Sampras' 1998 Season

McEnroeisanartist · 10-22-2012, 08:08 AM

I just noticed how weak Sampras' 1998 season was even though he finished the year #1. He was 61-17 (78%), 4 tournament wins from 7 finals.

Federer had 5 years (2003, 2008, 2010-2012) where he finished #2 or #3 that were better than Sampras' year.

Carsomyr · 10-22-2012, 08:38 AM

The competition and his performance that year may have been weak compared to his other seasons, but he did what he had to to get number #1 and set an Open Era record. He deserves a lot of credit for attempting and successfully breaking the record.

Carsomyr · 10-22-2012, 08:44 AM

I also wouldn't call a season where Federer went without a major superior to a season where Sampras did. Obviously, there are factors to consider other than majors, but Federer's 2011 was hardly better than Sampras' 1998 by any stretch of the imagination.

TMF · 10-22-2012, 08:44 AM

It's not a coincidence that during the late 90s Kafelnikov, Rios, Rafter and Moya were considered a weak #1. These players would never be #1 in Roger's era.

I find it funny that Sampras fans even try to counter the weak/strong argument when it's clear that Sampras had a weaker field.

McEnroeisanartist · 10-22-2012, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carsomyr

I also wouldn't call a season where Federer went without a major superior to a season where Sampras did. Obviously, there are factors to consider other than majors, but Federer's 2011 was hardly better than Sampras' 1998 by any stretch of the imagination.

Yes, I would give you that. Okay Federer clearly had 4 seasons better than Sampras' 1998 Season where was number 2 then. 2003, 2008, 2010, and 2012.

Gizo · 10-22-2012, 09:27 AM

After McEnroe's 1982, I think that Sampras's 1998 is probably the weakest ever season put together by a year end no. 1 since the ATP ranking computer was created in 1973.

I'm not even sure Sampras was the best player that year. I would probably give it to Rafter, due to his superior title haul (he won 1 slam, 2 super 9 titles and 3 other titles, as opposed to Sampras's 1 slam, 0 super 9 titles and 3 other titles). Plus he beat Sampras in both their matches that year, their Cincinnati final and US Open semi-final.

Had Rios won his Australian Open final against Korda and not played so pathetically, then 1998 would have been his year.

Sampras played subpar tennis for most of that season. Ivanisevic really should have beaten him in the Wimbledon final I felt. His best tennis probably came when he won the Vienna title during his gruelling European indoor season, especially his QF demolition of Henman. Of course he was lucky to be even playing at that event in the first place, as Becker donated his wildcard to him.

If an active player did that for Federer, Nadal or Djokovic, imagine how heavily they would be criticised.

90's Clay · 10-22-2012, 09:40 AM

It was a weak year by Pete's standards..But lets not kid ourselves to call the era "weak".

When a guy can miss half the year (Nadal) and still keep a top 4 ranking.. What the hell does that say about today's era?

Rafter being at #1 in the world isn't all that bad. He was one hell of a player in his prime (whipped on Roger more times then not) And if most guys today had to play vs. Rafter under faster conditions, they would be facing an uphill battle too

Carsomyr · 10-22-2012, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90's Clay

It was a weak year by Pete's standards..But lets not kid ourselves to call the era "weak".

When a guy can miss half the year (Nadal) and still keep a top 4 ranking.. What the hell does that say about today's era?

Rafter being at #1 in the world isn't all that bad. He was one hell of a player in his prime (whipped on Roger more times then not)

Sampras missed two majors in 1999 and played only one more tournament than Rafa has thus far and ended the year ranked #3.

10-22-2012, 09:49 AM

Sampras won tournaments on all surfaces in 1999, carpet, hards, grass, huge tournaments on both carpet and grass. Maybe he didnt win one on clay. Nadal not only missed half the year but didnt win a tournament outside of clay.

abmk · 10-22-2012, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NadalAgassi

Sampras won tournaments on all surfaces in 1999, carpet, hards, grass, huge tournaments on both carpet and grass. Maybe he didnt win one on clay. Nadal not only missed half the year but didnt win a tournament outside of clay.

nadal made the finals of the AO, sampras was out in 3R of the FO .....

W,F,2R, DNP is still by by some distance better than W,3R,DNP,DNP .....

sampras was 40-8 in 1999 ...
nadal 42-6 in 2012 ...

so nadal's better there too ...

sampras' has two things in his favour though - the YEC and one more title ....

still that proves another fail from 90s clay aka gamesampras ....

abmk · 10-22-2012, 10:10 AM

fed's 2003,2008,10 and 12 were/are superior to sampras' 98 and he ended them all ( will probably end 12 ) at #2 ....

djoker's 2008 was superior to sampras' 98 as well and he ended it no 3 ....

Gizo · 10-22-2012, 10:20 AM

Ferrero and Agassi's 2003 seasons when they finished at world no. 3 and world no. 4 respectively were both better than Sampras's 1998 as well.

Gonzalito17 · 10-22-2012, 10:22 AM

Rios should have been #1 in 98 but he botched the second half of 98 though he did win the Grand Slam Cup vs. Agassi in Munich for over a million bucks.

TheFifthSet · 10-22-2012, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMF

It's not a coincidence that during the late 90s Kafelnikov, Rios, Rafter and Moya were considered a weak #1. These players would never be #1 in Roger's era.

I find it funny that Sampras fans even try to counter the weak/strong argument when it's clear that Sampras had a weaker field.

The field from '98-'02 wasn't something to write home about, but '90-'97 was pretty darn good competition, incredibly good actually.

Gizo · 10-22-2012, 10:43 AM

Rios could have regained the world no. 1 from Sampras in November 1998, had he won his home tournament at Santiago. However he lost his quarter-final against the world no. 88 Juan Antonio Marin from Costa Rica.

It was painful seeing Rios choke year after after in Chile and fail to win his home title in 9 attempts. 7 out of his 9 defeats there came against players ranked outside the top 50, and a lot of the players who beat him in Chile never beat him anywhere else.

Cormorant · 10-25-2012, 05:06 PM

1998 was weak by his standards, but I imagine the mental strain of being king was wearing on him by that point. And if Agassi had bothered to play matches with a scintilla of effort in the autumn of 1995, he would have been a runaway #1 that season; unless there's some injury I'm not aware of, withstanding that to his self-esteem following the USO loss.

vive le beau jeu ! · 10-27-2012, 03:56 AM

it was a big effort from him to play a long european indoor season (7 events !) to finish #1 for a 6th consecutive year... and he did it !
too bad it ended on a disappointing note with this loss against corretja at the masters.

he had to pay the price for this effort i guess, as he didn't play the AO in january 1999 (kafelnikov thanked him for that !) and had a relatively poor season until the grass swing, when he went on a good streak, winning 4 straight tournaments (beating agassi 3 times without losing a single set).
and then... injury again (retirement vs. vince ain't afraid of ya spadea in indianapolis).

rafter's summer in 1998 was amazing, by the way.

Sabratha · 10-31-2012, 07:15 AM

1998 was the start of Sampras' decline.

Carsomyr · 10-31-2012, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFifthSet

The field from '98-'02 wasn't something to write home about, but '90-'97 was pretty darn good competition, incredibly good actually.

1997 was far from incredible. Rafter, the year-end world #2, only won a single title that year. The fact that Bjorkman, a doubles specialist, never finished higher than #24 at any other time in his career was in the top 5 is also telling.

Gonzalito17 · 11-07-2012, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gizo

Rios could have regained the world no. 1 from Sampras in November 1998, had he won his home tournament at Santiago. However he lost his quarter-final against the world no. 88 Juan Antonio Marin from Costa Rica.

It was painful seeing Rios choke year after after in Chile and fail to win his home title in 9 attempts. 7 out of his 9 defeats there came against players ranked outside the top 50, and a lot of the players who beat him in Chile never beat him anywhere else.

Gizo, Rios choked four finals in Chile, in the book about Rios, just came out this year, Jaime Fillol, the tourney director said Rios was up a set and 4-2 with points to go up 5-2 but blew the game and then became nervous and choked the match away. This was against David Sanchez of all people. Rios was a marvelous talent but for some odd reason he played poorly in his home country.

You have to think the ATp and ITF powers that be did not want Rios as the face of the sport lodged in the #1 ranking. I bet that negative pressure affected Rios also in that match against Marin.

10-22-2012, 08:44 AM	#4
TMF G.O.A.T. Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 13,951	It's not a coincidence that during the late 90s Kafelnikov, Rios, Rafter and Moya were considered a weak #1. These players would never be #1 in Roger's era. I find it funny that Sampras fans even try to counter the weak/strong argument when it's clear that Sampras had a weaker field. __________________ NadalAgassi: I think Serena's final slam tally will be something from 18-27. My best guess is 24 or 25 though; Nole(2010) will never win Wimbledon

10-22-2012, 09:27 AM	#6
Gizo Professional Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 1,054	After McEnroe's 1982, I think that Sampras's 1998 is probably the weakest ever season put together by a year end no. 1 since the ATP ranking computer was created in 1973. I'm not even sure Sampras was the best player that year. I would probably give it to Rafter, due to his superior title haul (he won 1 slam, 2 super 9 titles and 3 other titles, as opposed to Sampras's 1 slam, 0 super 9 titles and 3 other titles). Plus he beat Sampras in both their matches that year, their Cincinnati final and US Open semi-final. Had Rios won his Australian Open final against Korda and not played so pathetically, then 1998 would have been his year. Sampras played subpar tennis for most of that season. Ivanisevic really should have beaten him in the Wimbledon final I felt. His best tennis probably came when he won the Vienna title during his gruelling European indoor season, especially his QF demolition of Henman. Of course he was lucky to be even playing at that event in the first place, as Becker donated his wildcard to him. If an active player did that for Federer, Nadal or Djokovic, imagine how heavily they would be criticised. Last edited by Gizo : 10-22-2012 at 09:33 AM.

10-22-2012, 09:40 AM	#7
90's Clay Hall Of Fame Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 2,542	It was a weak year by Pete's standards..But lets not kid ourselves to call the era "weak". When a guy can miss half the year (Nadal) and still keep a top 4 ranking.. What the hell does that say about today's era? Rafter being at #1 in the world isn't all that bad. He was one hell of a player in his prime (whipped on Roger more times then not) And if most guys today had to play vs. Rafter under faster conditions, they would be facing an uphill battle too Last edited by 90's Clay : 10-22-2012 at 09:43 AM.

10-22-2012, 10:10 AM	#11
abmk G.O.A.T. Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: India Posts: 11,801	fed's 2003,2008,10 and 12 were/are superior to sampras' 98 and he ended them all ( will probably end 12 ) at #2 .... djoker's 2008 was superior to sampras' 98 as well and he ended it no 3 .... __________________ Becker,Edberg and Sampras would baggel him ( federer ) on fast indoor or grass more often than not. - the one and only kiki

10-22-2012, 10:22 AM	#13
Gonzalito17 Professional Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Bradenton, FL Posts: 1,071	Rios should have been #1 in 98 but he botched the second half of 98 though he did win the Grand Slam Cup vs. Agassi in Munich for over a million bucks. __________________ Dolgopolov Marcelo Rios Volkl Yonex NB atptour.com Guga Djokovic Radwanska Serena Bradenton Tennis-prose.com Woz Tomic BBaker Fred Perry Key Biscayne