The French Open Cold Drives Kenin and Djokovic Toward the Drop Shot

A bad drop shot is usually about as effective as a double fault, but a good one is a thing of cruel beauty: a wicked change of pace, preferably hit off the same backswing as a full-force groundstroke and then sliced with just the right feel to barely cross over the net and die a glorious death in the clay.

Put too much arc on the ball or hit the shot from too far behind the baseline and hard-running players like Thiem will easily track it down. Fail to disguise it and players will start to sprint forward before the drop shot is deployed. But time it correctly — as Djokovic, Kenin, Gaston and others have done so often this year — and the rewards are often immediate.

“I have different stuff that I really like, but the drop shot is definitely a key,” Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, said of her game. “It’s a great factor, especially on the clay.”

Her opponents have often not even tried to run down some of her best efforts. She hit nine drop shot winners against Fiona Ferro in her 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory in the fourth round on Monday, using the tactic with her forehand and her two-handed backhand.

“I was having a hard time reacting, especially when she was playing her regular strokes deeper,” Ferro said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/sports/tennis/french-open-drop-shots.html