Australian tennis player Sam Groth is aiming to break the Wimbledon record for the fastest serve, currently held by Taylor Dent at 148mph. Groth, who holds the world record for the fastest serve at 163.4mph, believes the predicted heatwave at SW19 will aid his attempt.
Groth, 27, said: 'Conditions do make a big difference, if it's hot the ball travels through the air quicker.' He noted that his record serve in Busan in 2012 was achieved in hot conditions with hard balls.
The 6ft 4in Australian is in strong form, having won the Manchester Trophy challenger title this month and reaching the third round of the Australian Open. He said: 'I love playing on grass, it's my favourite surface and I'm at a career-high ranking.'
Groth has focused on improving his overall game rather than just serving speed. 'I'm serving to win the point, not necessarily to hit it as fast as possible,' he explained. He added that grass courts help his serve skid and rush opponents.
Wimbledon has seen a rise in aces, from 1,900 in 1990 to 3,248 in 2014, with grass being the fastest surface. Goran Ivanisevic holds the record for most aces in a single tournament, with 213 in 2001.
