Net gain

Pam Shriver (right) and Martina Navratilova feel that just about everyone can develop better skills at making that split-second decision when to move towards the net.

TENNIS is dominated by rallies from the baselines as players with supercharged groundstrokes try to overwhelm their opponents by blasting shots that are fast, deep and heavy with topspin, occasionally throwing in a drop shot to throw them off balance.

As a result, players attack the net less frequently than they did in the past.