Tennis10sBalls • From BNP Paribas • Thiem On Backhands

Dominic Thiem of Austria in action against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in their ATP Mexican Open tennis tournament’s quarter finals’ match in Acapulco, Mexico, 01 March 2018. EPA-EFE/JOSE MENDEZ

 

 

By Francisco Resendiz

 

INDIAN WELLS—Dominic Thiem switched from a two-handed backhand to a one-hander during his younger years.

 

The two-time Roland Garros semifinalist owns one of the most electric one-handers in the game.

 

Four of the world’s Top 11-ranked players—world No. 1 Roger Federer, fourth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov, Thiem and 11th-ranked Stan Wawrinka—wield one-handers.

 

Acapulco champion Juan Martin del Potro developed a one-handed slice after three surgeries to his left wrist. Rising young stars Denis Shapovalov and 19-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas also play one-handed backhands.

 

These are good days for one-handers, but Thiem, the son of tennis coaches, does not envision a one-handed revival.

 

“I would say not really,” Thiem said today when asked if we’re witnessing a one-handed backhand renaissance. “Now there are some young guys like Denis and Tsitsipas with a one-handed backhand. But if it’s really coming back like it once was, I don’t really think so.”

 

The left-handed Shapovalov has said he’s tried to model his one-hander on Thiem’s backhand and while the sixth-ranked Austrian is flattered by the thought he doesn’t see similarities.

 

“It’s nice. I think it looks pretty different so he did a bad job copying, I would say,” Thiem said with a chuckle. “And he’s also lefty so it’s not really comparable. We are kind of good friends and it’s nice to hear it from him.”