Players use different strategies while playing tennis to enhance their own strengths and exploit their opponent's weaknesses in order to gain the advantage and win more points.
Many players have attributes of all three categories but, at times, may also focus on just one style based on the surface, or on the condition, or on the opponent.
Hard courts are generally considered to be the best surface for an offensive baseliner who often hit higher risk shots.
On grass, they can execute their "winners" and the fast, low bounce makes it harder for opponents to retrieve; whereas on clay courts, some offensive baseliners might like the slow and high bounce because it gives them a longer time to change their grip and foot-positions in order to set up for an offensive shot or winner.
Offensive baseliners with height especially have an advantage on clay courts because the high bounces land in their hitting zones, allowing them to strike the ball cleanly and more powerfully such as Ana Ivanović.
At 6'0" (184 cm), she took advantage of the high bounces on the clay courts that led to back-to-back French Open finals in 2007, and a crown in 2008.
Successful pioneers of this style include Steffi Graf and Monica Seles on the women's side and Andre Agassi and Jim Courier on the men's.
Maria Sharapova is another aggressive baseliner who excelled by generating powerful strikes on both wings, and was regarded as one of the best during her era.
A variant of this type of player, called counterpuncher additionally tends to have excellent anticipation and passing shots, enabling them to convert many defensive situations into offensive ones.
Such players' game relies on physical endurance and willingness to get every ball back in play and wear out the opponent, as well as restraint to avoid impatience or trying for too much.
However, for some faster players, including Gaël Monfils, Gilles Simon, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Murray, standing too deep behind the court can hinder their attacking abilities.
At lower levels, counterpunchers often frustrate their opponents so much that they may try to change their style of play due to ineffective baseline results.
However, some counterpunchers who have the ability to mix up their game and turn defense into offense, like Lleyton Hewitt,[2] Andy Murray,[3] and Agnieszka Radwańska, have also excelled on faster hard and grass courts.
The quick bounce and faster pace of play give them an advantage because opponents have less time to set up for a passing shot.
Other notable volleyers of the past and present, includes Roy Emerson, Jack Kramer, Pancho Gonzales, Pancho Segura, Frank Sedgman, Patrick Cash, Patrick Rafter, Richard Krajicek, Tim Henman, Goran Ivanišević, Mark Philippoussis, Greg Rusedski, Mario Ančić, Ivan Ljubičić, Taylor Dent, Mardy Fish, Nicolas Mahut, Rajeev Ram, Ivo Karlović, Milos Raonic, John Isner, Dustin Brown, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Maxime Cressy, Łukasz Kubot, Mischa Zverev.
Some players, such as Feliciano López, Tommy Haas, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick will only employ this strategy on grass courts or as a surprise tactic on any surface.
Roger Federer uses this commonly against Rafael Nadal, to break up long rallies and physically taxing games.
All-court players have the ability to adjust to different opponents that play different styles more easily than pure baseliners and true volleyers with an adaptive change in strategies and tactics even during the gameplay.
All-court players typically have the speed, determination and fitness of a defensive counter-puncher, the confidence, skill and flair of an offensive baseliner, as well as the touch, the agility around the net and the tactical thinking of an aggressive volleyer.
However, just because the all-court player has a combination of skills used by all tennis styles does not necessarily mean that they can beat an offensive baseliner or a defensive counter-puncher or even an aggressive volleyer.
Examples of professional tennis players who could be considered as all-rounders are David Nalbandian, Tommy Haas, Feliciano López, Richard Gasquet, Mikhail Youzhny, Marcelo Ríos, Cédric Pioline, Carlos Moyá, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Michael Stich, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Ivan Ljubičić, Benoît Paire, Ernests Gulbis, Milos Raonic, Rod Laver, Don Budge, Lew Hoad, Bill Tilden, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gaël Monfils, Nicolas Mahut, Julien Benneteau, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Xavier Malisse, Carlos Alcaraz, Félix Auger-Aliassime, Ken Rosewall, Ellsworth Vines in men's singles and Daniela Hantuchová, Agnieszka Radwańska, Amélie Mauresmo, Justine Henin, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Francesca Schiavone, Helen Wills, Suzanne Lenglen, Gabriela Sabatini, Iga Świątek, in women's singles.
Holding serve dictates the flow of a match and provides a significant advantage for a player until they get to a tiebreak at 6 games all, of which factors such as luck and experience determine who wins the set or match since both players do not serve as many consistent points in a tiebreak as they do in a game.
However, if the flat serve is executed with enough power and precision, it can turn into a great weapon to win points faster.
To achieve this, a team would patiently play up-and-back for a chance to hit a forcing shot and bring their baseliner to the net.
If their opponents at net become impatient and try to angle the ball away when a baseliner can reach it, the defender can turn the tables and score outright.