Alexander Dogopolov: Winning Slice Patterns

Alexander Dolgopolov is the modern day Fabrice Santoro, who was affectionately known as “the magician” for his creative shot selection, particularly his use of slice. Dolgopolov probably hits more slice backhands and a greater variety of slice than any player in the game, including Roger Federer.

He has the same unpredictability and creative flair that Santoro had in his prime, along with the power and aggression required in the modern game–he’s also extremely fun to watch.

Often times simply hitting change of pace slice backhands mixed with power drives is enough to induce errors from Dolgopolov’s opponents. While watching Dolgopolov play, I’ve also observed three clear tactical patterns he favors.

These patterns apply across all ages and abilities and are something that club players in particular can implement. Many times recreational players don’t have the power to blow their opponents off the court. Learning to play craftily with the slice can be an excellent addition to a club player’s game, especially as they get older.

The slice is also important for high performance juniors and is an important part of the curriculum in USTA Player Development. Jose Higueras and the USTA national coaching team expect all up-and-coming American players to…