| Clay Court Specialist |
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For example, a common feature of clay court specialists is their ability to slide on the surface to get to the ball, something that hard courts and grass courts do not permit. Many of them are also very adept at hitting the Drop Shot , an especially effective shot on the surface because the ball tends to bounce much lower than on hard courts, grass courts, or other surfaces. Additionally, the clay surface tends to be much slower than other surfaces, meaning the ball does not bounce as quickly, so the rallies are longer, which requires a great degree of mental focus and physical stamina. Most important, perhaps, is the fact that a Serve-and-volley player is at a distinct disadvantage on a clay court, because his/her service is slowed down enough to let the receiver handle it cleanly, even aggressively, rather than defensively, as can be the case on a faster surface. Their effectiveness at the net is therefore greatly diminished. The term "clay court specialist" is not pejorative, but can be considered insulting to players who are described as such because the term implies a lack of comparable skill on other surfaces. . Most players would deny being "clay court specialists." Clay court specialists are sometimes referred to as "dirtballers" which carries a slightly more negative connotation. Some examples of prominent players who are frequently referred to as clay court specialists are: Gaston Gaudio , Nicolás Almagro , Jose Acasuso , Mariano Puerta , Albert Montanes and David Ferrer |
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