Photo Study of Amelie Mauresmo's One-Handed Backhand

Slice: Just After Contact

Here, Mauresmo has just sliced the ball. The downward path her racquet took while striking the ball is evident in her racquet's position below the ball as the ball starts forward. Amelie's long forward step got her weight moving forward and onto her front foot, but she met this ball later than would have been ideal. A slice can be met later than a topspin, but to drive a slice forcefully, it should be met more forward.

The backward travel of Amelie's left arm helps keep her upper body sideways through the stroke.