exactly. he was shit at real tennis
How many French Opens (the benchmark of true tennis ability) did he win?
Sampras never won a French Open, something he shares in common with Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg.
In the time span these five players were amongst the most dominant in the game from the early 70’s through to the early years of this century, the French Open threw up a list of winners which included Andres Gimeno, Adriano Panetta, Yannick Noah, Michael Chang, Andres Gomez, Sergi Brugera, Thomas Muster, Gustavo Kuerten, Carlos Moya, Alberto Costa, Juan Carlos Ferero and Gaston Gaudio.
This likely dozen all had one thing in common - none of them came within an asses roar of winning a Grand Slam anywhere else outside of the lottery that is playing in the wind and muck of Paris. You can tell a lot about the quality of a tournament and how serious its taken by a roll call of winners, both who’s on it and not on it.
[QUOTE=“Manuel Zelaya, post: 946169, member: 377”]Sampras never won a French Open, something he shares in common with Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg.
In the time span these five players were amongst the most dominant in the game from the early 70’s through to the early years of this century, the French Open threw up a list of winners which included Andres Gimeno, Adriano Panetta, Yannick Noah, Michael Chang, Andres Gomez, Sergi Brugera, Thomas Muster, Gustavo Kuerten, Carlos Moya, Alberto Costa, Juan Carlos Ferero and Gaston Gaudio.
This likely dozen all had one thing in common - none of them came within an asses roar of winning a Grand Slam anywhere else outside of the lottery that is playing in the wind and muck of Paris. You can tell a lot about the quality of a tournament and how serious its taken by a roll call of winners, both who’s on it and not on it.[/QUOTE]
Sampras never won a French Open as he was a boring bludgeoner who relied on his serve, I’m not interested in your spin as I understand the facts while you don’t.
First player to ever win a grand slam in 10 consecutive years.
First player to ever win 9 French Opens.
The Greatest Of All Time.
Only 3 to go now.
[QUOTE=“Il Bomber Destro, post: 957676, member: 2533”]First player to ever win a grand slam in 10 consecutive years.
First player to ever win 9 French Opens.
The Greatest Of All Time.
Only 3 to go now.[/QUOTE]
Rod Laver is the greatest tennis player of all time.
Changed your tune, mate?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The French Open is for fags.
And junkies
What tune would that be?
I wasn’t aware I had even proffered a view on this thread as to who the greatest tennis player of all time was.
The French Open is for the complete tennis player, not serve and volley dinosaurs, the clay court tennis season really should be located. Great tournaments in cities of culture and atmosphere rather than the soulless venues of hard courts and field tennis.
Regardless of whether you rate the French Open or not, it is an believable achievement that someone could bestrode a tournament for so long. 66 wins to 1 defeat and 9 titles is an incredible achievement
Laver was a bit before my time, but having watched quite a lot of old film of him of late one thing I am pretty certain of is the game has never seen a better volleyer or a player with sharper reflexes. He did it all with the old wooden rackets as well.
If you are looking at bare statistics in isolation, compared to Sampras & Federer’s haul of 7, Laver only won the Championship on four occasions. There’s a serious asterix that has to be factored into the mix there though. As a consequence of turning pro, he didn’t compete in the championship for five years from 1963-67 when he was 24-29 arguably the prime years for a tennis player. He won the Championship for the two years prior to and after his absence in 1961/62 and 68/69.
When you throw in the lesser Grand Slam tournaments, he won 11 in total but again it has to be factored in that he missed out on competing in 21 Grand Slams in total from 1963 to the French Open in 1968. He did the calendar year Grand Slam twice in 1962 & 69 and was operating in an era when there was much greater depth of players. Compared to the last decade or so when at any given time there’s only ever really been 2 at a push 3 players competing for the big tournaments, Laver had to contend with the likes of Ken Rosewall, Tony Roche, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, Neale Fraser, Chuck McKinley, John Newcombe, Arthur Ashe & Manuel Santana.
Nadal has now won his last 15 slam games against Federer, Murray and Djokovic.
6 against Federer - 3 on hard, 2 on clay, 1 on grass.
5 against Murray - 2 on clay, 2 on grass, 1 on hard.
4 against Djokovic - 3 on clay, 1 on hard.
The greatest of all time.
[QUOTE=“Il Bomber Destro, post: 958057, member: 2533”]Nadal has now won his last 15 slam games against Federer, Murray and Djokovic.
6 against Federer - 3 on hard, 2 on clay, 1 on grass.
5 against Murray - 2 on clay, 2 on grass, 1 on hard.
4 against Djokovic - 3 on clay, 1 on hard.
The greatest of all time.[/QUOTE]
And your point is? Actually you have no point because yet again you’re pedalling the most blatant of factual inaccuracies.
Nadal has not won his last 15 Grand Slam games against the trio you’ve mentioned. Novak beat him in three consecutive Grand Slam finals - the Championship Final 2011, the US Open Final 2011 and the Australian Open Final 2012.
Since losing the 2012 Australian Open final to Novak, Nadal’s winning run against the trio you’ve mentioned in Grand Slams stands at 6 not 15. Nadal beat Djokovic in French 2012, French 2013, US Open 2013, beat Federer Australia 2014, Murray & Djokovic at French 2014.
[QUOTE=“Manuel Zelaya, post: 958161, member: 377”]And your point is? Actually you have no point because yet again you’re pedalling the most blatant of factual inaccuracies.
Nadal has not won his last 15 Grand Slam games against the trio you’ve mentioned. Novak beat him in three consecutive Grand Slam finals - the Championship Final 2011, the US Open Final 2011 and the Australian Open Final 2012.
Since losing the 2012 Australian Open final to Novak, Nadal’s winning run against the trio you’ve mentioned in Grand Slams stands at 6 not 15. Nadal beat Djokovic in French 2012, French 2013, US Open 2013, beat Federer Australia 2014, Murray & Djokovic at French 2014.[/QUOTE]
Don’t correct me when you are incorrect, shithead. That is what I said and anything else that you may have inferred is incorrect.
Rafa has beaten Novak in their last four slam meetings - Roland Garros 2012, 2013, 2014, US Open 2013
Rafa has beaten Murray in their last five meetings - Roland Garros 2014, 2011, US Open 2011, Wimbledon 2011, 2010
Rafa has beaten Federer in their last six meetings - Australian 2014, 2012, 2009, Roland Garros 2011, 2008, Wimbledon 2008
[QUOTE=“Il Bomber Destro, post: 958176, member: 2533”]Don’t correct me when you are incorrect, shithead. That is what I said and anything else that you may have inferred is incorrect.
Rafa has beaten Novak in their last four slam meetings - Roland Garros 2012, 2013, 2014, US Open 2013
Rafa has beaten Murray in their last five meetings - Roland Garros 2014, 2011, US Open 2011, Wimbledon 2011, 2010
Rafa has beaten Federer in their last six meetings - Australian 2014, 2012, 2009, Roland Garros 2011, 2008, Wimbledon 2008[/QUOTE]
What you said was - Nadal has now won his last 15 slam games against Federer, Murray and Djokovic.
He hasn’t. Yet again, for the umpteenth time I’ve had to pull you up on factual inaccuracies on tennis matter. He’s won 6 and not 15.
[QUOTE=“Manuel Zelaya, post: 958177, member: 377”]What you said was - Nadal has now won his last 15 slam games against Federer, Murray and Djokovic.
He hasn’t. Yet again, for the umpteenth time I’ve had to pull you up on factual inaccuracies on tennis matter. He’s won 6 and not 15.[/QUOTE]
He has won his last 15 Grand Slam games against Djokovic, Murray and Federer. Don’t argue otherwise when you can’t comprehend what is being said.
Again, I find myself quoting General Melchett in Blackadder goes Forth. It really sums up best though the factual inaccuracies and lack of knowledge you initially constantly pedal but then refuse to face up to when you’re caught out.
“If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through”.