TENNIS BITS & PIECES – Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer’s backhands. Haas let’s Baghdatis into the US Open and Sabine Lisicki breaks the serve speed record. Angelo Lo Conte
Edberg likes his backhand better than Federer’s
Hall of Famer Stefan Edberg says Federer hits a lot of strokes better, but he still prefers his backhand to Federer’s. Edberg says Roger Federer is playing at a high level again this season but still picks his own backhand as the better of the two.”A lot of the other strokes I think he does a lot better than I did,” Edberg said in a conference call. “But I`ll give myself a bit of favor with my backhand. I had one of the better backhands in the game when I was playing, I could use it offensively or defensively, a lot of variations. It was a key shot for me.”
Edberg, who is being honored at the Canadian Open this year, began coaching Federer this season and sees a big improvement following the No. 3’s injury issues a year ago. “The great thing is he’s played some really good tennis this year and he’s back playing some really good tennis again,” said Edberg, who is regarded for possessing one of the best backhand volleys in tennis history.
Haas out of U.S. Open, Baghdatis steps in
Tommy Haas has officially withdrawn from the U.S. Open because of surgery on his right shoulder, opening up a spot on the main draw for Marcos Baghdatis. Haas, currently ranked 26th, is out for the season after having a fourth operation on his shoulder. The 105th-ranked Baghdatis was the runner-up at the 2006 Australian Open and a semifinalist at Wimbledon that year. His best result at the U.S. Open was last year, when he made it to the third round.
Sabine Lisicki sets WTA record with 131 mph serve
Sabine Lisicki blasted the fastest recorded serve in WTA history on Tuesday, hitting a 131 mph (210 kph) first serve during her first-round match against Ana Ivanovic at the Bank of the West Classic. The German, ranked 29th, surpassed the 129 mph mark set by Venus Williams at the 2007 U.S. Open.It was a record-setting day for Lisicki, but not a winning one. She lost 7-6 (2), 6-1.
