Ninja, Improviser, Radwanska Feathers another Gem in Beijing

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Ninja, Improviser, Radwanska Feathers another Gem in Beijing

Agnieszka Radwanska continues to lay down evidence that suggests she is one of the most creative and ingenious shotmakers in the history of tennis. Her latest salvo onto the consciousness of the discerning fan took place in Beijing where she feathered this gentle little dropper off the net cord and over for a winner against Mona Barthel.

Video: Simply Smashing, Garbine!

Seriously, how does one even begin to comprehend the clever, wondrous nature of the Radwanska pallet? 999 out of 1,000 other players would have gone with a conventional backhand volley on this play, but the Pole eschewed conventional thinking and, naturally, went for the forehand scoop. Even more divine was the way that Radwanska approached the ball with her racquet shifting as she strode. She actually runs in a fashion that makes either the backhand or the forehand possible when she reaches the ball.

And, finally: How does she manage to take a forehand in that direction? Of all the possibilities, she picked the most impossible one, and executed it to perfection.

At first glance, Radwanska’s hot shots look like many others. They’re fantastic, sure. But the more one watches them, the more we can appreciate the uniqueness of her delicate brush strokes. Surprising, delightful, whimsical, cunning, acute: She’s an artist in a league of her own.

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