Tennis Betting: To be or not to be...a clay court player

Wonderful World of Tennis / Simon Mundie / 02 April 2009 / Leave a Comment

The exploits of Rafael Nadal on the clay have been well-documented but what characteristics does a player need to be successful on this surface, asks Simon Mundie. And which ATP players possess them?

Starting on Monday, the second leg of the ATP year begins as the clay court season gets under way. It is the time of year when one man stands head and shoulders above all others, and he could easily win every event he enters. Rafael Nadal is probably the greatest clay court player the world has ever seen- he is yet to be defeated at Roland Garros, taking his first title in 2005 at his first attempt. In addition to that, he has already collected seven Masters Shields on the dirt. Pundits have even joked that the clay court season should be scrapped and Nadal simply handed all the titles to save the other players from having to undertake what is essentially a pointless task: trying to part the World number one from his trophies.

So what attributes does it take to be able to make a top class claycourter, a player who could pose a few questions to the muscular Mallorcan? The first and most important characteristic that any clay court specialist must have is excellent movement and balance.

Rallies on clay are generally far longer than on any other surface, and the ball will swing from one corner of the court to the other, meaning players must be ready to twist and turn as their opponent moves them around, often looking to wrong foot them when the moment presents itself.

A great clay court player has a low centre of gravity, is light on his feet and extremely quick. Someone like Andy Roddick is quick around the court on any surface other than clay when he has the luxury of his feet gripping the surface, but as he has a high centre of gravity meaning he is often off balance when striking the ball, which means he doesn't get the sort of power, spin or length he would like off the ground.

By way of contrast, Gael Monfils, who reached the last four in last year's French Open, is far lighter on his feet than Roddick despite his huge frame. Furthermore, he has mastered the art of sliding on the clay, which is absolutely key for reaching wide balls, returning them with interest and then being able to get back into position in the shortest possible time.

It's also vital for the successful dirtballer to have huge powers of endurance, both physically and mentally. Duels on clay can go on far longer than on other surfaces, and players should expect to cover far more ground. Rafael Nadal is obviously the master in both of these areas, as fine a physical specimen as the game has seen, with an iron will and peerless strength of character. Other players who excel in this particular key area include David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo and Nikolay Davydenko.

Spanish players have historically been the best on clay courts over the last couple of decades, and part of this is down to their ability to create spin and pace off the ground. The surface accentuates any type of spin, particularly topspin, which sees the ball kick up far more than it does on any other surface to around shoulder height, which makes hitting winners extremely difficult. It's this aspect of clay court tennis that has enabled Rafael Nadal to totally dominate Roger Federer on the surface, as the Spaniard has exposed Federer's inability to create pace off the backhand wing when it leaps up around his head.

Those who can impart serious amounts of spin off both wings, like Nicolas Almagro, have a distinct advantage over players who hit a flatter ball, as is the case with most of the Americans. The spin allows players to hit far higher over the net, knowing it will still drop in and then kick up, giving a much greater margin for error. It also rewards those who are able to create their own pace off the ground from both flanks, which is why Andy Murray shouldn't be expected to repeat his hard court results during this part of the tour.

While he can unleash fierce drives off both wings, he can struggle to consistently hit crushing drives off the forehand side if the ball isn't already travelling at speed from his opponents' racquet. Without that, he will struggle to dictate play, which will result in him being the one doing most of the running, and of course the slipping and sliding.

With all this in mind, it's no surprise that Rafael Nadal is so far ahead of the chasing pack on clay. He has the best movement, is the strongest physically and mentally, and can create the most spin and pace off the ground. So is it simply a case of just sitting back and watching Nadal collect trophy after trophy? In short, yes, partly because there aren't as many clay court specialists as there have been in years gone by. Players like Ferrero and Moya are well past their best, and it's not like the 90s when you had the likes of Bruguera, Muster and Costa amongst others vying for the biggest clay court titles. That is why, if Nadal is entered, he will be a heavy favourite to take the title. But there are tournaments where Nadal won't be playing like Estoril, where Roger Federer is the defending champion. It is tournaments such as these that will provide punters with a few opportunities to back a winner other than Nadal on the dirt.

There are also certain players who will be looking to make their presence felt. Ernests Gulbis has the game to cause a few problems, he's quick, has a huge forehand and is definitely one for the future. Gael Monfils will be looking to build on his impressive displays during last year's clay court season, and Richard Gasquet will want to prove that he still has what it takes to be amongst the best in the world.

Fernando Verdasco looks like a different player this season and will be a tough opponent, as will Igor Andreev, who certainly likes having the red stuff under his feet and one of the newest members of the top ten: Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro.

Tommy Robredo can also expect to do well, as can the aforementioned Nicolas Almagro and Jose Acasuso. However, in all likelihood they will all be battling it out for second place because quite simply Rafael Nadal is in a clay court league of his own.