Q. How great is your regret for not being No. 1? You were very close several times.
GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, that's maybe only thing I can regret in my career. But to be No. 2 behind Pete Sampras, for me that's biggest honor because he is the best player in the history of tennis. And that year when I was No. 2, he won three Grand Slams, so I didn't have any chance to be No. 1 - only if I shoot him, and I couldn't do that. So was tough. But to be No. 2 against such a guy, that's for me like being No. 1.
Yet another guy who says Pete is 'best player in history of tennis' - not 'might be'.
Tennis needs a character like him today. Some say Safin comes close, but I don't see it. Goran was far more consistent player & wittier....
"Whisper" <beaver999@ozemail.com.au> kirjoitti viestissä news:7kMbe.311$m65.5191@nnrp1.ozemail.com.au...> Yet another guy who says Pete is 'best player in history of tennis' -> not 'might be'.>
Tennis needs a character like him today. Some say Safin comes close,> but I don't see it. Goran was far more consistent player & wittier....
Goran = consistent? Goran = wittier?
They are different. Goran was chaotic. You could never estimate what mood Goran is in any given match, like coin-flip. Safin is more consistent. He does half a year badly then 4 months well. More predicatable.
Safin has already surpassed Goran's achievements (2 slams, #1 vs 1 wimbledon) and he has definitely chance to add a couple slams more to his records....
Safin definitely is one of the main characters on tour right now
Yet another guy who says Pete is 'best player in history of tennis' -> not 'might be'.
He also said Sampras won 3 slams in a year. So Goran wasn't always playing with a full deck.
Still, a good case can be made for Sampras as best ever, just not the best case (Laver).
-- "if federal judges have the final word over its meaning, the Constitution would be a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist and shape into any form they please".
Yet another guy who says Pete is 'best player in history of tennis' ->>>not 'might be'.>>>
Tennis needs a character like him today. Some say Safin comes close,>>>but I don't see it. Goran was far more consistent player & wittier....>>
Goran = consistent?>> Goran = wittier?>
Yes. Safin seems to be a consistent 1sr rd loser.
Safin seems to be having the best year of all ATP players. By your own criteria. By mine too.. Who cares about all these barcelonas and miamis. If he loses all first rounds and then peaks by RG time, a la Myskina, those first round losses could be considered a pinnacle of tennis wisdom..
Yet another guy who says Pete is 'best player in history of tennis' ->>>>not 'might be'.>>>>
Tennis needs a character like him today. Some say Safin comes close,>>>>but I don't see it. Goran was far more consistent player & wittier....>>>
Goran = consistent?>>> Goran = wittier?>>
Yes. Safin seems to be a consistent 1sr rd loser.
Safin seems to be having the best year of all ATP players. By your own >criteria. By mine too.. Who cares about all these barcelonas and miamis. If >he loses all first rounds and then peaks by RG time, a la Myskina, those >first round losses could be considered a pinnacle of tennis wisdom..
Did I read that right? You are linking "Safin" and "tennis wisdom" in the same proposition?
-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Man! I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!" --Sawfish
If Safin didnt win a slam for 5 years, why would he win two in a row? What evidence is there that Safin has changed in 2005? He has always played well at AO only this time he was fortunate enough to win it (after a rather lucky escape against Rochus mind you).
If Safin didnt win a slam for 5 years, why would he win two in a row?> What evidence is there that Safin has changed in 2005? He has always played> well at AO only this time he was fortunate enough to win it (after a rather> lucky escape against Rochus mind you).>
Basically Sampras applied himself more to the art of winning by> using the few shots he had to great effect?
Yes, eg, if it's russia vs. the usa, i'd rather have 20 nukes and nothing else than a broad assortment of many other kinds of weapons...
-- "if federal judges have the final word over its meaning, the Constitution would be a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist and shape into any form they please".
On 2005-04-28, Whisper <beaver999@ozemail.com.au> wrote:>> Googles wrote:>>
Goran considers Federer more talented though.>>>
Me too, but Sampras was a better tennis player & would beat Fed in 3 or >> 4 sets everytime at peak..>>
Mac is more talented than anyone, but not the best.>>
Basically Sampras applied himself more to the art of winning by>using the few shots he had to great effect?
Mac was fun to watch, and a talented player, but what, exactly were his talents?
1) serve 2) net reflexes/anticipation 3) will to win
While he was an excellent *touch* baseline rallier, I doubt that any of his contenporaries lived in terror of either his forehand or his backhand. Rather, they feared him approaching at the first possible moment, and this tended to let him dictate the point. Footspeed and stamina were good, but not in the first tier.
Sampras had:
1) serve 2) forehand 3) overhead 4) will to win
Very good footspeed and decent volleying, though again, not first tier. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sawfish: A totally unreconstructed elasmobranch. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whisper" <beaver999@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message> GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, that's maybe only thing I can regret in my> career. But to be No. 2 behind Pete Sampras, for me that's biggest honor> because he is the best player in the history of tennis. And that year> when I was No. 2, he won three Grand Slams,
