Australian Open: Free and single-handed, Carla Suarez Navarro makes last eight
Carla Suarez Navarro struck a blow for one of the endangered shots of women’s tennis as she used her single-handed backhand to great effect to beat Estonian Anett Kontaveit and reach the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday.
The diminutive Spaniard dug herself out of a deep hole, hitting back from a set and two breaks of serve down to win 4-6 6-4 8-6 on a muggy Rod Laver Arena and secure a clash with second seed Caroline Wozniacki.
Suarez Navarro is the only single-hander to reach the last 16 here this year and is the only member of the world’s top 40 not to strike a double-fisted backhand. Not since Francesca Schiavone won the 2010 French Open with her single-handed backhand has the stroke brought grand slam success for a woman, although before that Justine Henin used it to devastating effect to win four French Opens in five years between 2003 and 2007.
Amelie Mauresmo was the last woman to win the Australian Open with a one-handed backhand, in 2006 when it also fired her to glory on the Wimbledon grasscourts. Roger Federer’s 19 grand slam titles are living proof that single-handed backhands can still reign in the men’s side with his …read more
