But I don't mind a bit of semi-superficial discussion.
I'm wondering on the issue of whether or not Graf's competition was poor, who's saying it and on what basis
A quick look at the 16 seeds for Wimbledon 1988 when Graf won her Golden Slam is as follows (cut and pasted from Wiki), a group of players we'd find in the other Slam seed lists, if we checked;
1. West Germany Steffi Graf (Champion)
2. United States Martina Navratilova (Final)
3. United States Pam Shriver (Semifinals)
4. United States Chris Evert (Semifinals)
5. Argentina Gabriela Sabatini (Fourth Round)
6. Czechoslovakia Helena Suková (Quarterfinals)
7. Bulgaria Manuela Maleeva (First Round)
8. Soviet Union Natasha Zvereva (Fourth Round)
9. Australia Hana Mandlíková (Third Round)
10.United States Lori McNeil (Third Round)
11. West Germany Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (Withdrew due to knee injury)
12. United States Zina Garrison (Quarterfinals)
13. Soviet Union Larisa Savchenko (Fourth Round)
14. Bulgaria Katerina Maleeva (Fourth Round)
15. West Germany Sylvia Hanika (Third Round)
16. United States Mary Joe Fernandez (Fourth Round)
If that's poor competition, I'd hate to see strong!
Hmm, Chrissie and Martina past their best at the time, probably Shriver as well. The rest of them aren't that great the only notable thing about Zvereva was getting double-bageled in The French Open.
Steffi probably my fave female player ever, but that list isn't great for me.
Was away for weekend missed all the tennis, good to see the real number one playing well again, don't think I'll bother with match tonight, it'll be a demolition job
Serena's won 4 of her slams after the age of 30. Martina won 5 slams (all Wimbledons) in her 30s and Chrissie 2.
Steffi retired at 30 so obviously had to clock up more slam titles per year to get the current record. Steffi in 88 (her Golden Slam year) was the best ever. Can be matched but not beaten.
Hmm, Chrissie and Martina past their best at the time, probably Shriver as well. The rest of them aren't that great the only notable thing about Zvereva was getting double-bageled in The French Open.
Steffi probably my fave female player ever, but that list isn't great for me.
Sabatini is there to be fair. Mandlikova was great as well but admittedly past her best in 88. Sukova as well. Fernandez. It's not that bad a list, however compare it to a year like 2001 it's not comparable. The early 2000s crap all over Steffi's and today's era :
There was a funny mocking thread on tennis talk asking who had lost fewest matches when not 'tired or injured', Nadal or Serena? i don't think she is as bad as him, no made up ailments or convenient MTO's, but still.....
Many players win matches while injured and if you have deemed yourself fit enough to play and haven't retired from the match, you can't complain.To be fair she did say Ana played well.
You're in it to win it. So everybody who wins the required number of sets to beat their opponent in a grand slam tournament match is the deserving winner of the match. What if's or But if's are an irrelevance. What actually happened on the match court is what goes In the record books, not what people assume would have happened if this or that had occurred instead.
Nobody has any right to complain about who collected the trophy at the end of the tournament as the champion has proven himself/herself to be the best player of the tournament by winning 7 matches in a fortnight. Which players they beat along the way to do so is unimportant.
Serena Williams was beaten. That's the bottom line it's an official tournament result that's in the record books.
Nadal certainly did not pull out injured from the 2009 French Open despite those on the Tennis Warehouse forum trying to make out that he never entered the tournament at all. He was beaten 3 sets to 1 in the 4th round and it counts as a legit result. Soderling highly deserved his win over Nadal that afternoon.
Hmm, Chrissie and Martina past their best at the time, probably Shriver as well. The rest of them aren't that great the only notable thing about Zvereva was getting double-bageled in The French Open.
Steffi probably my fave female player ever, but that list isn't great for me.
Interesting to watch Chrissie against Steffi here at the Liptons at that time;
Serena's won 4 of her slams after the age of 30. Martina won 5 slams (all Wimbledons) in her 30s and Chrissie 2.
Steffi retired at 30 so obviously had to clock up more slam titles per year to get the current record. Steffi in 88 (her Golden Slam year) was the best ever. Can be matched but not beaten.
I don't see such a feat being at all possible in the men's as the men's draw is much tougher.
Was away for weekend missed all the tennis, good to see the real number one playing well again, don't think I'll bother with match tonight, it'll be a demolition job
There was a funny mocking thread on tennis talk asking who had lost fewest matches when not 'tired or injured', Nadal or Serena? i don't think she is as bad as him, no made up ailments or convenient MTO's, but still.....
Many players win matches while injured and if you have deemed yourself fit enough to play and haven't retired from the match, you can't complain. To be fair she did say Ana played well.
Jesus Attackmusic I think that you are more obsessed with Rafa than I am, tell me are you sure you are not drooling over him On the Quiet? Please enlighten me as maybe the incidents you mention about blaming injury happened before I started drooling Let me explain, I actually only just liked Rafa as a tennis player before 2011, I remember I really wanted him to win that Wimbledon final in 2008 mainly because I was bored of Roger winning it so I was rooting for him to win, Then after I got worse with my arthritis I was watching Wimbledon in 2011 and that is when I saw the light and started drooling.
I am sure that Rafa would have never pulled out of the Olympics if he did not have to as he was so sad that he could not compete. I have read his book and he has had to have injections into his knee and believe me you don't do that for nothing I have had to have injections put into my back and it is not something you do for fun.
Comments
Hmm, Chrissie and Martina past their best at the time, probably Shriver as well. The rest of them aren't that great the only notable thing about Zvereva was getting double-bageled in The French Open.
Steffi probably my fave female player ever, but that list isn't great for me.
Steffi retired at 30 so obviously had to clock up more slam titles per year to get the current record. Steffi in 88 (her Golden Slam year) was the best ever. Can be matched but not beaten.
Sabatini is there to be fair. Mandlikova was great as well but admittedly past her best in 88. Sukova as well. Fernandez. It's not that bad a list, however compare it to a year like 2001 it's not comparable. The early 2000s crap all over Steffi's and today's era
1. Hingis
2. Venus
3. Davenport
4. Capriati
5. Serena
6. Mauresmo
7. Clijsters
8. Henin
9. Tauziat
10. Dementieva
11. Coetzer
12. Maleeva
13. Sanchez Vicario
14. Dokic
15. Testud
16. Elia
You're in it to win it. So everybody who wins the required number of sets to beat their opponent in a grand slam tournament match is the deserving winner of the match. What if's or But if's are an irrelevance. What actually happened on the match court is what goes In the record books, not what people assume would have happened if this or that had occurred instead.
Nobody has any right to complain about who collected the trophy at the end of the tournament as the champion has proven himself/herself to be the best player of the tournament by winning 7 matches in a fortnight. Which players they beat along the way to do so is unimportant.
Serena Williams was beaten. That's the bottom line it's an official tournament result that's in the record books.
Nadal certainly did not pull out injured from the 2009 French Open despite those on the Tennis Warehouse forum trying to make out that he never entered the tournament at all. He was beaten 3 sets to 1 in the 4th round and it counts as a legit result. Soderling highly deserved his win over Nadal that afternoon.
Interesting to watch Chrissie against Steffi here at the Liptons at that time;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmqy16MP4Ms
I don't see such a feat being at all possible in the men's as the men's draw is much tougher.
I didn't realise you were a Djoko fan CGG. ;-)
Jesus Attackmusic I think that you are more obsessed with Rafa than I am, tell me are you sure you are not drooling over him On the Quiet?
Anyway I found Rafa's press conference after the Rosol loss and he never blames anything on a injury. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHOgKT306a8
Again after the Darcis loss press conference, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHOgKT306a8
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/10140061/Wimbledon-2013-Rafael-Nadal-refuses-to-blame-knee-after-losing-to-Steve-Darcis.h
So please tell me where are you getting the information relating to Rafa faking injury and blaming injury as an excuse?
Happy drooling.:D
I am sure that Rafa would have never pulled out of the Olympics if he did not have to as he was so sad that he could not compete. I have read his book and he has had to have injections into his knee and believe me you don't do that for nothing I have had to have injections put into my back and it is not something you do for fun.
Even better now..5-0:o
Good news for Dominic Inglot as they were due to play him and Treat Huey in the next round.
Hopefully the Bryans will continue their losing form into the Davis cup in two weeks time.:D
Hmm, indeed.
Purely from a viewing perspective though, I actually like it. It builds a bit of anticipation for the deciding set.
It does indeed I always feel sorry for the player sat just waiting though