Andy Roddick reveals why WTA talent’s 'slow serve' is more dangerous than it looks

For some time now, tennis experts have sung the praises of Alexandra Eala. However, there is normally one nagging detail that is halting their lavish lauding of the 21-year-old: her serve. On the face of it, one of the weaker serves on the WTA Tour is there to be pounced upon. Andy Roddick disagreed, citing the reasons why Eala's serve is so dangerous.

Eala's rise has been as rapid as it has been impressive. She has recently taken that next step up the WTA pecking order following a maiden title at the DC Open, soundly defeating the World No.3 Jessica Pegula after a stunning two-day comeback in the American capital.

Her seven-match winning streak to commence the North American hardcourt swing was abruptly halted by a rampant Belinda Bencic who bageled the Filipina in a dominant 6-4, 6-0 win at the Canadian Open.

Eala has the tools to become a brilliant tennis player, most notably huge groundstrokes that can tear through her opponents and leaving them hapless. The serve, on the other hand, is an area that she regularly fails to generate anywhere near as much power.

It is an area that can be attacked, with Rennae Stubbs even labelling it as the reason she will never win a Grand Slam. On the face of it, it is a huge weakness, but Roddick is not in full agreement of that as he analysed the serve in his Q&Andy show.

While her first serve can reach up to 100mph, Eala's second serve is regularly down on that, languishing around the 60-75mph mark. Being left-handed most certainly helps her deceive and confuse her opponents on court who are also not normally used to facing a second serve as slow.

The 2003 US Open champion explained on his podcast Served the dynamics around the slower Eala serve. “Here’s the difference. It’s not just anybody goes out there and hits a slow serve and they get away with it. It’s Eala’s ability to crush the next ball if you don’t square up that return.

“I was a returner who had a hard time creating pace on a slow second serve. Like I used to play Mardy [Fish] and he’d hit this little bunny 81mph kick serve where I had all day, but he knew that I couldn’t bruise him off the back end side. Right?

“Therefore he wasn’t in a rush to hit it. So the difference is it’s not just making the serve or hitting a good return. It’s against Eala. If you don’t square it up, she’s able to hit that middle ball, both directions, with pace on the next shot.”

There is a catch to this. A phenomenal server, like Swiatek, will hammer it back any weak serve while romping off into the distance. If spin is added to the serve, that makes the opponents life trickier which makes Roddick admit that this type of serving Eala produces is better than if she added some more pace to it.

“You can’t take someone who doesn’t have Eala’s ball striking ability or ability to hit directionally to the corners and just say, ‘I’m going to serve slower against Iga Swiatek’. Welcome to your death," he continued.

“Like that’s not the way it works. It’s being able to create enough pace to offset what Eala is trying to do on that next ball. I think Eala’s serve or second serve, especially, is probably more effective with the slower version than if it was 10mph faster. Like I think she’s starting to kind of figure out how to use it as well and maybe not being obsessed with pace, but like, ‘I’m going to throw you this one and you better hit it’. You better hit it firm. Otherwise you’re going for a ride on the next ball.”

Eala is back in action at the Cincinnati Open for the very first time. The 17th seed will take on either Elena-Gabriela or Magda Linette following their first round contest in Ohio.