Three tactics to take from his powerful yet controlled game.
1. Hit crosscourt.
What’s taken Ljubicic from being a Top 40 player several years ago into the Top 5 today is that he’s gotten into better shape and he’s improved his tactics. Most notably, when Ljubicic is involved in a baseline exchange, he has stopped trying to finish points quickly with big down-theline shots and instead works his opponents over with steady, crosscourt body blows. Now he waits until he’s well inside the court and in control of a rally before he goes down the line. Since he’s not a great mover, it makes sense for Ljubicic to avoid opening up the court until he’s confi dent that it will win him the point. Hitting a mediocre shot down the line will leave a large portion of your court exposed. If you’re not quick, that’s a big problem. Keeping the ball crosscourt until you’re sure you can do damage down the line is a better strategy.
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2. Use combinations of serves.*
Ljubicic’s biggest weapon is his thumper of a first serve. And although he can crack 140 m.p.h. on the gun, he doesn’t just hit rockets. He’ll mix in a variety of nasty kicks and slices out wide, as well as the big bombs. He also does an excellent job of moving the ball around the service box. This exceptional variety of location, pace, and spin keeps the returner honest. Even if you have a huge serve, simply trying to overpower your opponents can become predictable. The more looks they get at the same serve, the better their chances are of putting the ball back in play. Ljubicic used to be guilty of one-dimensional serving, but now he’s much tougher to break. Avoid hitting the same serve several points in a row and you’ll have more success in putting your opponents on the defensive.
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3. Don’t overplay the return of serve.*
When I coached Andy Roddick and he would face Ljubicic, it seemed that Ljubicic would donate three to four return errors during each Roddick service game. Granted, Roddick has a huge serve, but Ljubicic constantly tried in vain to send it back even harder than it came in. Some players excel at this kind of aggressive returning, but Ljubicic was far too erratic for it to be an effective tactic. Now he’s adopted a more conservative style, similar to that of Roger Federer or Tim Henman. Ljubicic gives himself time by moving farther behind the baseline to receive, and he shortens up his big swings to get more returns in play. That gets him into the point and allows his strokes to determine the outcome. It’s great to be assertive on your returns, but not if you can’t get any measure of consistency. Blocking the ball deep to defuse the serve and begin the point on neutral terms can still be an effective return strategy.