Ideal Semis OAT at Wimbledon?
 

I just saw a post about Laver and Newcombe at Wimbledon, and who was better at his peak.

Federer just won his 17th major there, tying Sampras with seven each.

So I started thinking about the best grass-courters of all time playing there in the semis.

Who would you pick?





I'd take Fed, Sampras, Laver, and maybe Gonzales or Hoad. But Tilden was also a great grass-courter, and Borg.

You have to consider Jack Kramer, John McEnroe, Becker and Edberg also.

Are we talking about peak level because Kramer and McEnroe would clearly be top choices. Vines would be considered also.

If we're talking about top level for one match you may have to pick Lew Hoad. Huge serve and volley, huge returns, speed and stamina. It's ironic you made this thread because I was sending an all time grass court draw I made to someone.

Maybe we need to make it bigger, like 1/8 or 1/4.. its hard to pick 4 :)

Okay, let's open it up to the quarters to make it more fun.

Also, yes, assume totally open tennis and pick peak level year for each player.

Laver--1967
Hoad--1959
Fed--2006
Sampras--1994
Gonzales--1958
Tilden--1921
Borg-1979
Vines-1932

McEnroe 1984
Borg-1979
Sampras-1995
Kramer-1948
Hoad-1959
Gonzalez-1956?
Laver-1967
Rosewall-1962

Others
Tilden-1921
Vines-1932
Newcombe-First half of 1974
Connors-1976 (Thought he was better than 1974)
Becker
Edberg
This is for old grass

New grass
Federer-2006
Nadal-2010
Djokovic-2011
Hewitt-??
Roddick-2003

I would love to see this draw :

Pete Sampras vs Lew Hoad
Pancho Gonzalez vs Bjorn Borg
Rod Laver vs Boris Becker
Ken Rosewall vs Roger Federer

pc1,

I agree with your lists.

Not for peak years but regarding the whole career of the players I would rank Laver, Sampras, Rosewall and Gonzalez.

It's tough to take anything away from sampras on grass... He at his peak was near unbeatable on grass comparable with Borg/Nadal on clay...

Sampras
 

1999 wasnt sampras' peak year as a player but it was his peak appearance at wimbledon. Hard to know if 2004 or2009 was roddicks peak year at wimbledon. Have to agree with the dates you have used as players peak years. Possibly 1963 for rosewall, but yesn1962 was very strong too.

I think I'd like this quarter-final line-up, all at their peak of course:

Federer-McEnroe
Borg-Rosewall
Laver-Connors
Sampras-Gonzales

Borg v Laver

Sampras V Federer

All at their peak.............3 who dominated Wimbledon in their time and one who was kept out but could have done the same in the 60s.

I made a minor error. Should have wrote 1994 for Sampras since it was his best year.

Thought Rosewall had a little stronger year in 1962. Better winning percentages and he won two of two majors played. It's hard to past up a year where Rosewall won the Pro Grand Slam so you're right, 1963 would also be an excellent choice.