underrated player number 4

[kiki]

After Newk and Kodes in 70's and Kriek in 80's I needed my last underratedfrom 80's
We have 2 decades perspective so it gives us time to have an objective look backwards
I thought of Pecci but since my formet ur players won slam titles
I decided to go with Gomez
We all saw how he destroyed Agassi at RG and Muster and Teltscher in his 2 Rome winsAlso won twice at the prestihious Barcelona ccOpen and was a fix in the top ten from 82 to 90
He was not fast but had great net touch and reach, fantastic slice and topspin BH and a big serve using his height...all of that topped or overshadowed by a fh that rivalized Lendl's
Watched him enough times live to affirm his FH is top ten ever without any doubt
Great guy, nice and shy
What are your memories? Remember his great USO match vs Connors?

[kiki]

Gomez was mainly a cc specialist
But he also won a couple of indoor titles at Denver and non WCT Dallas if I recall properly, he had all the shots but did not move well enough to excel on fast turf

[robow7]

I thought he only beat Agassi at the FO final because AA was being forced to hold onto his toupee

[hoodjem]

Originally Posted by robow7

I thought he only beat Agassi at the FO final because AA was being forced to hold onto his toupee

Oui, oui!!!

[pc1]

Originally Posted by robow7

I thought he only beat Agassi at the FO final because AA was being forced to hold onto his toupee

Originally Posted by hoodjem

Oui, oui!!!

When I first read that I thought this seems like something out of a comedy in which the plot was so absurd that it wasn't believable. Yet it was apparently true.

Gomez entered the French that year because Lendl was preparing for Wimbledon. He figured Lendl was his biggest obstacle. He was a terrific player. I saw him beat up on Yannick Noah at the Tournament of Champions one year in Forest Hills. He attacked the Noah backhand mercilessly. Excellent player.

[Xavier G]

Andres Gomez. Solid player for most of the 1980's, kiki. I rated him as one of the best clay courters back then. Regular quarter-finalist at Roland Garros, semi's sometimes. won Rome twice, true clay court specialist, could play on the hard courts too. I always saw him as a safe bet to reach the last 8 in Paris and New York in his best years. Him and Connors had a five set ding-dong at Flushing Meadow in 81, I think. Big solid left hander, Gomez. Saw Connors beat him indoors at Wembley.
Lendl had the game to dominate Gomez, so Andres took his chance to win the French in 1990, beating a young Andre Agassi. Kind of glad Gomez won a Major in the end.

[Pebbles10]

Did Wilander had any problem with him?

[robow7]

I heard Gomez say after a young AA beat him in a clay tourney shortly before that FO, that Andre had made a rookie mistake and showed Gomez his best stuff and his likely game plan too soon when he should have kept something back for the bigger tourney ahead.