SNEAK ATTACK BY ROGER
Roger Federer’s ‘SABR’ swashbuckling spurs him in his own side
What started as a bit of fun may just have led to a masterstroke. It was the summer of 2015 when, on the suggestion of his coach, Severin Luthi, Roger Federer unleashed the SABR, the "Sneak Attack By Roger". Charging forward as his opponent tossed the ball, Federer would return serve on the half-volley, rushing the server. The tactic gave him an extra dimension and put doubt into the mind of his opponent, who was never sure if and when he would try it. But it seems the SABR may have also been the catalyst for the improvement in Federer’s backhand that helped him to Australian Open victory in January, and looks set to spearhead his assault on Wimbledon. At 35, after six months out from knee surgery, Federer stunned the tennis world with his victory in Melbourne, but it was the way he attacked his backhand, especially in the final against Rafael Nadal, that was such a revelation. "Roger did something unbelievable and I believe that it is true that his backhand is great now," Nadal tol...
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