SI's Bud Collins article on GOAT

[FedSampras]

In the August 2004 issue of Sports Illustrated, Bud Collins wrote an intriguing article on the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time. Collins does exactly what most of us do here...he pits players, the best of the women and the best of the men, of differing eras and places them at the US OPEN, at their best (primes) pitted against one another from quaterfinals to eventual champion......a sort of champions of all time US OPEN.....

His results?

the men's final winner, is ofcourse, Rod Laver, defeating Sampras, 3-6,7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5.......

the women' final winner, is ofcourse, Monica Seles, defeating Chris Evert, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6.........


It is a really fun article, really lighthearted. And yes, Collins does pit Monica vs Graff in the semifinals, with Monica as the victor. he also writes that Monica "might have been the greatest had she not been stabbed"....

It's a really fun article, but GraFans definitely won't be happy.......

But it is fun reading, especially for Evert, Laver, Seles, and Sampras fans.....

[CEvertFan]

Who was Evert's SF opponent?

[suwanee4712]

Sounds similar to the one that Ted Tinling did shorty before he died in 1990. I think it was in "World Tennis" magazine. I don't remember who his winners were. But he saw an awful lot of tennis during his time.

He also rated the top 20 or so players that he saw on their serve, forehand, backhand, volleys, overhead, and what he called their tennis brain. The only thing that stands out to me on those ratings was he gave Billie Jean King a 6 out of 10 on her tennis brain. I couldn't believe it. But his other ratings made a lot of sense to me.

Given Teddy's love for drama and flare, it's too bad that he passed before he saw Monica reach her peak as a tennis player and entertainer. He would've loved her.

[obanaghan]

I have to take exception to Every losing 7-6 in the third. Playing Seles she would either have won comfortably like in 89 at the US Open or she might have won a three setter but not a 7-6 third set. Seles was either on or off and if she was really on Chris would be gone in 40 minutes even on the slowest red clay they could find. If she was off Chris would dash out but I can't see Seles at 50% she rarely blew matches, rarely made strings of errors like Venus. She would get down 5-1 to Maleeva type people and then wake up and slam the door shut. I can't see Seles-Evert that close at their peaks they are not matched up like that. Bothe of their strenghths expose the other's weaknesses but I would have to think the score would be more uneven.

[ATPballkid]

Originally Posted by FedSampras

In the August 2004 issue of Sports Illustrated, Bud Collins wrote an intriguing article on the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time. Collins does exactly what most of us do here...he pits players, the best of the women and the best of the men, of differing eras and places them at the US OPEN, at their best (primes) pitted against one another from quaterfinals to eventual champion......a sort of champions of all time US OPEN.....

His results?



the women' final winner, is ofcourse, Monica Seles, defeating Chris Evert, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6.........


It is a really fun article, really lighthearted. And yes, Collins does pit Monica vs Graff in the semifinals, with Monica as the victor. he also writes that Monica "might have been the greatest had she not been stabbed"....

I agree, of course, with Evert reaching the final round of this event with her 6 U.S. Open singles titles --- and I agree with Seles beating Graf in the semis and Evert in the final round because we saw what Seles was capabable of doing before the stabbing even as a teenager.

[ATPballkid]

Originally Posted by FedSampras

In the August 2004 issue of Sports Illustrated, Bud Collins wrote an intriguing article on the Greatest Tennis Players of All Time. Collins does exactly what most of us do here...he pits players, the best of the women and the best of the men, of differing eras and places them at the US OPEN, at their best (primes) pitted against one another from quaterfinals to eventual champion......a sort of champions of all time US OPEN.....

His results?

the men's final winner, is ofcourse, Rod Laver, defeating Sampras, 3-6,7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5.......

At their best -- and I mean TRULY at their best -- there are only 12 guys since World War II in the past 60 years who might have even stayed on the court with Sampras at his best -- chronologically:

Jack Kramer in the 1940s ...
Pancho Gonzales in the 1950s ...
Lew Hoad in the late 1950s ...
Ken Rosewall in the early to mid 1960s ...
Rod Laver in the late 1960s ...
John Newcombe in the early 1970s ...
Jimmy Connors in the mid 1970s ...
Bjorn Borg in the late 1970s and early 1980s ...
John McEnroe in the early 1980s ...
Ivan Lendl in the mid to late 1980s ...
Andre Agassi in the late 1990s and early 2000s ...
Roger Federer in the early to mid 2000s.

[Zimbo]

Originally Posted by ATPballkid

At their best -- and I mean TRULY at their best -- there are only 12 guys since World War II in the past 60 years who might have even stayed on the court with Sampras at his best -- chronologically:

Jack Kramer in the 1940s ...
Pancho Gonzales in the 1950s ...
Lew Hoad in the late 1950s ...
Ken Rosewall in the early to mid 1960s ...
Rod Laver in the late 1960s ...
John Newcombe in the early 1970s ...
Jimmy Connors in the mid 1970s ...
Bjorn Borg in the late 1970s and early 1980s ...
John McEnroe in the early 1980s ...
Ivan Lendl in the mid to late 1980s ...
Andre Agassi in the late 1990s and early 2000s ...
Roger Federer in the early to mid 2000s.

Good list, but I would add in a few others. For example, at their BEST Safin and Becker could hang with Pete. Also, it depends on the surface. There are many good clay courters (Muster, Nadal, Wilander, etc...) who would put the beat down on Pete on clay.

[CyBorg]

Bud Collins can eat ****. Put the greatest on the grass at Wimbledon or on the clay at Roland Garros and then decide.

[CEvertFan]

Originally Posted by CyBorg

Bud Collins can eat ****. Put the greatest on the grass at Wimbledon or on the clay at Roland Garros and then decide.

Aww lay off Bud. He may be a bit of a kook, but he sure knows a LOT about tennis.

[CyBorg]

Originally Posted by CEvertFan

Aww lay off Bud. He may be a bit of a kook, but he sure knows a LOT about tennis.

I know, but he's senile now.