If the current pros were transported 40 years back in time....

fps · Dec 8, 2009

what would the top ten look like? you're talking a lotta fast grass, tiny wood racquets, lighter balls.

1. Roddick
2. Federer
3. Karlovic
4. Stepanek
5. Haas
6. Nadal
7. Murray
8. Hewitt
9. Djokovic
10. Dent (!)

Cup8489 · Dec 8, 2009

fps said:
what would the top ten look like? you're talking a lotta fast grass, tiny wood racquets, lighter balls.

1. Roddick
2. Federer
3. Karlovic
4. Stepanek
5. Haas
6. Nadal
7. Murray
8. Hewitt
9. Djokovic
10. Dent (!)

sorry, but there's no way nadal would be there. His game is based entirely on heavy topspin, and he wouldnt be able to play this way well enough with a wood racket to be in the top ten. certainly not enough to warrant putting him above hewitt, murray, djokovic and dent.

Clay lover · Dec 8, 2009

I just looked at the title and thought, Nadal bashing time.

And I was not wrong.

kishnabe · Dec 8, 2009

Cup8489 said:
sorry, but there's no way nadal would be there. His game is based entirely on heavy topspin, and he wouldnt be able to play this way well enough with a wood racket to be in the top ten. certainly not enough to warrant putting him above hewitt, murray, djokovic and dent.

Nadal can play like Borg but left handed. You know not with the same strokes but with heavy topspin.Borg used heavy topspin and so did some shots of Laver. It could be possible if Nadal went for it.

kishnabe · Dec 8, 2009

1. Federer( Similiar to Laver)
2. Roddick( Similar to Roscoe Tanner in the way he would play on wood)
3. Stepanek( Don't know who he is similiar to but he can volley)
4. Haas( Who knows but ya)
5. Dent( Not as similar as his father)
6. Djokovic( Similar to... He is unique)
7. Tsonga ( Similar to Rosewall)
8. Gasquet( No comment)
9. Soderling( Similiar to a big server with big forehand)
10. Nadal ( Unique and is a pre-version of Borg)

fps · Dec 8, 2009

Clay lover said:
I just looked at the title and thought, Nadal bashing time.

And I was not wrong.

how is this nadal bashing!?!

he can't S&V, but otherwise there are similarities with borg that suggest that despite his topspin game he'd have some success on grass, although not as much as BB.
he'll still rack up a ton of points in the clay season, enough to put him a place or two higher at most. i really didn't think putting nadal there was especially controversial!

kishnabe i looked at Soderling and thought about Gasquet, but felt that Soderling would be undone by the pace- even federer taking the ball good and early in the FRENCH made him look ordinary from the ground, and i don't know about his volleys, and Gasquet hasn't got the serve, plus he doesn't connect as cleanly with his forehand as a lot of pros.

Tsonga would be worth consideration for sure, i felt his hot and cold nature meant with wood he might be shank central.

Cup8489 · Dec 8, 2009

kishnabe said:
Nadal can play like Borg but left handed. You know not with the same strokes but with heavy topspin.Borg used heavy topspin and so did some shots of Laver. It could be possible if Nadal went for it.

no, i disagree. borg's groundstrokes used less extreme grips, and he constructed points better than nadal does. also, he relied a great deal on his fitness, and with nadal's current form even that is questionable. besides, nadal wouldnt like wood rackets, too small of a headsize for him.

jk about that last bit though.

Camilio Pascual · Dec 8, 2009

fps said:
what would the top ten look like? you're talking a lotta fast grass, tiny wood racquets, lighter balls.

You left out more expensive travel.
Hewitt, being an Australian, would obviously benefit the most on your list by a far margin on this factor. He might be able to take Oz virtually uncontested. Take a look at how few times Borg, Connors, and McEnroe made it to Oz. The top Oz players would make it to the other Slams.
I think Roddick (big serve) and Dent (S&V) would benefit the most from the fast grass courts.
I did not know the balls were lighter, what is your source on that?

alfa164164 · Dec 9, 2009

Let's try and imagine Roddick's volleys, return of serve, and backhands with a wood racket. Now with that visual firmly entrenched in your mind, please tell me how you see him in the top 10?

clayman2000 · Dec 9, 2009

alfa164164 said:
Let's try and imagine Roddick's volleys, return of serve, and backhands with a wood racket. Now with that visual firmly entrenched in your mind, please tell me how you see him in the top 10?

Roddicks not a bad volleyer. He just gets exposed by Federer way too much.

Return of serve now is different then it was 40 years ago. Roddicks problem on ROS that he hits it low, but too short. Players can exploit the short return. But in the S&V days you could get away with it for obvious reasons. Also Roddicks one of the best passers today. If you dont believe me look at the numerous curve shots, or flat BH passes on Youtube

darthpwner · Dec 9, 2009

kishnabe said:
Nadal can play like Borg but left handed. You know not with the same strokes but with heavy topspin.Borg used heavy topspin and so did some shots of Laver. It could be possible if Nadal went for it.

You do know that Borg hit about the same rpms as Sampras. That's flat in today's era. Also, Borg's "western" forehand was actually more like an eastern, but was called western since everyone used continental forehands back then.

lawrence · Dec 9, 2009

Camilio Pascual said:
You left out more expensive travel.
Hewitt, being an Australian, would obviously benefit the most on your list by a far margin on this factor. He might be able to take Oz virtually uncontested. Take a look at how few times Borg, Connors, and McEnroe made it to Oz. The top Oz players would make it to the other Slams.
I think Roddick (big serve) and Dent (S&V) would benefit the most from the fast grass courts.
I did not know the balls were lighter, what is your source on that?

Not only that but the old game seemed to hold less disadvantage to shorter players. This and the fact that Hewitt uses a 90" frame already, as well as the fact that his game will not suffer from lack of groundstroke power is a definite plus.

kishnabe · Dec 9, 2009

darthpwner said:
You do know that Borg hit about the same rpms as Sampras. That's flat in today's era. Also, Borg's "western" forehand was actually more like an eastern, but was called western since everyone used continental forehands back then.

I didn't know that but Borg did look very topspin on his strokes oh well, I guess i have to watch his matches more closely!

djokovicgonzalez2010 · Dec 10, 2009

with a lot of grass courts hewitt's gotta be there

1. federer
2. gonzalez
3. hewitt
4. karlovic
5. roddick
6. stepanek (s&v)
7. haas
8. nadal
9. murray
10. wawrinka

borg number one · Dec 10, 2009

Darthpwner, yes, but try hitting the same rpm's as Sampras with a Donnay Borg Pro (as Borg did). That is not easy folks.

I see Federer still at the top amongst today's players given this scenario due to his excellent mechanics and footwork, and I actually think Nadal could fare pretty well, though he really depends on that ultra light frame and the modern strings to generate a lot of rpm's. His physicality and mental strength would still put him way up in the rankings though. Yet, I doubt he would be able to be either #1 or #2, given those drastically different circumstances in about 1970.

I actually think Murray would really be helped by this scenario, and he may very well be comfortably in the top three, given excellent mechanics and his all-court game.

Tsonga#1fan · Dec 10, 2009

1. Federer
2. Roddick
3. Djokovic
4. Tsonga
5. Karlovic
6. Isner
7. Cilic
8. Murray
9. Haas
Nadal

sureshs · Dec 10, 2009

fps said:
what would the top ten look like? you're talking a lotta fast grass, tiny wood racquets, lighter balls.

1. Roddick
2. Federer
3. Karlovic
4. Stepanek
5. Haas
6. Nadal
7. Murray
8. Hewitt
9. Djokovic
10. Dent (!)

They would look 40 years younger

JoshDragon · Dec 10, 2009

fps said:
how is this nadal bashing!?!

he can't S&V, but otherwise there are similarities with borg that suggest that despite his topspin game he'd have some success on grass, although not as much as BB.
he'll still rack up a ton of points in the clay season, enough to put him a place or two higher at most. i really didn't think putting nadal there was especially controversial!

kishnabe i looked at Soderling and thought about Gasquet, but felt that Soderling would be undone by the pace- even federer taking the ball good and early in the FRENCH made him look ordinary from the ground, and i don't know about his volleys, and Gasquet hasn't got the serve, plus he doesn't connect as cleanly with his forehand as a lot of pros.

Tsonga would be worth consideration for sure, i felt his hot and cold nature meant with wood he might be shank central.

All of the pro's on tour are capable serving and volleying. Some just do it much better than others. Even Borg, had to serve and volley when he was playing at Wimbledon. It wasn't one of his strengths but he was able to pull it off, well enough to win.

If the current pros were transported 40 years back in time....

fps

Legend

Cup8489

G.O.A.T.

Clay lover

Legend

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru

fps

Legend

Cup8489

G.O.A.T.

Camilio Pascual

Hall of Fame

alfa164164

Professional

clayman2000

Hall of Fame

darthpwner

Banned

lawrence

Hall of Fame

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru

djokovicgonzalez2010

G.O.A.T.

borg number one

Legend

Tsonga#1fan

Semi-Pro

sureshs

Bionic Poster

JoshDragon

Hall of Fame

Similar threads