Roger Federer: Players told to copy this one brilliant tactic
ROGER FEDERER has revolutionised his own game by playing more aggressively and coming to the net more often, something Francesca Schiavone believes her fellow professionals should mimic.
Federer remains world No 2 even at the age of 36 and won his 20th Grand Slam title in Australia earlier this year.
The Swiss has attributed much of his longevity to cutting down the length of points, which has also made him a more difficult on-court prospect for opponents.
And Schiavone, who won the 2010 French Open and is still playing at the age of 37, believes his example should be followed by young players trying to break into the top of the WTA rankings.
“I would suggest them to open angles, [players] don't use angles,” Schiavone said.
“It's all one tactic. There are players like [Simona] Halep and [Caroline] Wozniacki who could perfectly open the court.
“And then they should improve a lot at the net, which can still be a factor, look at Roger Federer…
“There is much difference between the top players and the rest.
“Halep and Wozniacki are a step higher than others, then I put Venus [Williams], then Serena is coming back even if she needs a little bit of fitness form.”
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Federer has not played since March, when he was beaten by Thanasi Kokkinakis in Miami.
The world No 2 is now taking time away from tennis having elected to skip the clay-court season and preserve his energy for his stronger surfaces, which his great rival Rafael Nadal admitted earlier this month he could never do.
“There [are] tournaments that I can't imagine missing on purpose, because [they are] tournaments that I love to play," Nadal said.
"I don't see myself missing Monte Carlo on purpose.
“I don't see myself missing Wimbledon on purpose, or the US Open, or Australian, or Rome.
“These kind of events, I don't see missing [them].”