Eastbourne 2018 preview: 4 players ready to make an impression

Can Diego Schwartzman put his grass-court woes behind him?

Diego Schwartzman at Wimbledon 2017

Over the past two decades, athleticism and physicality have become increasingly important in tennis. The legends of years gone by, such as Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver, are dwarfed by the giants of today. Many players in this era, are six feet and over, with modern athletes hitting the ball harder than ever before. In a time, where height is so crucial, it would inconceivable to think that a player like Diego Schwartzman can have success.

However, the 5ft 7in Argentine has continually defied the odds, breaking into the top 20 and competing against players much taller than him. Over the past year, he has moved from a top 40 player to one on the cusp of the top 10, with a current ranking of 11. He was the only player to take a set off Rafael at this year's Roland Garros and has beat the likes of Dominic Thiem and Marin Cilic, with the latter coming in the US Open last year.

The Argentine though is a clay-court specialist, with the ball moving very differently on clay compared to grass. The grass is also a surface to make use of one's serve, but with Schwartzman's lack of height, the serve is naturally one of his weaker areas, lacking in speed and angle. On clay, most of the points involve long baseline rallies, with players often using their defensive skills to win points. With grass being much faster, it is difficult to deploy this style. Furthermore, he has failed to progress past the first round at Wimbledon. However, given the Argentine's ability to defy the odds, he is still one to watch out for at Eastbourne.