. Kim doesn't make the errors when she is running, Kim makes the errors when the ball is right there and when she has to do something with it.

Anyone else think I have something here?

 

[Knizzle]

Now, we all know how many tennis analyst have proclaimed that you need to center the ball the beat the Williams. I think this exact tactic would work well on Kim.

Just face it, she's too good on the run. She gets to everything and she gets them back with something on it.

I see Kim as having more problems when the ball is hit to her, that's when the errors fly off her racket. Lindsay tried the wrong tactic today. She tried to blow Kim off the court, but Kim just hung in there. If you are going to move Kim side to side, I believe you need to come to net and finish that point off up there; it's no use in keep banging away from the baseline.

However, I think centering the ball would work wonders. Kim is still not consistent, or as consistent, off the ground as she is when she is on the run. Kim doesn't make the errors when she is running, Kim makes the errors when the ball is right there and when she has to do something with it.

Anyone else think I have something here?

This strategy hasn't worked against the Williams sisters since '99 maybe 2000, just ask Lindsay Davenport. I think you just have to get in to the net and take Clijsters loopy strokes out of the air. LD did this several times, but a few of them she made errors on.

 

[greg²]

you have to play slice against those hardhitters. Why is Henin 3-5 in the meetings with Serena??
Cause of the slice and cause of the variety in the game.
If you follow their game and try to overpower them: you're a sucker :d

 

[SJW]

Id like to see a serve and volleyer face Kim...i dont think ive seen that. you give a Williams a target at net and once they get in the groove they'll pass you for fun (i think it was Daja Bedanova who wrongfully tried this tactic at the USO last year vs Serena) but it will be interesting to see what the outcome vs Kim is....

then again shes too good right now, kind of a stupid thing to say but to me shes "playing like a sister"...the only way shes gonna lose (not playing W/S) is if she beats herself....no other people can touch her right now IMO

 

[Sofiane]

Id like to see a serve and volleyer face Kim...i dont think ive seen that. you give a Williams a target at net and once they get in the groove they'll pass you for fun (i think it was Daja Bedanova who wrongfully tried this tactic at the USO last year vs Serena) but it will be interesting to see what the outcome vs Kim is....

then again shes too good right now, kind of a stupid thing to say but to me shes "playing like a sister"...the only way shes gonna lose (not playing W/S) is if she beats herself....no other people can touch her right now IMO

Lisa Raymond tried that, she got hammered 6-2 6-2, Kim was toying with her, lobbing and passing at will.

 

[Venus Forever]

Yea, but Lisa doesn't really have that big serve to get the easy volley.

Plus, Lisa doesn't really serve and volley too much against the top players.

 

[SJW]

Lisa Raymond tried that, she got hammered 6-2 6-2, Kim was toying with her, lobbing and passing at will.

Lisa still plays singles??? (im only joking i love Lisa)

IMO Lisa cant trouble any top player. i think Linzi should try it next time Kim goes out to kick her ass

 

[starr]

Lindsay isn't a serve and volley player. I can't think of a single player playing today who is a serve and volley player. Justine comes the closest IMO, and even she isn't.

Lindsay's trouble with serve and volley is agility.

 

[Sofiane]

Lisa still plays singles??? (im only joking i love Lisa)

IMO Lisa cant trouble any top player. i think Linzi should try it next time Kim goes out to kick her ass

Serve and volley requires foot speed, a thing Lindsay doesn't have, she won't be able to serve and volley against any top player.

 

[treufreund]

linzi tried that. kim got those balls back deep and on the lines and jumping up on lindsay before lindsay even recovered from the last shot. GAME SET and MATCH MISS CLIJSTERS!!!

 

[Glenn]

Id like to see a serve and volleyer face Kim...i dont think ive seen that. you give a Williams a target at net and once they get in the groove they'll pass you for fun (i think it was Daja Bedanova who wrongfully tried this tactic at the USO last year vs Serena) but it will be interesting to see what the outcome vs Kim is....

then again shes too good right now, kind of a stupid thing to say but to me shes "playing like a sister"...the only way shes gonna lose (not playing W/S) is if she beats herself....no other people can touch her right now IMO

I agree with Sarah.
The tour needs a good serve and volleyer a la Jana Novotna and Martina Navratilova.

Check out some of Jana's head-to-heads to powerhitters:

3-1 to Venus
0-1 to Serena (but had to retire from that match)
4-4 to Seles
5-1 to Pierce
4-0 to Kournikova
1-0 to Lucic
4-1 to Schett

I'm telling you, a decent serve and volley game is the only thing that hasn't been tried against Venus, Serena OR Kim yet.

But then again, some other girl with a good backhand has been saying she's changing her tactics.

 

[SJW]

Linzi has a great serve and a good volley and at touching 6'3 shes gonna be an ass to pass.

she did some serve and volleying vs Venus in the Wimby QF second set...and it worked great (yes it was on grass but still)

im not saying Linzi or any other player should become a s-a-v (who am i to coach ) but when asked how can Kim be beaten thats what comes to mind

 

[greg²]

serve and volley, which top ten player has this as a natural gift
only Justine and Jenjen come to the net occasionnaly.
Kim is almost number one in doubles and she almost refuses to serve and volley...

 

[SJW]

I agree with Sarah.
The tour needs a good serve and volleyer a la Jana Novotna and Martina Navratilova.

Check out some of Jana's head-to-heads to powerhitters:

3-1 to Venus
0-1 to Serena (but had to retire from that match)
4-4 to Seles
5-1 to Pierce
4-0 to Kournikova
1-0 to Lucic
4-1 to Schett

I'm telling you, a decent serve and volley game is the only thing that hasn't been tried against Venus, Serena OR Kim yet.

But then again, some other girl with a good backhand has been saying she's changing her tactics.

right.....i CLASS serve and volleyer, someone who can bring forth the element of suprise

bleh @ Glenn for trying to get Henin mentioned up in here

 

[SJW]

serve and volley, which top ten player has this as a natural gift
only Justine and Jenjen come to the net occasionnaly.
Kim is almost number one in doubles and she almost refuses to serve and volley...

the serves are the weakest part in Jen and Kims games

im not saying they have bad serves...im saying everything else is just great

 

[Fingon]

Kim is very fast, and has that freaky split , she hits hard and goes for the lines. She hits winners off both sides, has a decent net game and a good serve, can hit winners on the run and you can't overpower her.

sounds pretty difficult and in fact it is, very few players can execute what is needed to beat her, even if they know what they need to do.

Serve and volley is good, but it's not necessarily going to work. Kim hides the backhand very well and you don't know if she is hitting it down the line or crosscourt, so, if you hit an approach shot, you can't give her angle, hit it down the middle, to her body or with a sharp angle and deep, so she can only hit a passing shot to half the court.

If you have the power, you can try to blow her out the court, you won't win the point with only that because most likely she will get everything back, but when you do get a short ball, do something with it!!!, that means, go to the net, and hit the ball as far from her as possible, and as hard as possible.

Try to make the points last, try to hurt her confidene, that's Kim's weakest point, she chokes and some times she walks away from the match, take advantage of that.

Mix up, she likes pace and if you only hit hard, the ball will come back harder, alternate with moonballs, slice, drop shots, coming to the net.

Now, I don't think many players have the skills to do the above against Kim: Justine, Amelie, Chanda in a good day, Venus, Serena. Not Lindsay, she is too slow, not Jennifer, she isn't aggressive enough and her serve lets her down.

 

[Glenn]

Chanda on a good day? She's been eaten all 5 times.
At least Jennifer is 3-2 over Kim and got a set in the last 2 meetings.

 

[starr]

Good post, Fignon. Also, Kim is prone to the inexplicable error as well....

 

[Fingon]

Chanda on a good day? She's been eaten all 5 times.
At least Jennifer is 3-2 over Kim and got a set in the last 2 meetings.

yes, but head-to-heads are not going to win matches.

Chanda has the weapons (although they are often unloaded), Jenn IMO just doesn't, Kim does everything Jenn does but better plus Kim is still improving while Jennifer probably doesn't have much room to improve.

 

[Zhao]

Jenn is still capable of beating Clijsters
Her groundstrokes r superior
her recent loss to Kim is due to injuries n adopting of new strategies (netgame that is)
A healthy motivated Jenn will be the girl to do it