By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday March 10, 2024

Indian Wells – Stefanos Tsitsipas is comfortable to affix the refrain of voices which are displaying assist for the one-handed backhand. The 25-year-old Greek, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, talked lovingly concerning the one-hander, and vowed to do his finest to revive the shot to glory.

“I do feel like it's the most beautiful shot in tennis,” Tsitsipas, who defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-3 to succeed in the spherical of 16 at Indian Wells on Sunday. “I do believe it's the most difficult thing to learn in tennis, but of course it has its rewards as sort of creating opportunities, opening up the court. I think it's a massive weapon for courts that have sort of a high response to the ball, especially clay courts, as well.

“I do find it a beautiful shot that also, if perfected in the right way, it can be a massive lethal weapon for those who feel confident hitting that shot.”

That stated, Tsitsipas admits that the single-handed backhand, nevertheless lovely, could be a troublesome animal to tame.

“It's a complex shot to master and to perfect, and it takes a lot of time to get to a point where you develop an amazing single-handed backhand, one that is a weapon,” he stated.

“I also think that people have the tendency to choose the double-handed backhand [because of] the ease of it, how less complex it is to learn and how you can always support your left hand to close out certain shots or save certain shots that perhaps a single-handed backhand would slice instead.”

Athenian Artistry 🎨

Stefanos Tsitsipas with the @BMWUSA Play Of The Day 🎾 pic.twitter.com/JvUlSqQPFz

— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 11, 2024

Tsitsipas is aware of the one-hander has limitations, however he would by no means take into consideration hitting a backhand another approach. And he actually believes his backhand provides him benefits that he can exploit.

“I do feel like it's the most beautiful shot in tennis,” he stated. “I do believe it's the most difficult thing to learn in tennis, but of course it has its rewards; creating opportunities, opening up the court. I think it's a massive weapon for courts that have a high response to the ball, especially clay courts, as well.

So I do find it a beautiful shot that also, if perfected in the right way, it can be a massive lethal weapon for those who feel confident hitting that shot.”

Tsitsipas says he’s proud to hold the one-hand flag, and he says he believes that simply because there aren’t any within the Top 10 in the intervening time doesn’t imply that it gained’t be a shot that's as soon as once more employed by a Grand Slam champion – possibly even him.

Backhand do Tsitsipas conforme pediram. pic.twitter.com/Bv3zukTbJX

— Mundo Do Tênis 🎾 (@mundodotenispod) March 2, 2024

“I feel like I am part of the players that carry on the legacy of the single-handed backhand. If it was not for me, if it was not for Grigor (Dimitrov), if it was not for Lorenzo (Musetti), if it was not for Richard (Gasquet), this shot would barely be seen on the tour.

“Yes, it's an old-school shot, something that people used to play back in the day, but it has its modernity these days. It has evolved into a modern shot that looks way different than it was hundreds of years ago.

“I do believe that more kids in the future would definitely decide to pursue a single-handed backhand and we might see that at big levels again, perhaps even a lot of players playing it inside the top 10 soon.”

Content Source: www.tennisnow.com