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>>>
Sleight of hand

Jon Wertheim, SI.com

Do you yourself a favor. If you happen to attend a tennis tournament
this summer, scan the drawsheet for Fabrice Santoro's name. Then make
whatever necessary arrangements to watch him play. When Santoro
leaves the ATP Tour, it might well mark the death of the finesse
player. The 30-year-old Frenchman, you see, is the Cubist of
contemporary tennis. He has a completely unique perspective on court
angles that few other players know exist. The court is his atelier.

Nicknamed the Magician, Santoro takes the court with a full bag of
tricks up the sleeves of Lacoste shirts. He hits with two hands off
of both wings, he dices, he slices, he hits a nasty drop shot and has
the best topspin lob since Rod Laver. While he lacks for power and
often hits a first serve under 100 mph, he has managed to be a
fixture in the top 50, rank among the sport's best doubles players,
and has won nearly $5 million for his career. We recently caught up
with the sport's most stylish stylist.

Jon Wertheim: Because of the way you play, you have a real following
among tennis fans. Todd Martin said that even the guys on tour will
stop what they're doing if the Magician is playing. But how do you
perceive your game?

Fabrice Santoro: I guess a little like you do. When I am on the court
I can see that what I am doing is different. But it's not really a
choice. It's the only way I can play. I don't do it to be different,
I do it to win. I know people say, "Oh, he's an artist" or whatever.
But I don't do it for compliments. For me, it's necessity.

Wertheim: How much has your game evolved through the years? When you
were a junior were you slicing the forehand and playing dropshot/lob
points?

Santoro: When I started at age 6 my game was dropshots and lobs and
slicing. Then I played and did well. But when I turned pro, people
told me that if I wanted to be a top player I would have to hit the
ball hard and play like everybody else. The problem was that by
playing like everybody, I became a so-so player. Many were better
than me, more powerful than me. So I was talking it over with my
father and decided to go back to my old game, and then I started to
get my best results.

Wertheim: So you walked on the dark side -- you've tried the one-
handed forehand and tried to play typical, flat tennis.

Santoro: I hit the one-handed forehand more and more because the game
is getting faster all the time. When I don't have enough time I use
one hand. But only when I have no choice. Otherwise, I like two hands
because I have more precision.

Wertheim: Do you ever feel that you were born 30 or 40 years too
late, that your style would have been wonderful when the serve wasn't
such a weapon, rackets were less powerful and other players weren't
such good athletes?

Santoro: I said that a few years ago! Today, I think I am a good
player; I have been on the tour for more than 10 years. But I do
think I would have been better before.

Wertheim: Even over the past 10 years, have you noticed a difference
in the quality of tennis, the athleticism?

Santoro: Oh, yeah. When I started my pro career [in the early '90s] I
was winning matches because of my opponents' mistakes. Now I win the
match because I've made the points, because I've beaten my opponent,
not because he's lost.

Wertheim: How frustrating is it that you have better hands, better
feel and are more clever than most, but lose to players who are
simply more powerful?

Santoro: Well, the way I play is more fun [laughs]. When I was
playing like everyone else, it was boring for me. I said, "I want to
create." Even if I lose, I like to control the match instead of just
playing like everyone else.

Wertheim: But isn't it harder to control the match against the big
hitters?

Santoro: Yes, with my game I have to be very precise. I have to be
fit physically, fit mentally. The margin for error is less and less.

Wertheim: Are you artistic in other ways? Do you write poetry? Paint
landscapes?

Santoro: [Laughs] No, no. Just tennis.

Wertheim: Is it sad that there seems to be fewer and fewer players
who are so creative and imaginative?

Santoro: I think it's good for the game to play like this. I cross my
fingers there will be more, some players here and there who want to
be different. It's a very fun way to play tennis.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim covers tennis for the
magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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Dr. Andrew Broad
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http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
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