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Who are the master blasters? | |
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Around the Academy: |
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A-Rod has the finest serve in town
So, who are the biggest hitters in world tennis? Check the Academy's top eight.
No 1: Andy Roddick The fine American blasted a whopping serve of 155mph during the Davis Cup against Belarus in September 2004. He had clocked 153mph earlier in the year at Queen's Club in London. His latest effort is only 34mph short of the top speed of a Ferrari.
No.2: Greg Rusedski Britain's power-hitter has now been pushed into second place, but he shouldn't be ashamed of his efforts in 2003. His blistering 149mph was set during the ATP Cup in Indian Wells, California on 14 March 1998. However, this monster serve was at altitude, which means the ball travels faster in the air than it would normally do at sea level. So it just goes to show how impressive Roddick's efforts have been. Some of the sport's biggest hitters are also among the tallest. Roddick is 6ft tall, while Rusedski stands at 6ft 3ins, giving them exactly the right physique to produce these super serves.
No 3: Mark Philippoussis
Australia's Mark Philippoussis is nicknamed 'the Scud' because the strongest part of his game is his serve. A Scud was a type of missile used in the Gulf war in 1991. Scud missiles were known for their power, but they sometimes had problems hitting a target accurately. And so while the nickname was originally intended as a compliment, some sports journalists later used it to describe the erratic nature of Philippoussis' serve. Mark's fastest recorded serve is 141 mph.
No 4: Marc Rosset
Marc Rosset, of Switzerland, is another big hitter - his fastest serve measured at 135 mph. At 6ft 7 ins Marc is one of the tallest players on the ATP Tour. He is nicknamed the Yeti because of his straggly long hair and beard. And he can certainly scare the opposition with the ferocity of his serve.
No 5: Goran Ivanisevic
The Croatian is renowned for his thundering delivery He served up a record 212 aces on his way to the Wimbledon title in 2001. The fact that he plays left-handed makes it especially difficult for right-handed players to return his serve. His advice on developing a super serve is simple. "Grow tall, be physically strong and use the right technique."
No 6: Pete Sampras
'Pistol' Pete Sampras fired off a 135 mph serve in 2000. The American is known to sometimes add lead tape to the top of his racquet to increase its weight. This helps him serve even faster. The record-breaking Californian has won 13 Grand Slam titles - more than any other men's tennis player. He held the number one ranking for a record six consecutive years between 1993-1998. He has won Wimbledon seven times.
No 7: Richard Krajicek
Flying Dutchman Richard Krajicek's mighty serve helped him lift the Wimbledon title in 1996. His fastest delivery registered 135 mph on the speedometer in 1999. He missed most of last season after undergoing surgery on his elbow. He marked his comeback by overcoming another big hitter, Mark Phillippousis, in an epic 6-7, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 fourth round clash of the titans at Wimbledon earlier this year.
No 8: Venus Williams
Venus Williams is renowned for her awesome power. The elder of the two Williams' sisters, she blasted a record serve of 127.4 mph during the European Indoor Championships in Zurich, Switzerland in 1998. Venus was already a famous tennis prodigy at 11 years of age. She turned pro aged 14 and by 2000 she had clinched the Wimbledon and US titles - and retained both the following year. She missed out on a Wimbledon hat-trick when she lost to her sister Serena in last year's final. At 6ft 1ins she is one of the tallest women's tennis players.
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