Is Dimitrov destined for greatness?

SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
I am watching him now competing well with the world No. 1, and obviously he has tremendous potential. He must have heard that Safin doesn't want to play anymore, so he took on the adidas-head-lundgren package with the intent to start winning slams once Safin retires.

- is he going to win many slams?

- is he going to replace Kafelnikov as No. 2 greatest of all time after Safin?

- is he from Sofia or Varna?

- how far will he break through in 2009 considering that Nishikori, Berankis, Gulbis, Golubev, Sweeting, and Troicki are also all breaking through this year?

Discuss...
 
Last edited:
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
Thanks, interesting article, although we already know he is better than fed just by having this discussion and asking these questions. The question is, can he get near the legacy created by Safin and take the place in history. I would be curious to hear Safin's own comments on this, although Lundgren is certainly an authority of sorts as well.
 
Oui c'est moi.

Oui c'est moi.

Hall of Fame
SoBad said:
Thanks, interesting article, although we already know he is better than fed just by having this discussion and asking these questions. The question is, can he get near the legacy created by Safin and take the place in history. I would be curious to hear Safin's own comments on this, although Lundgren is certainly an authority of sorts as well.
Click to expand...
Er, no. You have to let time pass before that becomes evident.

As Darthfed pointed out, we were having discussions about Gasquet being 'better' than Fed and look how that turned out. Simply imagining it won't make it true.
 
Xuxa Kuerten

Xuxa Kuerten

Rookie
I'm very, very impressed with this guy. What a beautiful one-handed backhand he has. He reminds me of that young Marat that shocked the world when he defeated the defending champion Guga at the first round of RG 98. Nadal is playing much below his best performances today, but Dimitrov also have merits on that. Maybe we're just seeing history today; the first chapter of many clashes between these two, just like that one between Rafa and Roger in Miami '04. Many would say I'm just jumping on the bandwagon, but that's just how I feel about this bulgarian.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
Oui said:
Er, no. You have to let time pass before that becomes evident.

As Darthfed pointed out, we were having discussions about Gasquet being 'better' than Fed and look how that turned out. Simply imagining it won't make it true.
Click to expand...

Well, of course, some time needs to pass before we know the answers, that's why we are asking these tough questions now. I am not sure what has been holding Gasquet back, but we know fed is way overhyped on these boards, so I don't think that should be a factor here. Anyways, I announce my endorsement for Dimitrov.
 
ruerooo

ruerooo

Legend
Oui said:
Er, no. You have to let time pass before that becomes evident.

As Darthfed pointed out, we were having discussions about Gasquet being 'better' than Fed and look how that turned out. Simply imagining it won't make it true.
Click to expand...

I know, right? This thread is up already?

When Richard was a junior champion he beat Rafa on the regular.
 
DarthFed

DarthFed

Hall of Fame
SoBad said:
Well, of course, some time needs to pass before we know the answers, that's why we are asking these tough questions now. I am not sure what has been holding Gasquet back, but we know fed is way overhyped on these boards, so I don't think that should be a factor here. Anyways, I announce my endorsement for Dimitrov.
Click to expand...

No he isnt he's just really good..when your number 2 in all time slams wins you cant really be considered over hyped...calling Murray GOAT after winning an exhibition? thats over hyping things
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
DarthFed said:
No he isnt he's just really good..when your number 2 in all time slams wins you cant really be considered over hyped...calling Murray GOAT after winning an exhibition? thats over hyping things
Click to expand...

Yeah, we all know he won ten slams and all, but tennis is not all about slams, you know. And we have had some deep discussions on that in the past to prove that point. If a player doesn't look like a tennis player and is not good for tennis, than slams are not much of a factor in determining their place in the big scheme. That's the point that is frequently overlooked on these forums, and that's why there is overhyping going on.

If you look at the forums right now you can count threads about Safin, Dimitrov, etc., with your fingers, which is exactly the point.
 
icedevil0289

icedevil0289

G.O.A.T.
SoBad said:
Yeah, we all know he won ten slams and all, but tennis is not all about slams, you know. And we have had some deep discussions on that in the past to prove that point. If a player doesn't look like a tennis player and is not good for tennis, than slams are not much of a factor in determining their place in the big scheme. That's the point that is frequently overlooked on these forums, and that's why there is overhyping going on.

If you look at the forums right now you can count threads about Safin, Dimitrov, etc., with your fingers, which is exactly the point.
Click to expand...


wtf?? I don't get the reasoning in that statement and Fed won 13 slams, not 10.
 
icedevil0289

icedevil0289

G.O.A.T.
SoBad said:
OK, I am not sure about the slam count (although I don't think it's that relevant here). I was referring to the table in another thread, it says 10 there: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=129829
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what that table is, but fed has 13 slams. I'm not sure what you mean by if a player does not look like a tennis player or is not good for tennis. Are you trying to say that fed does not look like a tennis player or is not good for tennis??
 
Oui c'est moi.

Oui c'est moi.

Hall of Fame
icedevil0289 said:
wtf?? I don't get the reasoning in that statement and Fed won 13 slams, not 10.
Click to expand...
The bit i don't get is how Safin and Dimitrov having fewer threads dedicated to them is somehow proof of anything. If anything it proves that having 13 slams, #2 rank and a long period of time at #1 means that, for fans, slams are a big factor in determining someone's place in the big scheme.
Overhyping is calling Murray GOAT before he's achieved half the things Nadal or Federer have.


But this thread is about Grigor so let's leave the 'i like/dislike Fed' issue out of it.
 
icedevil0289

icedevil0289

G.O.A.T.
J-man said:
Thanks for the short article. Interesting. Saw Dimitrov clips on Youtube (him in the boys final at Wimby) and he has a lot of talent and potential. Don't know if he is better than Federer was at his age. But judging by the scoreline of the Nadal match, it sure sounds like he has a lot of talent.
Click to expand...

your signature is from slumdog millionaire, I'm assuming. I loved that movie.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
icedevil0289 said:
I'm not sure what that table is, but fed has 13 slams. I'm not sure what you mean by if a player does not look like a tennis player or is not good for tennis. Are you trying to say that fed does not look like a tennis player or is not good for tennis??
Click to expand...

Yes, and there have been many discussions and studies on that, if you do a search. But basically the conclusion was that he does not look like a tennis player and is not good for tennis because of his image, cosmetics, purse, gamesmanship, etc. And also there were broader studies, and many tables illustrating, and actually this is one from that link I quoted earlier (which is why I am not sure how many slams):

table1.jpg
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
Oui said:
The bit i don't get is how Safin and Dimitrov having fewer threads dedicated to them is somehow proof of anything. If anything it proves that having 13 slams, #2 rank and a long period of time at #1 means that, for fans, slams are a big factor in determining someone's place in the big scheme.
Overhyping is calling Murray GOAT before he's achieved half the things Nadal or Federer have.


But this thread is about Grigor so let's leave the 'i like/dislike Fed' issue out of it.
Click to expand...

I agree that fed doesn't even need to be mentioned in this thread. We are looking at Dimitrov and whether he is going to win slams and achieve greatness, and how soon. His adidas-head-lundgren setup is very promising, and I expect a lot of him starting this year.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
J-man said:
Thanks for the short article. Interesting. Saw Dimitrov clips on Youtube (him in the boys final at Wimby) and he has a lot of talent and potential. Don't know if he is better than Federer was at his age. But judging by the scoreline of the Nadal match, it sure sounds like he has a lot of talent.
Click to expand...

Yeah I can already tell you that Dimitrov is better than fed was at his age, and in fact is already better than fed ever was at any age.:-o
 
Leublu tennis

Leublu tennis

Legend
Here is what Nadal had to say:

"Dimitrov can easily turn into a high-class player and will surely be motivated by playing against the current number one. This is the feeling I felt in 2004 in Miami and that's why I expect not an easy game", Nadal said.
 
Leublu tennis

Leublu tennis

Legend
Hey thanks. I presume thats boys' Wimbledon or USO since he won both.

By the way, interesting chart. I never knew why I was so high on Safin and Kafelnikov too and never cared for Sampras. You may have a good point.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
I don’t know, I just pasted the picture from the articles in your link. I bet its W though because of the whole aura of history and phoniness in the background.

Regards Sampras, he is not a bad player, considering the No. 3 spot in the greatest of all. He may have fallen just short of Safin and Kafelnikov, but comfortably in the lead against others (like 10 spots ahead of fed for instance).
 
Leublu tennis

Leublu tennis

Legend
By the way, the $18,800 prize he got for this match is more than what he made all of last year, which was $15,369.

Would be great if he got a WC for IW, even though he is not an American. Can't imagine that anyone would look forward to playing him, not even Nadal.
 
oranges

oranges

Hall of Fame
LOL, I absolutely love Safin, but that chart is hilarious. Sampras not being a bad player is priceless and coupled with Federer being overrated and Dimitrov already being a better player, I'm about to die laughing.

That said, the youngster is very impressive in many respects and I'm looking forward to seeing him in the years to come.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
I agree with you, he’s got the kind of game that makes him dangerous in any match. I think he will be shooting through the rankings now that he has my endorsement. He certainly deserves WC into Miami and IW and everywhere, but considering all the bribery and malfeasance that goes on there, I would not bet on it. Regardless, I expect to see huge achievement from him starting this year.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
DarthFed said:
Dude...you HAVE to put me on to whatever your smoking
Click to expand...

But seriously, it's just a breath of reality, note what your friend "Salut, C'est Encore Moi" is picking up here. Do you think it's about slams? Half the posters in this thread would have a slam if they had to face fed in the french final haha.... There is much more to tennis than catches the eye, but welcome to the forums, anyways...
 
norbac

norbac

Legend
SoBad said:
Yes, and there have been many discussions and studies on that, if you do a search. But basically the conclusion was that he does not look like a tennis player and is not good for tennis because of his image, cosmetics, purse, gamesmanship, etc. And also there were broader studies, and many tables illustrating, and actually this is one from that link I quoted earlier (which is why I am not sure how many slams):

table1.jpg
Click to expand...

Hahahaha, this isn't serious is it? Damn, it's a sport not some disease or something that actually needs to be researched and studied...
 
Leublu tennis

Leublu tennis

Legend
From Wikipedia: .... he went on to win Wimbledon after defeating Henri Kontinen of Finland, 7-5 6-3 in the final. He won the title without dropping a set despite playing with a shoulder injury throughout the tournament.

You know, Wikipedia is really amazing. They have already posted the results of the match with Nadal!!
 
DarthFed

DarthFed

Hall of Fame
SoBad said:
But seriously, it's just a breath of reality, note what your friend "Salut, C'est Encore Moi" is picking up here. Do you think it's about slams? Half the posters in this thread would have a slam if they had to face fed in the french final haha.... There is much more to tennis than catches the eye, but welcome to the forums, anyways...
Click to expand...

I would love to meet you on the quiet street with no cops...:-?

Slams are what catch the eyes....most casual tennis fans...ie the people we want to become new fans become fans through slams because of the prestige and relevance of the event..but im convinced your tying to get people riled up..which you succeeded in (in my case) so i wont even bother with this...
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
DarthFed said:
I would love to meet you on the quiet street with no cops...:-?

Slams are what catch the eyes....most casual tennis fans...ie the people we want to become new fans become fans through slams because of the prestige and relevance of the event..but im convinced your tying to get people riled up..which you succeeded in (in my case) so i wont even bother with this...
Click to expand...

You are right about slams, that's why we expect a good match in a slam final, not what we saw at the French. I mean, any solid D1 player would have put on a better show than the shanking bagels we saw.

And what's with the quiet street with no cops fantasy you have, is there some illicit substance you have been abusing that you want to share or something...
 
DarthFed

DarthFed

Hall of Fame
SoBad said:
You are right about slams, that's why we expect a good match in a slam final, not what we saw at the French. I mean, any solid D1 player would have put on a better show than the shanking bagels we saw.

And what's with the quiet street with no cops fantasy you have, is there some illicit substance you have been abusing that you want to share or something...
Click to expand...

In case innuendo's aren't your forte..i was suggesting that should a scenario occur with us meeting on a quiet street i was suggesting that i would hand you your own ass...

That being said...it was one bagel...and everyone and there mother knows that if Federer tried he would have lost but so badly he didn't even show up, of course rafa was in god mode so there was no point in trying....

And a D1 player probably wouldn't have made it to the french open final for the 3rd time in a row...
 
P

pound cat

G.O.A.T.
SoBad said:
I am watching him now competing well with the world No. 1, and obviously he has tremendous potential. He must have heard that Safin doesn't want to play anymore, so he took on the adidas-head-lundgren package with the intent to start winning slams once Safin retires.

- is he going to win many slams?

- is he going to replace Kafelnikov as No. 2 greatest of all time after Safin?

- is he from Sofia or Varna?

- how far will he break through in 2009 considering that Nishikori, Berankis, Gulbis, Golubev, Sweeting, and Troicki are also all breaking through this year?

Discuss...
Click to expand...


The talk of the board last month was "is Gulbis destined for greatness?"

Only long term results count. No use getting excited about someone who may be a on tournament wonder. Or, a popular myth was that safin was destined for greatness. He got to be as great as he wanted to be, but never as great as people wanted him to be. But he played tennis on his own terms, and that was never factored into the equation.

You will have a better idea of Dimitrov in a few months. Be patient.
 
Fintendo

Fintendo

Semi-Pro
I love how the OP says that Fed is overhyped. O am no Fed fan but I think he's proven he's more than hype. God some people are so dumb.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
DarthFed said:
In case innuendo's aren't your forte..i was suggesting that should a scenario occur with us meeting on a quiet street i was suggesting that i would hand you your own ass...

That being said...it was one bagel...and everyone and there mother knows that if Federer tried he would have lost but so badly he didn't even show up, of course rafa was in god mode so there was no point in trying....

And a D1 player probably wouldn't have made it to the french open final for the 3rd time in a row...
Click to expand...

Nadal wasn't even trying, that's why fed got to win four games in that match. Any solid player would beat down fed on clay, even some of the better D2 players. And the fact that you need to resort to violent threats is not a good indicator of character, since it shows lack of capability within the scope of an intellectual discussion. I wish Grigor all the best.
 
SoBad

SoBad

G.O.A.T.
Fintendo said:
I love how the OP says that Fed is overhyped. O am no Fed fan but I think he's proven he's more than hype. God some people are so dumb.
Click to expand...

I think you are taking words out of context without having read the entire discussion. And before you insult the intelligence of long-time posters, you may wish to consider their expertise and the fact that they have educated and coached many to greatness on the forum. It's all relative, you see - accomplishments need to be considered within context of others' accomplishments, so just because someone managed to achieve something (which may not be that much) does not mean that they are not overhyped (which they are, in this instance).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Players destined for GREATNESS: What went wrong?
Replies
7
Views
1K
RogerRulez
R
winstonplum
When Does Extremely Talented/Destined for Greatness Beccome Wasted Potential?
Replies
5
Views
886
firepanda
firepanda
D
Roger is not given enough credit for this
2
Replies
65
Views
2K
Deleted member 688153
D
L
Anyone here agrees Sampras is the better player than Fed?
2 3
Replies
109
Views
7K
Kevin T
Kevin T
B
No sympathy for Federer (The Times, UK, and A Roddick)
Replies
33
Views
4K
veroniquem
veroniquem
Top