Nothing feels worse than hitting what you think is a sure winner, only to have your opponent track it down, return it, and eventually take the point. Playing someone with great wheels can be a real challenge. In a sport like tennis, foot speed is as much a weapon as a big serve—just ask opponents of Michael Chang. So you need a strategy to combat that skill. Here are some things to try when facing an opponent who runs down all of your best shots:
Pick on the weaker side: If your opponent is both exceptionally fast and consistent, that’s trouble. But generally there’s going to be a stroke, say the backhand, which can falter. Make sure you feed him a steady diet of balls to that side, and do it in a manner that doesn’t force him to move very much. Hitting on the run can clean up stroke deficiencies because the player is mostly concentrating on tracking down the ball and returning it. When someone has poor technique and time to think about the shot, there’s a good chance he’ll misfire.
Put his or her feet to sleep: Just as you would try to avoid someone’s big forehand, it makes sense to prevent a speedster from using his talent. It may seem strange to hit most of your shots right at an opponent, but this will do two important things. First, it will force him to beat you with his strokes instead of his feet. And secondly, it takes him out of scrambling mode so when you do decide to hit aggressively to the open court he won’t be as sharp and quick with his movement.
Use their speed against them: When you move a fast retriever from side to side along the baseline, try hitting behind him. For instance, if you hit a good forehand down the line to the backhand corner, and your opponent gets to it but doesn’t hit a particularly strong return, aim your next shot back into that same part of the court. If he’s already motoring back toward to the center to flag down your shot, it will difficult for him to slam on the breaks and change directions.