An American lefty who has a Sampras-like touch at the net, a Federer-like backhand and an energy that feeds Arthur Ashe Stadium is a dream hard to fathom amidst the sea of power players we have today, but 24-year-old Ryler DeHeart is just that. This kid may have been taken down by the Spanish lefty, Nadal, but he showed a promise that gives hope for the future of tennis. DeHeart walked onto the biggest court he had ever seen and set up camp right behind the net. He did not choose to strike the rubber out of the tennis ball but instead, Ryler resuscitated a lovely finesse that died long ago when Edberg, McEnroe, Borg, Lendl and Sampras ended their careers. Federer was starting to bring back the soft, intelligent game and DeHeart is following suit.
Even when he was down a set, the recent college grad pushed forward and displayed moments of brilliance, bending down for beautiful half-volleys that would cross the net angled and spinning away from Rafa. He uses a smooth, one-handed backhand, accelerating his stroke just as he makes contact with the ball -- in one word: perfection.
DeHeart brings a refreshing air to the game without succumbing to the pressures to kill the ball or hover behind the baseline. For years, the court has been deprived of players running within its bounds. Finally, we're taking a few steps in.
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