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Tennis mailbag, with CNN's Candy Reid
(CNN) -- Do you have a question about tennis for World Sport Anchor Candy Reid? E-mail candy@cnn.com. Q: Candy, the commentators here sometimes say something like, "Good shot" or "Good strategy" when a serve or shot is played on an opponent's body (in singles). Is it a good shot? In the "gentlemanly" game of tennis, I thought it was a no-no to hit to an opponent's body. Certainly at the net, at close range. Can the pros really hit a serve, with any degree of accuracy, on the other's body? If so, then why not do it more often? It certainly does seem to me a good strategy! Or is the answer that they cannot serve so precisely, and the one that is served like that more a lucky shot, rather than a good one? A: Hi Rama -- good question and certainly one which is talked about on tour. It is good strategy to serve into the body from time to time. It's a little like going down the middle with a penalty kick in football -- it usually catches the 'keeper off guard. In tennis, the body serve (if accurate) is hard to return with power because it's difficult to swing at the ball. Most players can only block the return back, leaving the receiver with an easy second shot. However, if the "body serve" isn't a) fast enough or b) accurate enough it's going to be right in the receiver's hitting zone, putting the server in trouble -- so you must practice the serve in order to pull it off. It certainly is a no-no though to hit right at your opponent at the net from close range. It's something you'll see Lleyton Hewitt do from time to time -- but it certainly doesn't help his popularity! You're going to win the point by simply putting it to one side since the person at the net has so little time to react -- so that's the right way to go about it. Q: Hey Candy. first of all, I love your show so much. My first question would be Andy Roddick. I personally think that his record so far this year is pretty bad compared to his own records last year and the year before. Despite his titles in a few ATP tournaments this year, and the fact that he was once again in the Wimbledon final, I don't think he had performed better tennis this year, as he lost in first round of the U.S. Open and at the Madrid and at Montreal Masters. What do you think about Andy's performance this year? What is his biggest problem? He just seemed unfocused in every match he had, and when he tried to focus, everything got worse. PS. My name sounds girly, but I am a guy! A: Well "male" Ashley -- to answer your first question first -- I think Roddick has had another good year -- rather than a great one. He's just won the Lyon Grand Prix which puts him at five titles for the year; pretty impressive in my book. Perhaps, even more impressive is the fact that all five were won on different surfaces: indoor hard, clay, grass, outdoor hard and indoor carpet. It's pretty obvious that the American has been working on several things this year with his new coach. He's attacking the net more and has been working on bringing his backhand up to the level of his forehand. I think that these changes will really pay off in the years to come and perhaps, although he hasn't won a major this year, he'll end 2005 with the Masters Cup title. He's the only one of the first five to have already qualified that's currently fit! Q: Hi Candy! Do you think that the duel Federer-Nadal will be a classic some time? Like Sampras against Agassi? Many thanks. A: Stefan --Federer and Nadal are definitely the best and most consistent players in the world right now, and the two are becoming great rivals. I say becoming, because they've only played each other three times. Surprisingly, Nadal has won two of those meeting and has won more matches than the Swiss this year, 79 compared to Federer's 77. However, Federer has only lost three matches so far, while the Spaniard has dropped 10. All in all, Federer is a more complete player, and in my opinion will never lose to Nadal on grass -- but he might beat the Spaniard on clay! 
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