Roger Federer - Great male tennis player recently

Roger Federer (born August 8, 1981) is a Swiss professional tennis player who is currently the number 1 ranked player in the world. He has been ranked number 1 since February 2004 and as of August 2006, he holds the third-longest consecutive stay in the World No. 1. Only Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl have had longer unbroken streaks at number one.In 2004, Federer became the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three out of four Grand Slam events in the same year. Since 2003, he has won 8 Grand Slam singles titles, and he is already considered by some to be the greatest tennis player of all time.

Federer employs an all-court playing style and is known for being able to hit all of the fundamental shots with exceptional proficiency. He has stated that the one shot he would like to improve is the dropshot. Like many modern players he uses a semi-western grip for his forehand. Federer plays with a one-handed backhand which over the course of the past few years has improved tremendously. Although critics and coaches consider his backhand to be his weaker side, players have conceded that it is getting tougher and tougher to attack, because it's becoming a greater weapon. His serve is known for being difficult to read due to the fact that he is able to disguise its delivery by maintaining a consistent ball toss placement and the fact that he turns his back to his opponents during his motion. His first serve delivery speed is typically in the 125 MPH range, with his second serve being a heavily kicked delivery. Federer will generally choose to serve with placement and precision, but on occasion he'll hit a powerful serve to keep his opponents guessing.

His footwork and court coverage are exceptional and he is considered to be one of the fastest movers in the game thanks to his combined speed and anticipation. One of Federer's greatest strengths is his versatility. He is both an adept volleyer, possessing some of the finest hands on tour, and an excellent baseliner, with the ability to dictate play with his precise groundstrokes. He is also versatile in his ability to switch from playing defense to playing offense, regardless of how advantageous or disadvantageous his position is during any point. It is not rare to see Federer be completely out of the point, then suddenly turn the tables at whim and hit a winner.

Federer's playing style is relaxed and smooth, with no apparent technical weakness in any particular area of his game. While he looks relaxed throughout his matches, his game is very aggressive in nature. He'll tend to attack first rather than play passively or defensively, although he is capable of playing defense if the situation calls for it. His most used asset is his powerful forehand, arguably the best forehand in today's game. The improvement he's made on his backhand, however, has now made it a strong shot as well. He can make accurate down-the-line forehands and cross-court forehands on the run and often patiently constructs points to get in a position from where he can make outright winners with those shots. Federer has also mentioned that he has been able to "read" his opponents' moves, which helps him to construct seemingly perfect plays.