Hard-Hitting Gonzalez No Longer a One-Trick Pony
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Before this year, Fernando Gonzalez was a novelty on the professional tennis tour. Every tournament, the Chilean could be counted on for a few victories, lots of grunts and groans, and many, many tennis balls struck at speeds one might think unreachable without the aid of an aluminum baseball bat.
Gonzalez still strikes his forehand as powerfully as anyone in the world, but these days he does much more. Since he began working with Larry Stefanki — the former coach of Marcelo Rios, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and John McEnroe — this spring, Gonzalez has become a more patient player. He worries less about hitting backhands, his weaker stroke, and slices quite effectively. His serve, predictably flat and hard in the past, now often slices and kicks, preventing his opponents from finding a rhythm.Most impressive of all, he often sneaks forward for a volley.
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