[DMan]

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

Steffi could have become the greatest tennis player ever but a number of flaws prevent her ranking over the likes of Navratilova, Court, or Evert:

-Her major slump from 1990-1994, right in the middle of what should have been her prime.

I'd like to have a "major slump" for 5 years, the majority of which Steffi spent ranked #1.

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

Resulting in only 1 slam win in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, even with only Seles in 91 and 92 only as real competition.

Which of course begs the question, if Seles were Graf's only competition, just who was Seles' competition?!

As far as Graf "only" winning 1 major in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1994.....shows you how high she set the bar.....a year in which she "only" wins 1 major and maintains the #1 ranking is a ......."slump."

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

1993 she won 3 slams but only due to horrendous chokes by Fernandez in the French Open final and Novotna in the Wimbledon final, so it might as well have been only 1 that year too.

Might as well.....but it wasn't. Graf won 3 of the 4 majors in 1993. That's a fact - even though you doing a poor job trying to refute and change the facts.

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

She wasnt really in form even in 1993, losing multiple times to Sanchez early in the year,

Graf lost to Sanchez 2 in the first 5 months of the year (balanced by 3 wins. The first win was in the Miami final - a surprise win, but then again ASV was defending champ. The other ASV win was in Hamburg, 2 days after the stabbing. Graf was overcome with emotion at what happened. And of course she was the only player to take the time to visit Mons in hospital.

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

being spanked by Seles in the Australian Open final, getting spanked by Conchita Martinez on fast carpet late that year,

"Spanked by Seles in the Australian Open?
"Spanked by Martinez in Philadelphia (so you're criticizing Graf's first and only career loss to world #4 Martinez at the end of a Graf 46 match win streak? I guess that is another demonstration of Graf not being "in form"

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

losing a set to a Maleeva sister in the U.S Open semis,

Yeah, BAd Steffi lost the opening set 6-4, and came back to win 6-1,6-0. How horrible of her! And Maleeva was in the top 10. Does make you wonder how come Seles had to struggle to beat #143 Kijimuta in the 4R of the French in 1992?

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

and even losing to Nicole Provis-Bradkte late that year.

That was a Fed Cup loss. Not counted towards rankings. And played the week after Wimbeldon.

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

1988, 1989, 1995, and 1996 were her only great years of tennis.

-Her failure to gain the record at any of the 4 slam venues, or the overall slam record. That she failed to do this despite the advantage of the Seles stabbing is even more telling a mark against her.

This is a sickening comment. Because it upholds Seles as the standard bearer, when she was nothing of the kind. Because Seles missed a number of majors - which was her own fault - doesn't reflect poorly on Graf.

Court (Australian), Navratilova (Wimbledon), and Evert (French) had more more opportunities than Graf did to earn the most # of titles at those 3 majors.

And of course Graf had the audacity to win each major AT LEAST 4 times! Something no player has ever done!

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

-Worst of all her 4-1 record vs Navratilova at the U.S Open. Navratilova was out of her prime for 3 or 4 of those 5 matches, and Steffi in hers for 3 or 4 of the 5, making it an even more glaring flaw. This is also their most neutral meeting ground, carpet and grass favoring Martina, rebound ace and clay favoring Steffi.

Their US Open matchups were:
1985 SF (28 yo Martina vs 16 yo Steffi in her first ever major semi)
1986 SF (29 yo #1 Martina vs 17 yo Steffi.....thanks God Martina held on by a whisker to take that match)
1987 F 30 yo Martina upends recently new #1 Steffi
1989 Graf beats Navratilova comprehensively, winning 11 of the last 14 games.
1991 SF, 34 yo Martina stuns #1 Steffi 76,67,64 (in the worst match of Graf's career).

Martina was out of her prime in 1991. But who is to say she wasn't part of her prime in 1985-1989?

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

-Other than Seles in 91 and 92 facing no all time great in their primes when winning her slams from 1987 to 1999.

Am still wondering, since Graf faced no real competition other than Seles, just who was Mons competition. Surely you can't say MJ Fernandez, Novotna, Sanchez, and granny Navratilova.