Best non number 1 in the top 5

[timnz]

Who do people rate as the best player ever never to make number 1?

Vilas (yes i think he should have been number 1), stich, mecir, murray, roche, ivanesivic??

Some think that stich was the most talented (ask sampras), though i preferred to watch mecir.

[BobbyOne]

Originally Posted by timnz

Who do people rate as the best player ever never to make number 1?

Vilas (yes i think he should have been number 1), stich, mecir, murray, roche, ivanesivic??

Some think that stich was the most talented (ask sampras), though i preferred to watch mecir.

One of the group Nüsslein, Kovacs, Segura, Sedgman, Gimeno and Roche.

In my opinion Vilas was Co. No1 in 1977.

Murray? Too soon to rank.

[Vcore89]

Andrea Jaeger? Anyone?

[jean pierre]

Vilas wasn't n°1 in the ATP ranking, which was totally absurd. He is obviously the real n°1 in 1977.
So I think the real best player which was never n°1 is maybe Murray. But don't forget Gerulaitis, too.

[pc1]

Originally Posted by timnz

Who do people rate as the best player ever never to make number 1?

Vilas (yes i think he should have been number 1), stich, mecir, murray, roche, ivanesivic??

Some think that stich was the most talented (ask sampras), though i preferred to watch mecir.

Roche won the French Open and challenged Laver even in 1969. He won least 45 tournaments in his career. He had excellent groundies, a top serve and a super volley. So I guess I would go with Tony Roche of the players you mentioned.

Incidentally timnz I think Mecir was more talented than Stich. A lot of people felt Mecir was the most talented player in tennis when he played. Stich was super talented also and you have to respect that Sampras feared him.

[Wilander Fan]

I always though Andres Gomez was number 1 material and was maybe one fitness coach away from being in the elite. Big serve, rock solid off the ground, great 1hb and a decent forehand. If he was a little bit faster or a little bit more aggressive, he would have made a key breakthrough much earlier in his career.

[pc1]

Originally Posted by Wilander Fan

I always though Andres Gomez was number 1 material and was maybe one fitness coach away from being in the elite. Big serve, rock solid off the ground, great 1hb and a decent forehand. If he was a little bit faster or a little bit more aggressive, he would have made a key breakthrough much earlier in his career.

That's a good choice. Actually since you mentioned Andres Gomez it reminds me that Andres Gimeno would also be a very good choice here. He won a lot of tournaments in the Old Pro Tour against the likes of Laver, Rosewall and Gonzalez and he won the French Open.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Vcore89

Andrea Jaeger? Anyone?

Mandlikova and Goolagong were more talented, although I liked Jaeger´s game.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by Wilander Fan

I always though Andres Gomez was number 1 material and was maybe one fitness coach away from being in the elite. Big serve, rock solid off the ground, great 1hb and a decent forehand. If he was a little bit faster or a little bit more aggressive, he would have made a key breakthrough much earlier in his career.

A decent FH? just Lendl and Arias can compare with it during the 80´s...

[pc1]

Originally Posted by kiki

Mandlikova and Goolagong were more talented, although I liked Jaeger´s game.

Yes but Goolagong was number one at one point in 1976. It was discovered many years later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evonne_Goolagong

Goolagong is to me number one all time among the women in movement and smoothness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5qIbLLaYgg

[Vcore89]

Originally Posted by kiki

Mandlikova and Goolagong were more talented, although I liked Jaeger´s game.

Jaeger couldn't care less (or more) attitude is quite what sets her apart in her brief but relatively successful career.

[BTURNER]

Hana of the open era women. Won 4 majors on three surfaces and was a two time finalist at the major she did not win and multiple wins over GOAT candidates Evert and Navratilova in majors in their peak or close to peak years and was one of only three women to beat them back to back to win a major. The other two did reach number 1.

[Limpinhitter]

Michael Chang

[boredone3456]

Originally Posted by kiki

Mandlikova and Goolagong were more talented, although I liked Jaeger´s game.

Goolgagong did reach number one albeit for 2 weeks. It was discovered many years after thefact that a mistake was made and she was acknowledged as having reached the top spot.

For the women: Mandlikova, Sabatini, Wade
Men: Roche, Vilas... I hold off on Murray as he has yet to win a major and still has time to get to number 1 anyway.

[Vcore89]

Becker almost made it to the Best Top 5 without being rank number 1. However, he finally got to number one for 12 weeks in 1991.

[Vcore89]

Michael Chang was winning quite a bit of tourneys in the 90s except the slams (since his singular RG title) therefore constantly buoying him to the number 2 spot for quite some time in the mid 90s.

[Vcore89]

Sergi Brugera too is right up there but couldn't quite get to the number one spot (but Muster did).

[Limpinhitter]

Originally Posted by Vcore89

Becker almost made it to the Best Top 5 without being rank number 1. However, he finally got to number one for 12 weeks in 1991.

That's if you go by ATP rankings. In 1989, World Tennis Magazine rejected the ATP's rankings and ranked Becker #1 after winning Wimbledon, the USO and the Davis Cup for Germany, declaring Becker to be #1 on the cover.

[Vcore89]

Originally Posted by Limpinhitter

That's if you go by ATP rankings. In 1989, World Tennis Magazine rejected the ATP's rankings and ranked Becker #1 after winning Wimbledon, the USO and the Davis Cup for Germany, declaring Becker to be #1 on the cover.

I was aware of Becker himself saying it before it ever got to press. But it was an odd one in terms of rankings at those times.

[kiki]

Originally Posted by BTURNER

Hana of the open era women. Won 4 majors on three surfaces and was a two time finalist at the major she did not win and multiple wins over GOAT candidates Evert and Navratilova in majors in their peak or close to peak years and was one of only three women to beat them back to back to win a major. The other two did reach number 1.

IMO, of all people I watched closely, men or female, playing this sport professionally, I just can´t think of a bigger underachiever ratio to talent than her...I mean, she won 4 big titles, just one less than Martina Hingis but her talent is just, plainly and simply, that of a GOAT...If mandlikova was a man, he would have toyed with the Murray.Mecir,Rios,Roche to a humilliating point- if He wished, of course, which was not the case-.