Many will nominate Edberg's backhand as the one shot that distinguishes
him from most of his rivals. Others will cite his graceful and usually very
effective service, or his crisp, instinctive volley.
When the question was put to him during Wimbledon, he had no hesitation
in saying that his mobility is the key to his success. Certainly, no player
of comparable height (he is 6 feet 2, or 188cm) covers the court with so
much speed and flexibility.
"This is the area in which I have improved the most in the last couple
of years," said Edberg. "I'm surely a yard quicker than I was two or three
years ago.
"That means I have more time to hit my shots. I can stay in the back of
the court if I want to, and it gives me more freedom to do other things.
"Movement is really the key to modern tennis. It doesn't matter how
hard you hit the ball - if you are not there you are not going to be able to
hit it.
"That is my strength today, and also I have more experience now. I have
just kept improving every year. That's always been the strategy."
Despite his triumphs, Edberg has never lost the characteristic he
shares with some of the old champions - Tilden, Kramer, Rosewall and
Emerson, for instance - of continually working on his weaknesses and
building up his strengths.
Many players would have been content to stick with the beautiful
service action that to Edberg, from the moment he picked up a tennis
racquet, has come so naturally. But the stress he places on his back and
stomach by such an excessive arching of the body has caused him to break
down (twice at the Australian Open, for example). And he has not been able
to avoid serving lapses like the one that cost him victory against Ivan
Lendl at the 1991 Australian Open, when he put in a spate of double-faults.
During Wimbledon it was noticed that he has shortened his ball-toss. In
addition, he threw the ball more to the right than in the past and did not
try to make it kick so much. He opted more for flat or slice serves than
kickers.
"I've found the timing on my serve. I feel a lot more comfortable
serving now, and that helps my game," said Edberg, "because really my game
hinges on my serve."
Though at Wimbledon Edberg served beautifully up to his semi-final with
eventual champion Michael Stich, and even there did not drop his delivery in
going down 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6, his half-dozen double-faults were a little
reminiscent of his trouble against Lendl in their semi-final at Flinders
Park.
Edberg's serve is integrated into his court speed. Nobody moves faster
to the net from the moment of impact with the ball. "That's always an
advantage I have had, maybe because my toss is quite a way forward, and a
lot of guys throw it just straight up," said Edberg.
"The thing with coming quickly to the net is timing, and you have to be
very quick with your first two or three steps. That's something I've worked
on for years."
No youngster could do better than try to emulate most facets of
Edberg's style, including his calm demeanor. His forehand may not be as
brilliant as his classical backhand, but it is only a relative weakness.
Stefan hits numerous winners with his forehand, too.
His wonderful shot-making, his speed and strength of character were
seen at their best in his match with John McEnroe, whose vile temper and
tantrums (which cost him a $USIO,000 fine for the cowardly abuse of a
linesman) did not throw Stefan off his stride one iota. He is very close to
being the complete champion.
Though only 25, Stefan Edberg is also beginning to ponder life after
tennis. Andrew Longmore of The Times notes that Edberg seems to spend as
much time studying the finance pages as the sports pages, charting the
progress of his shares.
"It's a hobby, something for me to think about when I am not playing
tennis," Edberg told Longmore, "but I am beginning to get a feel for it and
I know exactly where everything is invested.
"That's important, because tennis is a strange environment sometimes
and you have to get a grip on your life. I am taking more control of my life
now."
Edberg is not at all miffed by those who say he has no charisma. "The
boring Swede!" he mocks himself. "It doesn't upset me. It makes me think,
'Can I do anything about it?'
"The answer is not a lot. My job is to play my best tennis and I do
that when I am controlled and cool. I've seen myself on television and I
admit I don't look the happiest person on earth. I can start to fool around,
but I don't think it would help my tennis, and, I can tell you, it used to
be a lot worse."
And from the same issue of the mag, this short item: