via Reuters
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 8, 2021 Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek celebrates after winning her quarter final match against Spain’s Paula Badosa REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
via Reuters
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 8, 2021 Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek celebrates after winning her quarter final match against Spain’s Paula Badosa REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have a different game style, however, the two legends have a common stroke in the eye-catching backhand smash lob. And now during the French Open 2021 semifinals, Tamara Zidansek played a similar backhand smash lob winner against her opponent, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
via Reuters
Tamara Zidansek in action during her semi-final match against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
As Pavlyuchenkova served for the set at 5-3, Zidansek was firing to get the break back. At 30-30, Pavlyuchenkova hit a drop shot towards the forehand side of Zidansek. Zidansek ran as fast as she could and managed to connect a cross-court drop shot. Pavlyuchenkova was waiting and pushed the ball over Zidansek. That is when Zidansek jumped and hit a backhand smash lob that went over Pavlyuchenkova and just clipped the line.
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Everybody in Court Phillipe-Chatrier was amazed as she hit the superb point. Pavlyuchenkova was shocked as she couldn’t believe the ball landed on the line, whereas Zidansek was seen laughing as she saw a break point. The Slovenian later broke Pavlyuchenkova to bring the first set back to serve parity, 5-4.
Those reactions though. 😂
What a point.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/XqLmmOORTg
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 10, 2021
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s backhand smash lob winner
Federer is a pioneer at the overhead smash. And his backhand smash lob shot is also perfect and difficult to emulate. Nadal‘s overhead skills are underrated and given his extreme wrist work, he is able to nail the overhead backhand smash lob despite not seeing the ball.
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A flair shot you don’t see very often: The backhand smash lob winner
Unsurprisingly Federer and Nadal both members of the exclusive club of players to have pulled it off
🎥 Credit: @TennisTV pic.twitter.com/4MB8v9UySd
— Matthew Willis (@mattracquet) May 26, 2020
In the high stakes semifinal, Pavlyuchenkova was broken in the first game of the match as Zidansek later led, 2-0. However, Pavlyuchenkova came back to break Zidansek and level the first set, 2-2. Then the first set was tightly contested, as the players weren’t taking any risks. However, Zidansek was the first to flinch and was broken at 4-3. Pavlyuchenkova then served for the set at 5-3.
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But Zidansek’s backhand smash lob winner inspired a comeback as the Slovenian broke Pavlyuchenkova and later leveled the set, 5-5. However, Pavlyuchenkova served well and Zidansek couldn’t hammer her second serves. At 6-5, Zidansek felt the nerves and lost her serve cheaply to give the first set to Pavlyuchenkova in the crucial French Open 2021 semifinal.
Read more: What Records Are Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal Chasing at French Open 2021?
