Former Roland Garros champion Michael Chang has claimed that current World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has been successful in dominating his adversaries on the red dirt because he is a left-hander.
Chang, who became the youngest player to win the French Open when he won the tournament in 1989, insisted Nadal wouldn’t have been as effective as he is if he was playing tennis with his right hand.
The Spaniard, who is the overwhelming favourite to win his 11th Roland Garros crown, put on a clay-court exhibition against the dangerous Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in their semifinal on Friday. 2009 US Open champion Del Potro was expected to pose a significant challenge to Nadal, instead the match turned out to be one of the most lop-sided contests of the tournament with the top seed racing to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 triumph in just two hours and 14 minutes.
With his with straight-sets rout of Del Potro, Nadal became only the second man after Roger Federer (Wimbledon) to reach 11 finals at the same Grand Slam.
“If Rafa was a right-handed player I don’t think his game would be quite as effective,” Chang told BBC.
“Being a leftie means that everything spins the other way.
“The strong forehands always come into a right-handed player’s backhand, hooking him off the court, and the inside out coming back the other way, it is tough to cover.”
“He has the uncanny ability of being able to hit a lot of forehands and move very well on clay,” Chang added.
“He knows how to manipulate the angles to build to get people out of position.
“He is very aggressive, although patient when he needs to be, but for the most part if the shot is there he is taking it and going for it.
“He’s the one manipulating, making you move and putting you in awkward positions to the point where he has easy cutaways.”
