Roger Federer’s Gift to Tennis: A Shot That Players Love to Hit

“Honestly, it’s your last-resort play,” said Mackenzie McDonald, a 26-year-old American. “Maybe your only option.”

But in tennis, players adjust to the challenge and the risk, and the squash shot has become a staple through the years, perhaps even more in the women’s game than in the men’s.

“For me, that’s a sign of the influence of Fed across the whole sport,” said Brad Gilbert, the ESPN analyst and former top-five player, referring to Federer.

Barbora Krejcikova, a versatile all-court player, put the squash shot to frequent and excellent use on clay in her surprise run to the French Open title last month. The French veteran Alizé Cornet deployed it in winning an acrobatic match point in the first round of Wimbledon against Bianca Andreescu, who likes the squash shot, too.

On Friday, Ons Jabeur, perhaps the craftiest of all the new women’s stars, used it on match point in her third-round victory over Garbiñe Muguruza on Centre Court. Muguruza, a relentless hitter, struck a backhand down-the-line with authority. Jabeur stretched to her right and chopped a forehand crosscourt to get herself back into a rally that she ended up winning.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/03/sports/tennis/wimbledon-forehand-slice-squash-shot-federer.html