Will there ever be another lefty vs. lefty GS final

[Tammo]

Sort of an odd question, but the last lefty all final was 2005 RG. Nadal would have to be one player but who is the other. IMO the most likely chance for it to happen soon would be Nadal vs Lopez at Wimbledon. lopez has gotten to 3 quarter finals there and beat A-rod there last year.

Thoughts?

[stringertom]

Fiasco, if he grows mentally. That's a big IF!

[kishnabe]

Verdasco Nadal final would be disgusting. There are no great Lefties currently other than Nadal.

[Mustard]

They don't happen that often.

All left-hander major men's singles finals in the open era
1968 Wimbledon: Rod Laver def. Tony Roche (6-3, 6-4, 6-2)
1969 US Open: Rod Laver def. Tony Roche (7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2)
1975 US Open: Manuel Orantes def. Jimmy Connors (6-4, 6-3, 6-3)
1977 Australian Open (January): Roscoe Tanner def. Guillermo Vilas (6-3, 6-3, 6-3)
1977 US Open: Guillermo Vilas def. Jimmy Connors (2-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-0)
1982 Wimbledon: Jimmy Connors def. John McEnroe (3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4)
1984 Wimbledon: John McEnroe def. Jimmy Connors (6-1, 6-1, 6-2)
1998 Australian Open: Petr Korda def. Marcelo Rios (6-2, 6-2, 6-2)
2005 French Open: Rafael Nadal def. Mariano Puerta (6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5)

[stringertom]

Originally Posted by Mustard

They don't happen that often.

All left-hander major men's singles finals in the open era
1968 Wimbledon: Rod Laver def. Tony Roche (6-3, 6-4, 6-2)
1969 US Open: Rod Laver def. Tony Roche (7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2)
1975 US Open: Manuel Orantes def. Jimmy Connors (6-4, 6-3, 6-3)
1977 Australian Open (January): Roscoe Tanner def. Guillermo Vilas (6-3, 6-3, 6-3)
1977 US Open: Guillermo Vilas def. Jimmy Connors (2-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-0)
1982 Wimbledon: Jimmy Connors def. John McEnroe (3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4)
1984 Wimbledon: John McEnroe def. Jimmy Connors (6-1, 6-1, 6-2)
1998 Australian Open: Petr Korda def. Marcelo Rios (6-2, 6-2, 6-2)
2005 French Open: Rafael Nadal def. Mariano Puerta (6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5)

Thanks, Mustard! Many of these were one-sided, except for '82Wimby...on my Top 10 Matches Ever list.

[jokinla]

At some point yes, but no chance Verdasco makes it in their, and not much better odds for FLo.

[stringertom]

Originally Posted by jokinla

At some point yes, but no chance Verdasco makes it in their, and not much better odds for FLo.

He was right there @AO three years ago vs Ralph...that match is also in my top 10 ever. He's two years younger than Delicioso. He has the game, just needs to find the mental keys. It will have to happen soon...28 and counting.

[TopFH]

In the next 50 years, yes.

[nadal_slam_king]

Nadal is actually right-handed. But he does play tennis left-handed, true.

[roysid]

As stated, for it to happen there should be two left handed top players like Connors/Mcenroe or Roche/laver.

I can't see Verdasco/belluci/mulzer able to reach slam finals.

[Andres]

I believe there's a bigger chance of Feliciano Lopez reaching the Wimbledon final than Verdasco being runner-up at the French.

[Cup8489]

Originally Posted by nadal_slam_king

Nadal is actually right-handed. But he does play tennis left-handed, true.

Why even post this? common knowledge, didn't need to be said.

[jokinla]

Originally Posted by stringertom

He was right there @AO three years ago vs Ralph...that match is also in my top 10 ever. He's two years younger than Delicioso. He has the game, just needs to find the mental keys. It will have to happen soon...28 and counting.

Unfortunately he's nowhere near the player now that he was then, he would have to drastically change things to get back there, and of course that time was before Djoker 2.0, back then he just had Nadal and Fed to worry about, now he's got Djoker as well, so even if he got back to that level, he's got another big gun to get by, not gonna happen.

[stringertom]

Originally Posted by jokinla

Unfortunately he's nowhere near the player now that he was then, he would have to drastically change things to get back there, and of course that time was before Djoker 2.0, back then he just had Nadal and Fed to worry about, now he's got Djoker as well, so even if he got back to that level, he's got another big gun to get by, not gonna happen.

We agree...my first post said "IF" in caps for a reason. But nothing is impossible...in a so-called "stronger" era, we had Korda and T Johansson win majors. My probability scale goes...Verdasco @ AO/USO, Lopez @ Wimby, not anytime soon. Who knows? Maybe Bellucci channels his Madrid '11 form, gets in the top half of the RG draw, finishes Djok and finals vs Ralph.

[jokinla]

Originally Posted by stringertom

We agree...my first post said "IF" in caps for a reason. But nothing is impossible...in a so-called "stronger" era, we had Korda and T Johansson win majors. My probability scale goes...Verdasco @ AO/USO, Lopez @ Wimby, not anytime soon. Who knows? Maybe Bellucci channels his Madrid '11 form, gets in the top half of the RG draw, finishes Djok and finals vs Ralph.

Precisely why the ones that say this is a weak era, are just morons.

[elpolaco84]

the thing is: will there ever be another GREAT lefty vs GREAT lefty GS final? like laver-roche connors-Mcenroe, Vilas-connors,etc

[jokinla]

Originally Posted by elpolaco84

the thing is: will there ever be another GREAT lefty vs GREAT lefty GS final? like laver-roche connors-Mcenroe, Vilas-connors,etc

Of course there will, who knows when, but it'll happen. Rafa's decision to play lefty, even though he's right handed, will surely inspire others to do the same.

[elpolaco84]

Originally Posted by jokinla

Of course there will, who knows when, but it'll happen. Rafa's decision to play lefty, even though he's right handed, will surely inspire others to do the same.

yeah, i hope so, but it's been almost 30yrs and counting(wimbledon1984 mcenroe vs connors) sin we saw 2 great leftys in a GS final
i also hope we don't have to wait 20 years or more to see one of that kind again

[mary fierce]

Lefthanders are about 10 percent of the general population. If they are proportionally represented among top tennis pros, the chance of two of them meeting in a final would be 1 in 100, or one GS final about every 25 years. The true odds may be a little better if we surmise that lefthanders may have some advantage because they present a less familiar game to other players.

[stringertom]

I wasn't aware the ratio was so low in the general population, but with a minor Google search I also found an interesting theory put forth by scientists that lefties may be often the sole surviving fetus of twins in the uterus. When both twins survive to term, apparently there is a high rate of lefty/righty mates. Bryan Bros.? Wonder if Fed girls will turn out that way too?

BTW, I am naturally lefty and was a huge baby at birth...a 1/4 oz. shy of 10 lbs. My mom was tiny...5'2"/110 lbs. Those facts may help support the above-mentioned theory. Unfortunately, my older brother was righty and my first learned sport was baseball, with the aid of his hand-me-down glove for the left hand. While I still write lefty (and type with the left index finger), I play all sports righty. A reverse Ralph, no?