Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Lobb
Whoa, don't get carried away.
But since you ask, here it goes.
Amateur rankings:
1953: 1) Hoad 2) Trabert 3) Rosewall 4) Seixas
Key to this is the hth between Hoad and Trabert (2 and 0 for Hoad), and Rosewall (5 and 0 for Hoad, wow!), and the Davis Cup final (Tingay does not include the Cup play in his rankings) (there is a point in the first set against Seixas where Hoad hits a strong groundstroke and Seixas underestimates the power, and is actually knocked off his feet)
Following the 1953 season, Kramer offered a contract to only ONE amateur player, Hoad, to play against himself in 1954. Hoad stated that he wanted to win Wimbledon twice before turning pro. Some prophecy.
1954: 1) Drobny 2) Seixas 3) Trabert
1955: 1) Trabert 2) Hoad (based on Davis Cup, despite Tingay) 3) Rosewall
1956: 1) Hoad 2) Rosewall
Pro rankings:
1957: 1) Gonzales 2) Sedgman 3) Rosewall
1958: 1) Hoad 2) Gonzales 3) Rosewall 4) Sedgman 5) Trabert
1959: 1) Hoad 2) Gonzales 3) Rosewall 4) Sedgman 5) Trabert
1960: 1) Gonzales 2) Rosewall 3) Hoad
1961: 1) Rosewall 2) Gonzales 3) Hoad
1962: 1) Rosewall 2) Hoad
1963: 1) Rosewall 2) Hoad 3) Laver
I believe that these are very fair and objective rankings, based upon a very sober consideration of available data.
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Dan, thanks for the rankings. For some years I can agree.
But for other years I doubt that you ranked in a sober way. Maybe you have drunk a bit...
1953: I disagree even although Tingay did not consider Davis Cup and despite of Hoad's excellent hths.
1955: Hoad ahead of Rosewall? Have you found this on the bottom of your wine glass?
1958: Hoad ahead of Gonzalez: Your very own kind of rankings....
1963: Hoad ahead of Laver? You are the only expert to rank that way.
Now I begin to understand why you consider Hoad so high. Because he was No.1 or 2 for many, many years...