Squeezed Volleys

The Point

Christian/Lalic serving for the second set (down a set) in the Westchester Open 2022:

Analysis

This is an extreme shift in volley positioning at the net against Czerwinksi's big forehand drive. Right after the serve and first volley, Christian steps all the way into the other service box:

But they're not stationary; they move out and back in depending on the shot they're expecting.

For example, Christian pulls back into the deuce court to let Lalic take a lob in the middle:

And then immediately, Christian closes on the net to volley the drive from Broderick's ad court:

Broderick actually avoids Christian at the net and gives Lalic a really difficulty volley, but Lalic sticks it.

Throughout the point, Christian/Lalic snap back into their squeezed positions whenever Czerwinksi is hitting off the deck. Another note of their positioning is that Christian (in the middle of the net) is not always more forward. If Lalic is already there, then he takes the most forward step as in this shot:

Obviously, this requires a lot of communication ahead of time and discipline during the point. But it shows that even with a wide open half of the net, Czerwinksi still would rather drive down the line or to the middle than cross-court. Identifying and counteracting their opponent's tendencies (potentially) gives them an edge.

Christian/Lalic ultimately win this point but lose the second set and the match.