Words from Miao

Defensive Baseliner

A defensive baseliner, or counter-puncher or retriever, returns every ball and relies on the opponent making mistakes. He/She has consistent shots, makes few errors of his own while making it difficult for opponents to hit winners. The game of the defensive counter-puncher has more to do with physical endurance and determination to retrieve un-retrievable balls as well as mental stamina. They tend to make relatively few errors because they don't attempt the complicated and ambitious shots of the aggressive baseliner. But that doesn't mean they don't ever attempt aggressive shots. A counter-puncher must have speed and agility to cover the court. He/She is a fighter, and has to have willingness to chase down every ball to frustrate opponents. Especially offensive baseliners who naturally have a fiery attitude and flair, returning every aggressive shot which they do will just encourage their aggressiveness and thus encouraging errors and mistakes. Usually, the defensive counter-puncher frustrates their opponent so much that their opponent might actually try to change their game by either coming to the net in which case they can just execute "Passing Shots" down the lines, or by attempting to also be a defensive counter-puncher.

Counter-punchers often excel on slow courts, such as clay courts. The court gives them extra time to chase down shots and it is harder for opponents to create winners. Counter-punchers are often particularly strong players at low-level play, where opponents cannot make winners with regularity.

On rare occasions players have been known to use a style that has not yet been named. It is mainly used by players that do not have strong backhands so they switch hands the racket is in to make their non-dominate hand their forehand. This allows for a longer reach on balls that would normaly be unattainable from a normal backhand and it frustrates their opponent due to the change up of styles.

Great counter-punchers of all time include Mats Wilander, Björn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas, Michael Chang, Miloslav Mecir, Chris Evert, and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Active players who employ this strategy are Lleyton Hewitt, Guillermo Coria, Rafael Nadal, Gilles Simon, Andy Murray, Jelena Janković, Gaël Monfils, Zheng Jie, and Anastasia Myskina.

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