if u want to see how brilliant graf's top spin backhand was, just watch wimbledon '88 final. she had more than 60 winners that match!!! and more than *half* were backhand winners! the reason she was using it less and less during her career was that players stopped serving-and-volleying and she didn't have to pass them anymore.
Hi, I know about the 1988 Wimbledon Final, I have it on DVD, WHAT a match ! And I totally agree with you about serve and volley opponents, that's why I like so much her matches against Navratilova ;)
I agree with most of these comments.Though nobody could say that Steffi's slice backhand was a weakness (infact its the grestest slice the games has ever seen), i do believe Steffi would have benefitted more by having a good topspin backhand also, especially to deal with the power coming from Seles, Davenport and the Williams sisters in later years. As great as the slice was, that was always the side players would attack and come in on.
@Hoffenheim08 I never said there was anything wrong with Grafs slice in fact it is the best slice backhand I've seen in the game - what I am saying is that Steffi could and most probably would have developed a good topspin backhand that she had confidence in in order to keep pace with Seles. After all it was a great topspin backhand that turned the tide for her against Hingis at the 99 French so she was capable of hitting it.
I'm sure had Seles not been stabbed Graf would have developed the topspin backhand a lot more and used it way more. She needed something else to beat Seles with in the early 90s because she seemed to be coming up just short in the big matches against her.
Yeah, she had a topspin backhand in 1987, but fast forward to 1991...watch the way she handled some of Sabatini's approach shots...I can remember her taking a swing with two hands she was so frustrated. Her backhand didn't progress along with the rest of the game as the game got more powerful. Steffi just ran around more backhands to hit forehands instead, that's all.
agreed but also I think when she lost all her confidence in 1990 she didn't hit so many topspin backhands after that, wasn't quite the same player, still the all time greatest for me
if u want to see how brilliant graf's top spin backhand was, just watch wimbledon '88 final. she had more than 60 winners that match!!! and more than *half* were backhand winners!
the reason she was using it less and less during her career was that players stopped serving-and-volleying and she didn't have to pass them anymore.
I adore Steffi's "KOMM JETZT!!!!!" :-)))
Hi, I know about the 1988 Wimbledon Final, I have it on DVD, WHAT a match !
And I totally agree with you about serve and volley opponents, that's why I like so much her matches against Navratilova ;)
I agree with most of these comments.Though nobody could say that Steffi's slice backhand was a weakness (infact its the grestest slice the games has ever seen), i do believe Steffi would have benefitted more by having a good topspin backhand also, especially to deal with the power coming from Seles, Davenport and the Williams sisters in later years.
As great as the slice was, that was always the side players would attack and come in on.
@Hoffenheim08
I never said there was anything wrong with Grafs slice in fact it is the best slice backhand I've seen in the game - what I am saying is that Steffi could and most probably would have developed a good topspin backhand that she had confidence in in order to keep pace with Seles. After all it was a great topspin backhand that turned the tide for her against Hingis at the 99 French so she was capable of hitting it.
I'm sure had Seles not been stabbed Graf would have developed the topspin backhand a lot more and used it way more. She needed something else to beat Seles with in the early 90s because she seemed to be coming up just short in the big matches against her.
Yeah, she had a topspin backhand in 1987, but fast forward to 1991...watch the way she handled some of Sabatini's approach shots...I can remember her taking a swing with two hands she was so frustrated. Her backhand didn't progress along with the rest of the game as the game got more powerful. Steffi just ran around more backhands to hit forehands instead, that's all.
agreed but also I think when she lost all her confidence in 1990 she didn't hit so many topspin backhands after that, wasn't quite the same player, still the all time greatest for me
1:29 and 1:47...really?!?!