Elliot Benchetrit – 3 minutes to know better “The Underdog”
Benchetrit “The Underdog” came to Ultimate Tennis Showdown on tip-toe. He demonstrated that he was more than an underdog claiming three wins and displaying some strong weapons.
He came in as a substitute and then made his way to the starting lineup. Elliot Benchetrit, 21 years old and World No 208, has only played 5 matches at Ultimate Tennis Showdown, compared to 8 for most of his opponents. In spite of this handicap, “The Underdog” gave it all, played some stunning tennis and managed to be ranked 5th after Day 8.
On the Tour, Benchetrit reached his highest ranking last February (198th) after qualifying for the Australian Open for the first time. At UTS, Benchetrit proved that he was more than an Underdog and gave some top players a lot of trouble thanks to his three main weapons. We introduce them to you.
1- Serve
1m93 tall, Elliot Benchetrit earns a lot of free points thanks to his serve. Powerful and precise, “The Underdog’s” serve is very difficult to read and return.
“My kick serve on clay is one of my best serves, Benchetrit says.On hard court, I am used to use my slice serve. My serve saves me a lot of time during important matches. That’s why I am happy to have it.”
2- Inside out forehand
Once his opponent has managed to return his serve, Benchetrit’s Frenchman cashes on his second weapon, the forehand. Fast despite being tall, “The Underdog” tries to turn around his backhand as soon as possible to play his forehand strong and straight on his opponent’s backhand.
“It’s useful because I know how to make it spin or make it flat, the World No 208 explains. I use it in different situations. Whenever I can, I try to use my forehand instead of my backhand. It’s a lasso forehand which can be very difficult for opponents. He is dangerous.”
3- Drop shot
Benchetrit is a powerful player, but he likes to play with variations because he has exceptionally soft hands. “The Underdog” is very comfortable in playing drop shots and likes to surprise his opponents, often far from their baseline to defend against him.
“My drop shot is a secret shot, he states. When the opponent doesn’t know me and they play against me for the first time, they are often surprised by this shot. With the new game, many players play well from the baseline. But they don’t know how to make little shots or drop shots. It’s really important to make them use all the court and make them run. The drop shot is one of the best for that, Benchetrit concludes.
