Winning Tactics for Singles and Doubles

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Copyright © 2011 by WebTennis24.com

Winning Tactics for
Singles and Doubles
This eBook is brought to you by WebTennis24.com, and will provide all the insight you need to win
against all singles players and doubles formations. At first you will get to better understand the profiles
of all different players, what are their strong points and weak points, and how can you use that in your
favor. Without further ado, these are the tactics you can master:

Tactics to win your matches:

Win Your Singles Matches Against ALL Types of Players:

 Tactics to beat the Defensive Baseline Player (Pusher)

 Tactics to beat the Offensive Baseline Player (OBP)

 Tactics to beat the All-Court Player (ACP)

 Tactics to beat the Serve-and-Volley Player (SVP)

 Tactics to beat the left-handed player (lefty)

Win Your Doubles Matches Using the
One-Up-One-Back Formation:

 One-Up-One-Back vs. One-Up-One-Back

 One-Up-One-Back vs. Both-Up
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 One-Up-One-Back vs. Both-Back


HOW TO WIN YOUR SINGLES MATCHES
AGAINST…

1. The Defensive Baseline Player / Pusher

Also called counter-puncher or pusher, the defensive baseliner is one tough opponent that everybody
wants to know how to beat. Why? Because he is capable of hitting a lot of balls back and stay with you
in a rally "all day".
Their main goal is not to try to hit winners but instead to wait for their opponent to lose points through
unforced errors.
They are gifted with good stamina and can run many shots down; they are quick and usually have
dependable ground-strokes and passing shots. They are patient and perseverant, calm and focused and
they base their game on consistency and placement.
Playing at the net is usually a pusher's weakness. Often, they move back away from the net as soon as
they get there. Pushers don't finish the points; they wait for their opponents to lose the points.

It is very hard to outplay this type of player because every ball you hit usually comes back. It does not
come back hard… it just comes back. Whenever you think you got him and you are about to finish the
point, you find yourself getting back in the battle again.

Tactics to beat the Defensive Baseline Player ( Pusher)

 Since coming up to the net is his weakness… then bring him up to the net! Use drop shots often
then lob him or hit aggressively to his feet if he tries to recover to the baseline.

 The pushers are very comfortable in moving side to side along the baseline, so get him out of his
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comfort zone by making him move forth and back: drop shots and moon balls.
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 Move the ball at short angles side to side to have him chase it down and open the court on his
side. Look more for opening the court and tiring him out then trying to finish the point when you
get a shorter ball and an opening. Once you move him off the court with an angled shot don't
give him time to recover - step inside the baseline and take the ball early. Don't over hit the ball
when trying to finish the point; hit it just hard enough so you can control the placement of it.

 Going for winners might be a frustrating task for you because you will find most of your best
shots returned with very little effort. So save your energy and do not over hit.

 If you feel comfortable at the net, move up any time you can. Attack with a low slice or
whenever you can make him reach for the ball. Those are times when he will not be likely to
pass you easily. In fact, attacking the net against the pusher, could be one of the best tactics if
you feel comfortable playing there. Once at the net, you can put the ball away easier either with
aggressive volleys, drop shots or overheads.
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He'll likely lob you most of the time if you attack the net, so prepare to put the overheads away.
Hit your volleys at short angles or drop them short to bring the pusher closer to the net or make
him reach forward.

 Mentally, go into this kind of battle being patient and ready to have a possibly very long match.

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Even though you might think that the pusher's style of play is below yours (underestimating
him), I'd suggest that you change your mind. Take it as a great challenge that you will find very
satisfying to overcome. They present, in fact, very serious competition to any player. They might
not be technically great but their perseverance and athleticism will compensate by proving them
very worthy opponents.

I like to welcome playing pushers in practice because they help me become a more patient and
consistent player and they improve the mental side of my tennis personality too.

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2. The Offensive Baseline Player (OBP)

This type of tennis personality relies on power to win the points through clean winners and force his
opponent into making errors.
He is not only aggressive but fairly consistent with his powerful ground-strokes. He usually has a strong
weapon (e.g. forehand) that he dictates points with.
Some of the OBPs possess both sides, forehand and backhand, at a level that is not only consistent but
powerful too.
The OBPs mostly have only one game plan: consistent and aggressive attack. If they have a good day,
they present big trouble for the opponents. But when they are a little off, the errors can ruin their
chances. Even when on the defensive, these players prefer to go for risky, low percentage shots.
This type of play requires a lot of energy and high tolerance to making errors. Players adopting a very
aggressive style must acknowledge that they might be missing a lot of shots in their attempt to hit clean
winners.
Mentally, the offensive baseline players possess courage, decisiveness, impatience, and a deep
acceptance of the possibility of making more errors compared to other players.

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Tactics to beat the Offensive Baseline Player (OBP)

 When serving against the OBP, be prepare for your second serve to be attacked right away. Hit
the ball low with aggressive slice to prevent him from taking advantage of it.
Also the aggressive, low over the net topspin second serves can be efficient if placed to his weak
side or into the body. He'll look for opportunities to run around his weak wing (e.g. backhand)
and attack the ball with his weapon (e.g. forehand).

 When returning against him, find ways to make him move to the ball: short and angled returns
or slice deep to keep the balls low. When hitting balls on the run, his balance affects his body
and ball control preventing him from being such a big threat.

 During the rally phase, keep the balls deep and at medium pace - the OBP loves the pace; so give
him more slice shots that he has to get low for, hit up and deal with a lower speed of the ball.
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Mix the power and depth to keep them guessing.
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 The aggressive players like rhythm, they prefer the ball at a certain height and pace. So varying
your shots' depth, height and spin can work great against them.

 Exploit their weakness: Since the aggressive baseline players hide/protect their weak wing very
well, it is hard to attack that side. Sometimes you will have to hit a couple of shots to their
strong side to open up the court on the weak side. E.g. hit a couple of balls to their forehand
then attack the backhand right away.

 Bring them up to the net: You can do that either on the return of serve or during the rally using
drop shots.
The OBP is not very comfortable playing up at the net so once you bring him there, don't try to
pass him by over hitting - just give him low, medium pace shots at his feet preferably cross-court
so that you have a better chance to attack right after.

 Mentally, go into a match against the OBP prepared to defend a lot. You will constantly be
challenged physically (quickness, reaction, ball control). Therefore try not to match his power by
hitting harder or at least that hard. After all, the OBP likes pace - so avoid matching him at this
game. Instead try to outsmart him: stay with what you do best.

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Keep staying positive even when things don't go your way. They are not going to keep the pace at a high
intensity all the time because of the risky nature of their style. Stay calm and wait for your opportunity.
The opportunity can be either your opponent losing some of his intensity, mental composure or
whenever you can take advantage of his weak side (net game, backhand or whatever you can detect as
weakness in his game).

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3. The All-Court Player (ACP)

The all-court player is able to win from any position on the court: at the net, from the baseline or
anywhere in between. He is able to adapt to any style of play according to his opponents skills and
tactics.
He has good dependable strokes and can attack or defend from any position.
The ACP is a confident tennis personality having the peace of mind that he can rely on his strokes from
any situation that he might encounter.
He is mentally confident and possesses the right balance of aggressiveness and patience which allows
him to attack or defend with few unforced errors.
His only big weakness, typically, is that he does not have a clear weapon. Compared to the aggressive
baseline player who likes to build his tactics around his strength (forehand), the all-court player is
comfortable with both sides and can control the point with less effort from either side.

Tactics to beat the All-Court Player (ACP)

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The ACPs can be masters of tactics considering they can use the whole court to their advantage.
Therefore one of the main tactics against them is to keep them on the run. It can be hard for you to do
that all the time but if you manage to change the pace, spin and depth of your shots, you will get the
ACP out of his comfort zone.
 When serving, prepare to hit a good percentage of first serves in to avoid their attack. If you
have to hit second serves, use the ones that prevent the player from attacking you: slice low,
topspin into the body or to the weaker side, and deep into the service court.

 When returning their serve, be aggressive on the second serve. Take charge of the point by
hitting the ball early and angle it to make the opponent hit on the run.
The all-court players like to move the ball around inside the lines and make you run; eventually
they create a nice opening for their winning shot. So you will be chasing the ball a little until you
find ways to avoid it.

 Prepare for a long and tactically challenging match. They are like chess players where they can
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figure you out and exploit your weaknesses. Expect to adjust and come up with creative ideas to
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keep the ACP from controlling the points.


 The overall mentality with which you should approach this match is to be patient first (it can be
a long tactical challenge for you), consistent with your confidence (don't give up if you find
yourself frustrated with his clever attacks) and willing to believe that momentum can turn either
way (hoping that at some point his strokes might fail him and you can begin playing better).

Some of the ways to prevent your opponent (ACP) from taking charge of the point are:
- hitting more cross-court,
- mix up the shots' spin, height over the net and placement,
- court position variety: alternate between staying back and moving up to the net.

And, after all this, you should know that even though the ACP seems to own all the shots, there are
actually some that are not that strong. Figure out which ones they are and use them to your advantage.

4. The Serve-and-Volley Player (SVP)

This type of tennis player is aggressive and prefers to finish the point as quickly as he can. Therefore

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they find any opportunity to attack at the net and thus put pressure on their opponent by taking time
away from them.
At the net, they can use their quick reflexes and excellent control on volleys and overheads to finish the
point. They are not afraid to hit overheads - in fact, they have no weakness on overheads; they welcome
them and finish the point with good power and placement.
The SVPs are aggressive, impatient and they possess a high tolerance for errors.
They find it boring staying back at the baseline and indulging in long rallies.
The serve is the shot they use perfectly to set-up their aggressive attack. They are great at spinning it
and making it hard to return.
Once they get up to the net, the serve-and-volley players possess good court coverage, know exactly
where to position themselves for the next shot, their volleys are very dependable as far as control and
placement and they love to hit overheads.
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Tactics to beat the Serve-and-Volley Player (SVP)

You know he'll try to come up to the net on every ball… So prepare to shorten your backswing on
ground-strokes and meet the ball more in front of you.
The time to get ready for the next shot is reduced considerably by having the SVP closer to the net.

 Serve deep to keep the SVP from attacking; especially on the first serve. By hitting more first
serves in, you will keep your opponent back.
Prepare to have your second serve attacked. He'll love to take it on the rise and place it to your
weak side with, probably, a slice ground-stroke.
To avoid an attack, hit the second serves with slice (makes the ball stay low), or a topspin into

the body. Either way, the placement of your serves must be deep.

If he attacks you with a slice and moves up to the net, try to hit slice right back at him. Hopefully
he'll have a hard time blocking your spin shot back and you will get a short slow ball in return. If
his slice bounces a little higher (2-3 feet at least off the ground) you can try an aggressive
topspin drive down at his feet. That will make him hit up setting you up for attack.

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 When you return his serve, keep it low, aiming at the service line. In this way, as he moves up
behind his serve, he'll find the ball at his feet. Once he pops the ball up, attack it.
Since they prefer to move side to side and angle their volleys, give him the opposite - hit right at
him.
Try to pressure his serve delivery by moving your position (side to side, back or forth) making
him feel nervous about your intentions.

 To keep the SVP deep, close to the baseline, hit the balls aggressively and landing far beyond the
service line during the rally; avoid hitting passively and just getting the ball in - you need to put a
little pace on your shots so that he cannot attack them. Soon he'll lose patience and start
making errors because the serve-and-volley player does not like staying back.

 Once he is at the net, look for a weakness. It could be his forehand is weaker than his backhand.
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Use this piece of information when you are defending - defend toward his weak side.
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 Lob him. See if he responds well to it. Disguise your delivery as much as you can. Aim deep and
preferably to his backhand. As you know, the backhand overhead is one of the weakest shots;
that makes it the best choice to place your lob. Also, you can lob cross-court since you have
more court to pass the ball over his head.

 Here's a surprise tactic: move up to the net following your serve or attacking his short ball - the
SVPs are not too good at passing shots.

 Mentally, since they prefer quick action and to pressure you, try to give them the opposite:
make the points long and boring. Be alert and ready to react quickly if they manage to come up.
Don't try to put the balls away on the first shot; hit the first one back to him. Sometimes it is
enough to just make him volley (hit it back at him) until you find yourself in a better position to
go for a winner (shorter ball or when the SVP is a little stretched out).

Be alert and patient.

5. The Left-Handed Player (the Lefty)

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We have included the left-handed player as a special type of player because of the followings:
 they are rare - roughly 10% of the population is left-handed,
 the ball spins the opposite way than one hit by a right-handed player, so it will take a little time
to adjust,
 their famous slice serves curve more toward the left especially when delivered from the ad
court,
 their weak side, the backhand (or not), is on the opposite side than what players are normally
used to.

When being attacked by a lefty on your weak side (backhand), sending the ball cross-court to defend
(like you should do most of the time) meets his strong side (forehand).
Defining a left-handed player's weak side is a tough task. He definitely has a strong forehand and wicked
spin that he puts on the ball but you should consider that, since his past right-handed opponents have
attacked the lefty's backhand by going cross-court, the lefty's backhand is likely to be at least as strong
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as his forehand. It is very often that you see a left-handed player who literally has no weakness from the
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baseline. Not only that… his serve is one area that really must be provided particular attention to.


The infamous lefty's slice serve can be very damaging not only because it can push the opponent off the
court on the ad side but it goes to a right-handed player's weak side (backhand).
From my experience playing lefties, I have always admired their great "touch" on the ball. They are
masters at angling the balls in the opposite court, at drop shots and slices. They can make you
uncomfortable and confused better than any other type of player.
If you are an aggressive baseline player and prefer to run around your backhand and use your inside-out
forehand to attack cross-court, you will find the ball going to your lefty opponent's strong side
(forehand). So you'll have to change your placement - the inside-out should become inside-in, then run
quickly to cover the open court to avoid the cross-court aggressive return. So basically, when playing the
left-handed player, you will have to re-think your whole strategy, which, let's face it... it is like learning
new strokes, putting you on the defensive by using a style of play that you are not familiar with.

Tactics to beat the left-handed player (lefty)
 First of all you will have to recognize early in the game that you are playing a left-handed player.
Funny as it sounds, often, players don't notice this until they realize that something is not right:
they cannot control their shots, etc. After all, it is not too often players meet someone other
than a right-handed player. So looking out for a lefty is not something that the players are
primarily concerned with.

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 Mentally, welcome the challenge and recognize that you will experiment with a new set of
stroke tactics and you'll have to deal with different kind of ball bounces (than you are used to)
and spins coming from the other side of the net.

 The lefty’s biggest weapon is the serve, especially from the ad side. It helps to position yourself
a little to the left while waiting for his serve. By doing so, you will not only protect the backhand
but you will invite the lefty to aim to the open court which means a serve toward your strong
side (forehand).

Left-handed players are famous for their wicked slice serve that curves a lot to the right-handed player's
backhand. To avoid being pulled off the court, step into the ball and take it early trying to cut the angle
of it. Move perpendicular to the ball's trajectory instead of wide (which can make you go too far off the
court).
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Attack the serve aggressively to counter-act the spin. Aim more toward the center of the court until you
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get to feel more comfortable with the spin and eventually start placing it accordingly.


Same tactics that you use against a right-handed player apply when playing a lefty; just reverse the
placement:
 return deep and toward the middle on the first serve,
 see if you can attack the second serve by setting yourself up with your strong side,
 hit it to his weakness (which you should figure out during the match by observing his
tendencies),
 vary your placement, spin and height over the net,
 experiment with your return and see what works for you.
 when serving, apply the same tactics as you do against a right-handed player with respect to the
fact that everything is like playing with a mirror: whichever side your forehand is, that's where
his forehand is too.
One of your advantages when serving is the deuce side delivery - using the slice serve against the lefty
not only sends the ball to his backhand but you can pull him off the court. So basically you do to him
from the deuce side what he can do with his serve from the ad side…

Use the slice low or kick into the body as second serves. They work on right-handed players as well as on
the left-handed ones.

 During the rally exchange prepare to hit a lot of backhands. Since you are used to attacking the
opposing players' backhands that means you will be tempted to hit to the lefty's forehand a lot.
They will love to return it back aggressively to your backhand (and add on top of that a spin that

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is somehow new to you - "the lefty's spin").

Having said that, if you want and welcome challenges, seek out left-handed players to compete against
and practice with. It would be a great idea to improve mentally and tactically by welcoming left-handed
players in your practices.

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HOW TO WIN IN DOUBLES USING THE
ONE-UP-ONE-BACK FORMATION

Intro to the One-Up-One-Back Formation (OUOB)

This is the favorite arrangement used by beginning and most intermediate
doubles players.
In this formation, one of the players chooses to stay back (at the baseline) and
his partner plays at the net (see the attached graphic).
It is not recommended but in certain circumstances it would be a smarter
choice if, for example, the net skills (volleys, overheads, quick hands etc.) are
not at a sufficiently comfortable level. Obviously, the players should be
encouraged to work and improve their net game since that is the easiest way
to be successful in doubles.
But if you do prefer the One-Up-One-Back (OUOB) formation, here are some
tips to be successful playing this way:

1. The net player should try to poach on every shot possible coming from his
opponents

You might think this would be too exhausting, but think about how long a tennis point lasts… You see,
you can be active for such a short time.
Often we see the net players acting as spectators watching the baseline players exchanging cross-court
rallies. Instead, they should put pressure on the opposing baseline player by getting closer to the net
and center in order to close the angles of the return.
If the ball passes the net player he should back up to open the court for his baseline partner to play his
shot.
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So the net player's first job is to close the angles of the opposing baseline player by moving closer to the
net and center; second, to poach whenever he can; and third to move back and a little to the side to
open up the court for his baseline partner when this one has the ball.
As you can see, the net player should be constantly moving during the point: back and forth and side to
side. It only takes a few seconds while the point lasts; no excuses… :)

2. The baseline player should cover any shot that the net player cannot
intercept

His main job is to keep the ball away from the opposing net player. If he happens to hit the ball towards
the opposing net player, it is his responsibility to get to the next shot which will most likely be sent
between him and his net partner or toward the net partner.

3. Covering the Lob

First of all, every net player should try to retrieve their own lob. But if the
lob is successful (clears the net player), then it will be the baseline player's
job (if he is in position) to retrieve it.

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Important!
What should the net player do if the ball goes over his head and on his side
of the court? Answer: As the baseline player is moving to return the lob,
the net player should switch sides and move back joining his partner on the
baseline. Why? Well, think about it… Most of the time when the baseline
player returns a lob, he chooses to lob it back. And as we have seen,
sometimes the return lob is a short one… that puts the opposing net player
in a perfect position to "whack" the ball right at the closest opponent. That
makes net player's moving back a perfect solution.

4. Serving

Should be done down-the-T most of the time since this puts the net player in a perfect position to
poach. (see Court Coverage - doubles)
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5. The return of serve

The receiver's partner should stay on the service line and only move up after the return has been made
safely away from the opposing net player. In this way, the receiver's partner will be in a better position
just in case the server's partner poaches (it closes the gap between him and receiver giving him more
time to react to the incoming ball).

Weaknesses of the One-Up-One-Back formation
Since this formation is the most vulnerable one due to the big gap between players, the tactics are quite
simple...

One-Up-One-Back vs. One-Up-One-Back
If you play in the OUOB formation against another team who prefers
same arrangement, here are some guidelines to follow:
 baseline player should try to keep the ball away from the
opposing net player: sharp cross-court ground-strokes, lobs;
(see Playing from the Baseline)

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 net player is the key to winning points by being very active in
poaching or trying to poach anything that comes from the
opposing baseline player. He should make sure to stay out of
his baseline partner's way enabling him to hit cross-court shots
away from the opposing net player. (see Playing at the Net)
 first serves should be sent down-the-T or into-the-body as
much as possible to give the net partner the opportunity to
poach (see Court Coverage - doubles). The serves should be
either hard-flat or hard-slice curving into the body. Those
result in slow/floating returns which are ideal for put-away by
the net player.
 second serves should be hit with lots of spin or toward the
returner's weak wing.
 net player's volleys should go frequently to either the opposing net player or in between the
two players.
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One-Up-One-Back vs. Both-Up

The BU team is a dangerous one. Assuming that they are good volleyers and
attacking the single opposing net player, the only options to keep them out
of their comfort zone would be:
 play down the middle (between the two players),
 lob them deep,
 execute low, dinky, topspin shots that land at their feet.
Make them hit up (by hitting low to their feet) or move them back (by
lobbing them) then the net player should look to take advantage of the
eventual defending lobs / sitters (high floating balls) from the BU (in this
situation defending) team.

ONE-UP-ONE-BACK vs. BOTH-BACK

Both-Back formation is obviously used by the team that does not like to be

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at the net so one of the tactics would be to bring them there.
Go for drop shots, wide angle volleys from the net player, or even better:
slice ground-strokes from the baseline player. Slice ground-strokes make
opposing players hit the ball up, floating, at slower pace that gives the net
player plenty of time to attack and put the balls away with angled volleys.
If you manage to bring them to the net, try to keep them there longer. They
will attempt to get out of that position, since this is not their comfort zone.
The overhead is the stroke they hate to hit, so a good tactic would be to
bring them up to the net with a drop shot then lob them.
Since they leave a lot of opening at the service court area, angle your
ground-strokes short toward the side fence.
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About the Author

WebTennis24.com has been created by Cosmin Miholca, a certified tennis professional and respected
tennis coach.
His goal is to provide quality tennis information for whoever is looking to take their tennis skills to a
higher level. Cosmin has always found satisfaction in sharing his knowledge with everyone who was
willing to learn.
After competing and playing tennis for over 25 years, Cosmin has decided to help others see this
wonderful sport through his eyes.
He has been teaching tennis, full time, for more than 8 years and lives in Southern California together
with his wife and his two little girls.

As a result of his passion for the game and willingness to offer his students an enjoyable way to learn
tennis, Cosmin also founded
 WebTennisDrills.com
 WebTennisAids.com
 WebTennisBest.com

If you have questions or feedback, do not hesitate to visit our site WebTennis24.com and write us at
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