What are the greatest shots in tennis history? We pick out the game’s most fearsome weapons stroke by stroke, concentrating on the Open Era (since 1968).

By Joel Drucker

Part VIII: The Lob

But it’s best to evaluate the lob’s effectiveness when it must be deployed frequently. We harken back to the days when netrushing was frequent. In the women’s game, Chris Evert was a genius at disguise and execution on both sides. Her lob not only tired out opponents, but it bought her precious inches so that as the match wore on she could have more space for her deft passing shots. Jimmy Connors’ lob, particularly off his backhand, similarly put netrushers on alert.

But no one lobbed more effectively – and faced more hot-to-trot attackers on fast surfaces – than Ken Rosewall. His approach was to lob early and often, floating deadly accurate lobs off both sides down-the-line and crosscourt. Well aware that many of his lobs might well be smashed away early on, Rosewall knew his use of the shot was both physically and mentally taxing. Opponents would get worn out – and even more to Rosewall’s favor, the threat of yet another lob kept his opponents from getting imposingly close to the net. Rosewall was also a master at following the lobs that went over his opponent’s head into the net – as well as tracking down overheads and either sending up another lob or feathering a difficult passing shot. “Every point with Rosewall,” says his fellow Aussie Hall of Famer, Roy Emerson, “was World War III.”

Joel Drucker is a contributing editor at TENNIS magazine. The author is grateful for the assistance of many experts and former pros, including Brent Abel, John Barrett, Steve Flink, Mary Carillo, Trey Waltke, Chris Lewis, John Newcombe, Owen Davidson, Fred Stolle and Brian Gottfried.