Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

As Wimbledon fever breaks out, today is the second game for the UK’s great hope, Andy Murray. The British number one will be taking on 2002 semi-finalist Xavier Malisse. A nation awaits!

Whether you are a keen amateur, an impassioned veteran or even a young Andy Murray, you will have at some point wondered what it takes to become a professional tennis player. Allow Answers to point out your direction to greatness.

Can an amateur play in an ATP pro tournament?

“The ATP is the major league of tennis. You would have to earn your way into the tournament by having a high-enough ranking, or by playing in the qualifying tournament. Other than that, the only way you would gain entry into an ATP event would be to get a wildcard.”

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How do you play against a lefty?

“From my experience, the lefties I have played have strong backhands and weak forehands. What I do is long rallies to their forehand, since their forehand is usually really weak. When I have the chance, I shoot winners towards their backhand side.”

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How can I fight back against a “pusher”?

“Also a pusher is generally someone who uses tactics to keep you out of position, i.e. lobs over your head, goofy side spin shots, deep topspin. Here comes the opinion section because everyone will deal with them differently.

Their win comes from consistency. In order for him to be successful he needs a consistent condition to hit his strokes. You need to keep him moving. The more he is out of his comfortable position and pace the less likely he’ll be consistent with his pusher shots.”

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If you feel like learning more about tennis today, why not head to the tennis category. Who knows, you might stumble across the next Andy Murray!