Photo of Robert Frank looping against a low, short ball. Robert excels at attacking balls that are barely clearing the endline of the table.

Technical Thoughts

There is a definite gap between the top players and the also rans at the Australian Open. As one of the also rans this year, I know what I'm talking about! The top players all execute slightly differently, but each one is sure to have very solid fundamentals in the following areas:

• Service

• Serve Return
• Footwork
• Opening Loop/Attack
• Counterloop/Aggressive Block

The focus is generally on tight serving to induce a weak return that can be attacked strongly, with power and just enough spin to bring the ball down on the table. Once in the rally, counterlooping from the forehand is common, with much more arc over the net as the spin is increased and the power eased off a fraction. On the backhand side during the rally, controlled aggressive blocking is favored when close to the table, and aggressive fishing when back from the table is the norm, with faster players often looking to run around the backhand to get the forehand in. Backhand counterlooping is still rather rare, and generally a risky option. One notable exception is William Henzell, who is able to play his backhand counterloop with power and consistency from close to the table, hitting it as hard as many other player's forehands!
On the return of serve, the tight short double bounce push is becoming more frequent, although the fast long push against backspin or sidespin is still evident, and the flick against topspin serves used occasionally.

Almost all long serves are attacked, with varying degrees of power depending on how high the ball is bouncing and how much spin the serve contains.

The also-rans at the tournament usually find themselves lacking in two or more of these areas, a fact which is quickly noted by better player and ruthlessly exploited.