Editor’s observe: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es
Although Guillermo Coria left behind an unbelievable legacy that features 9 tour-level titles and a spell at No. 3 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2004, many bear in mind him for one in all his signature strikes: the drop shot. Who higher to ask, then, about one in all its greatest proponents in right now’s sport, Carlos Alcaraz?
During his go to to the Miami Open offered by Itaú, a match the place he reached the ultimate in 2004, ‘The Magician’ analysed one of many key photographs within the armoury of the present World No. 1.
“Alcaraz’s drop shot is amazing,” Coria informed ATPTour.com. “He’s a really clever participant, who reads the sport very properly. He performs drop photographs proper when they need to be performed. He at all times units up properly and, better of all, he disguises it so properly.
“That makes it even more complete. I’m in awe of how he plays drop shots. I love and celebrate the fact that there’s a player with so much potential who has such a good drop shot,” he provides with a touch of nostalgia in his voice. His favorite shot is now a rarity on the ATP Tour, however seeing the World No. 1 use it so ceaselessly brings a smile to his face.
Most superb of all is that Alcaraz can pull it off on each floor. Even on quick courts, the place the ball bounces essentially the most, rising an opponent’s probabilities of reaching it. Also, Alcaraz is courageous sufficient to make the most of this weapon below the utmost stress, when the nerves are jangling.
For Guillermo, the elder brother of Federico —who’s taking part in this week in Miami— Alcaraz is among the three gamers with one of the best drop photographs in right now’s sport.
“I would put him right up there. Andy Murray also has a very good one, as does Djokovic,” Coria stated. “They both use it as a tool to surprise the opponent. Those two and Alcaraz are the players I enjoy most when they play drop shots.”
Coria’s opinion was relayed to the person himself throughout Alcaraz’s first press convention in Miami. He replied: “It really is a great compliment for him to say that I’m one of the best at that. It’s incredible to hear that from Guillermo. It’s true that it’s a weapon I try to use quite a lot. I have very powerful shots, and combining them with the drop shot makes for a very good combination. I’ve had it since I was little, it’s something that comes from within.”
The statistics again him up. The drop shot performed a elementary half in Alcaraz’s title marketing campaign on the 2022 ATP Masters 1000 in Miami. In the match, the Spaniard performed 50 drop photographs in six matches, and he gained the purpose with 70 per cent of them. In truth, he gained 16 of these factors consecutively in his second-round conflict (d. Cilic) and within the quarters (d. Kecmanovic).
Coria, who retired in 2009 and at the moment captains the Argentine Davis Cup staff, explains why Alcaraz has such a excessive success fee when he decides to play a drop shot.
“When his opponent is on the defence, you can’t tell if Alcaraz is going to hit the ball on one side or the other, or if he’s going to play a drop shot,” the 41-year-old Argentine stated. “In normal, they’re anticipating the ball to come back again arduous. That’s why it’s a shock.
“Also, he hits it very well on both sides, with his backhand and forehand. And he has a very good drop shot with both. My drop shots, for example, were on my forehand. I very rarely played it on my backhand.”
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Again, his observations are backed up by the statistics; final 12 months in Miami, the Spaniard performed 30 drop photographs together with his forehand (successful 22) and 20 together with his backhand (successful 13).
There is one other essential think about Alcaraz’s success with this shot. He performs so deep and with such energy that he step by step pushes his opponent again in the course of the purpose. This creates the right area required to play drop photographs. Argentinian Sebastian Baez can attest to that after two losses towards the world No. 1.
“With all the power he has, he pushes you back, and when he hits the drop shot, whether it’s good or not, you’re really far back,” Baez stated. “He uses that to gain time and sometimes it’s not even worth running. It’s a great resource among the other thousands he has.”
He made a press release with it final 12 months, and this fortnight in Miami he can be bidding to display that he has develop into much more adept with this weapon during the last 12 months.
Source web site: www.atptour.com
