Old-style lawns would have snagged Nadal, says Laver, Latest Tennis News - The New Paper
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Old-style lawns would have snagged Nadal, says Laver

Australian great Rod Laver was as impressed as anyone while watching Rafael Nadal tear into the fourth round of Wimbledon on Saturday to stay on track for a third title.

Yet Laver, who many feel is the best player ever to have graced the All England Club lawns having won four titles in the 1960s either side of being outlawed, said the marauding Spaniard would have feared grasscourt tennis in his day.

Wimbledon is no longer a fortress for serve-and-volleyers like Laver or players who came later such as Americans John McEnroe and Pete Sampras, who dominated in the 1980s and 1990s.

Changes to the grass, the hardness of the courts and racket technology mean you can win the title from the baseline.

A look at the wear patterns on the courts this year proves that - with the areas inside the lines still a lush green nearly halfway through the tournament and the zone around the nets virtually unmarked.

Of the 91 points Nadal won in his straight-set win over young Australian Alex de Minaur on Centre Court, only 19 were finished off at the net.

Nadal is by no means a bad volleyer but, like most of the top players these days, he does his damage from the baseline.

Laver, who sat in the Royal Box as a guest of the club on the 50th anniversary of his return to the championships after the game turned pro, said it felt like watching a different sport.

"I don't think Rafa would have played very well on the grasscourts that we used to play on," said Laver, who is approaching his 80th birthday.

CAN'T TRUST THE BOUNCE

"The ball kept lower and the bounce was uneven. You couldn't hit topspin like he does when you can't trust the bounce.

"We were scraping it out of the ground half the time. So no, I wouldn't have thought Rafa could have played like he does then. Roger (Federer) maybe could have done it, he could have adjusted himself."

Laver lamented that the power players can now generate on serve and the reliability of the bounce has made serve-and-volley almost redundant.

"When you can serve it down at 125 or 135mph, there is no real need to go to the net," he said. - REUTERS

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