Yania Wickmayer Has Lost Service Speed

Written by: Staff on 16th July 2012

Yania Wickmayer Has Lost Service Speed

epa02790862 Yania Wickmayer of Belgium returns to Anna Tatishvili of Georgia during their second round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 23 June 2011. EPA/NEIL MUNNS |

Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer feels her game is progressing after a rough stretch last year when she battled a debilitating back injury. After reaching the semifinals of the Back of the West Classic at Stanford she is projected to get close to the top 30 in the rankings, still off her career high of No. 12 in April of 2010, but good enough for her as she was concerned she might drop through floor in the first half of the season as she didn’t’ feel quite ready to come back.

The 22-year-old Belgian still feels like she has a long way to go and admits to losing at least 15% of her first serve speed after her back injury. She has readjusted her stance and motion as a preventive measure , which has helped keep her healthy, but has also taken away one of her weapons. Most of the time, she serving in the low 90s.

“It’s not easy,” she said. “I served the same way for a long time and I had to start with a new position at the start of the year and I’m still getting used to it. I need to focus on better placement. The doctors say that maybe in another year or two I can start serving the old way again, but there is no way to know for sure.”

©Daily Tennis News

Topics: 10sballs.com, Back of the West Classic, Belgium tennis news, tennis injuries, WTA tennis news, Yania Wickmayer