bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
I was a huge Seles fan when she was playing. Obviously would have loved to see her career play out without the stabbing. I simply believe she would have won more Slams - though I really have no idea how many more. She missed 10 Slams post-stabbing. I think she would have won some of those. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to start a Graf-Seles debate at all - she could have won three (the Sanchez Vicario FO and USO wins, and the Pierce AO win) without affecting Graf at all. I do not rank her on GOAT lists based on anything other than the 9 she did win.
But, the point here isn't to focus on the the Slams she missed, but rather the Slams she played. So here we go. A couple of stats/impressions
She played 26 Slams post-stabbing. She made the QF or better in 20.
She won 1 Slam and was runner up in two more.
She lost to the champion 7 times
She lost to the champion or the runner up 13 times (a full 50% of Slams played).
And she had legit chances at more Slams - the 1995 USO, losing to Graf in three sets. Certainly the 1998 French Open where she beats Hingis (who was a huge thorn in her side) in the SFs, only to lose the final to ASV who she generally dominated. Even the 2000 French, where she went three sets with champion Pierce. But, it wasn't to be. Also, she missed the AO in 1997, 1998, and 2000 - too bad because that was probably her best Slam.
Over time, the fitness and loss of a step/movement, the fact that there was a lot of new players who could hit big and take the court away from her (plus Hingis who could move her and toy with her), and probably some confidence loss took their affect such that she didn't win Slams. I don't remember when "Fat/big Monica" started, but she was still in pretty good shape in the late 1990s. She lost a fair share of matches against good opponents after winning the first set
My big question - she had a solid year in 2002 in the Slams - SF, QF, QF, QF, and then nose dived in 2003. Why? She lost 2nd round AO and 1st round FO. And that was it for her career.
So, here's all the post-stabbing Slam results:
Bold and underlined means she lost to the champion, bold only means she lost to the runner up.
But, the point here isn't to focus on the the Slams she missed, but rather the Slams she played. So here we go. A couple of stats/impressions
She played 26 Slams post-stabbing. She made the QF or better in 20.
She won 1 Slam and was runner up in two more.
She lost to the champion 7 times
She lost to the champion or the runner up 13 times (a full 50% of Slams played).
And she had legit chances at more Slams - the 1995 USO, losing to Graf in three sets. Certainly the 1998 French Open where she beats Hingis (who was a huge thorn in her side) in the SFs, only to lose the final to ASV who she generally dominated. Even the 2000 French, where she went three sets with champion Pierce. But, it wasn't to be. Also, she missed the AO in 1997, 1998, and 2000 - too bad because that was probably her best Slam.
Over time, the fitness and loss of a step/movement, the fact that there was a lot of new players who could hit big and take the court away from her (plus Hingis who could move her and toy with her), and probably some confidence loss took their affect such that she didn't win Slams. I don't remember when "Fat/big Monica" started, but she was still in pretty good shape in the late 1990s. She lost a fair share of matches against good opponents after winning the first set
My big question - she had a solid year in 2002 in the Slams - SF, QF, QF, QF, and then nose dived in 2003. Why? She lost 2nd round AO and 1st round FO. And that was it for her career.
So, here's all the post-stabbing Slam results:
Bold and underlined means she lost to the champion, bold only means she lost to the runner up.
- 1995 USO F 6-7 6-0 3-6 Graf
- 1996 AO W 6-4 6-1 Huber
- 1996 FO QF 6-7 3-6 Novotna
- 1996 Wimb 2nd 5-7 7-5 4-6 Studenikova
- 1996 USO F 5-7, 4-6 Graf
- 1997 FO SF 7-6 5-7 4-6 Hingis
- 1997 Wimb 3rd 6-0 4-6 6-8 Testud
- 1997 USO QF 7-6 6-7 3-6 Spirlea
- 1998 FO F 6-7 6-0 2-6 Sanchez-Vicario
- 1998 Wimb QF 6-7 2-6 Zvereva
- 1998 USO QF 4-6 4-6 Hingis
- 1999 AO SF 2-6, 4-6 Hingis
- 1999 FO SF 7-6 3-6 4-6 Graf
- 1999 Wimb 3rd 6-7 6-7 Lucic
- 1999 USO QF 6-4 3-6 2-6 S. Williams
- 2000 FO QF 6-4 3-6 4-6 Pierce
- 2000 Wimb QF 7-6 4-6 0-6 Davenport
- 2000 USO QF 0-6, 5-7 Hingis
- 2001 AO QF 7-5 4-6 3-6 Capriati
- 2001 USO 4th 5-7 6-4 3-6 Bendanova
- 2002 AO SF 6-4 1-6 4-6 Hingis
- 2002 FO QF 4-6 3-6 V. Williams
- 2002 Wimb QF 5-7 6-7 Henin
- 2002 USO QF 2-6, 3-6 V. Williams
- 2003 AO 2nd 7-6 5-7 3-6 Koukalova
- 2003 FO 1st 4-6, 0-6 Petrova
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