If slams were played on clay, grass AND hard-court in Laver's time?

BobbyOne

G.O.A.T.
Agree. Laver's record on clay is pretty fine, although he didn't play much on European clay after 1964. In 1962 he had one of the best clay seasons ever, comparable to Muster's run in 1995, winning Paris, Rome, Hamburg, Bournemouth, Gstaad, Hilversum, Oslo, Houston and other events, against clay courters of the status of Santana, Pietrangeli, Emerson, Lundquist, Krishnan, Mulligan, Darmon and others. Laver won 2 RG (out of maybe 5 played, including one final), 2 Rome (out of 4 played), 2 Hamburg (out of 3 played). He defeated every great clay courter between 1961 and 1975, and maybe only with Santana, whom he played regularly only until 1962, he has a slightly negative head to head, losing twice 1960 and 1961 at RG, but winning at Rome 1961 and Hamburg 1962. His other hth on clay are in favor of Laver, or at least even. Given that its quite difficult to reconstruct the surfaces on the old pro tour, i have a slight margin 3-1 for Laver over Rosewall on clay. Interesting, that he made his breakthrough against Rosewall in 1963 at Kitzbühel, when he won the clay event in straight sets. In open competition, Laver was 4-4 with Rosewall on clay, with Rosewalls last win coming 1977 at Houston, when both were near retirement. It was a matter between these two, how the clay played. If it was hot, and the court played fast, Laver took advantage. Rosewalls two wins in 1968 at Bournemouth and Paris came on a rain-soaked court, which played quite slow. In the summer 1968 Laver came back to RG and won the French pro over the decent clay courter Newcombe who had beaten Rosewall.
In 1971 Laver was still able to beat Kodes, the reigning RG champ, at Rome in a straight (3) sets final. He beat Borg 1974 on red clay at Houston, "teaching him a clay court lesson", as Arthur Ashe remarked, and lost to him at Forest Hills in four on har tru, when he was 37 and gave away 18 years. In the 70s, when he was past 32, he still coped on clay with the likes of Orantes (1-0), Vilas 1973/1975 (1-1 overall), Panatta in 1975 (at Boston), Solomon, Gerulatis, who all won RG or were runners up there.

urban, great list. Laver is really underrated on clay. I agree with pc1 that Laver was stronger on clay than Federer.

Laver lost to Rosewall at Houston in 1976.

I do know (thanks to Ray Bowers) that Rosewall defeated Laver in the 1965 Reston tournament on clay (probably green clay).
 

zagor

Bionic Poster
yeah, absolutely, serve is quite a bit more powerful , groundstrokes a bit more powerful as well ....

but then federer has quite a bit more powerful serve and more powerful FH but it hasn't done him a whole lot of good against nadal on clay, has it ? :)

Yes, but the main difference between Fed and Guga vs Nadal match-up on clay is that Nadal's bread and butter tactic works against Fed but wouldn't work against Guga (which means Nadal would have to outgrind him to win or outplay him on big points).

Guga's BH is better overall shot than Fed's but by a smaller margin than his BH being better for handling high balls off that side.

With Nadal's main tactic being nullified (to a degree anyway), Guga's advantage in power (though it's slight IMO, Nadal's FH is a monster) and serve would be more pronounced IMO than in Fed's match-up against Nadal on clay.
 

Feather

Legend
Interesting point.

Would Laver have had the advantage here also--being a lefty with an incredibly strong backhand (and not to mention, forehand) of his own?

I was surprised at your asking that question to me. No offence meant but I thought you would have known that I don't know much about Laver's play.

Since Laver was left handed, he wouldn't have had the disadvantage that Roger had. I don't think Roger is as bad a clay courter as his results against Rafa prove it to be. I mean he beat Djokovic in RG when Rafa failed to beat Djokovic twice on clay in 2011. Rafa is a terrible match up for Roger especially on clay
 

The-Champ

Legend
Yes, but the main difference between Fed and Guga vs Nadal match-up on clay is that Nadal's bread and butter tactic works against Fed but wouldn't work against Guga (which means Nadal would have to outgrind him to win or outplay him on big points).

Guga's BH is better overall shot than Fed's but by a smaller margin than his BH being better for handling high balls off that side.

With Nadal's main tactic being nullified (to a degree anyway), Guga's advantage in power (though it's slight IMO, Nadal's FH is a monster) and serve would be more pronounced IMO than in Fed's match-up against Nadal on clay.

Guga had à slightly better bh but fed's fh is out of this world. Don't forget fed moves à lot better as well.
 

urban

Legend
Yes Bobby One, the Houston match was 1976, corrected it. On the clay matches of the old pro tour, i did some research, and i can tell its awfully difficult to reconstruct them. The Brits called all non- lawn events hard courts, and i went back to tennis club books in the Netherlands or Germany or even some event programs like Geneva, one could buy on the internet. We can assume, that the summer pro events in Continental Europe, in France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain or Austria were mostly on clay, but we cannot be sure in all aspects. In France, the pros also played a lot indoors, at the Cannes Palais du sport for instance. There were also very late autumn events, like Rome in 1963, where we only can speculate, if it was outdoor clay or indoor. Yet a bigger problem are the US events, i would assume that some in Florida or California or on the Caribian tour were played on clay. It could well be, that Reston was on clay, i have had credible information (by Jeffrey Neave), that Oklahoma was on clay, too. I am glad for all further informations, i can get.
 

BobbyOne

G.O.A.T.
Yes Bobby One, the Houston match was 1976, corrected it. On the clay matches of the old pro tour, i did some research, and i can tell its awfully difficult to reconstruct them. The Brits called all non- lawn events hard courts, and i went back to tennis club books in the Netherlands or Germany or even some event programs like Geneva, one could buy on the internet. We can assume, that the summer pro events in Continental Europe, in France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain or Austria were mostly on clay, but we cannot be sure in all aspects. In France, the pros also played a lot indoors, at the Cannes Palais du sport for instance. There were also very late autumn events, like Rome in 1963, where we only can speculate, if it was outdoor clay or indoor. Yet a bigger problem are the US events, i would assume that some in Florida or California or on the Caribian tour were played on clay. It could well be, that Reston was on clay, i have had credible information (by Jeffrey Neave), that Oklahoma was on clay, too. I am glad for all further informations, i can get.

urban, I agree that usually the European summer events were played on clay even though Dan is refusing this...

It also could be that a few indoor tournaments were yet played on clay as it was true with the 1959 Vienna indoor event.

In Florida there were many claycourt events.

Rosewall once told me that the Oklahoma tourney was played on har-tru which is green clay, as far as I know.

Thanks for your research!
 
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abmk

Bionic Poster
Yes, but the main difference between Fed and Guga vs Nadal match-up on clay is that Nadal's bread and butter tactic works against Fed but wouldn't work against Guga (which means Nadal would have to outgrind him to win or outplay him on big points).

Guga's BH is better overall shot than Fed's but by a smaller margin than his BH being better for handling high balls off that side.

With Nadal's main tactic being nullified (to a degree anyway), Guga's advantage in power (though it's slight IMO, Nadal's FH is a monster) and serve would be more pronounced IMO than in Fed's match-up against Nadal on clay.

yeah, I know, which is why I said that bar borg, kuerten would provide the most challenge for nadal in the open era ... just saying only power wouldn't be enough vs nadal on clay ....
 

hoodjem

G.O.A.T.
urban, great list. Laver is really underrated on clay. I agree with pc1 that Laver was stronger on clay than Federer.

Laver lost to Rosewall at Houston in 1976.

I do know (thanks to Ray Bowers) that Rosewall defeated Laver in the 1965 Reston tournament on clay (probably green clay).
Laver may have been better than Fed on clay, but beating post-2005 Nadal at RG is still a very tough order for anyone.

Laver wrote about beating Rosewall in the finals of the 1969 FO: "He had his shot at me in the final of the French, but I played the clay court match of my life and avoided the treatment he gave Lew [at Forest Hills in 1956]."

In 1969 Laver played a great all-court match, taking the net and being aggressive whenever possible. Rosewall was very fast, but so is Nadal. This strategy may shock Nadal for a while, but I'm not sure that taking the net on clay is a great strategy with present racquets and strings.
 
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pc1

G.O.A.T.
Laver may have been better than Fed on clay, but beating post-2005 Nadal at RG is still a very tough order for anyone.

Laver wrote about beating Rosewall in the finals of the 1969 FO: "He had his shot at me in the final of the French, but I played the clay court match of my life and avoided the treatment he gave Lew [at Forest Hills in 1956]."

In 1969 Laver played a great all-court match, taking the net and being aggressive whenever possible. Rosewall was very fast, but so is Nadal. This strategy may shock Nadal for a while, but I'm not sure that taking the net on clay is a great strategy with present racquets and strings.

It would be tough and that is why I would favor Nadal against Laver on red clay. I could see Laver getting Nadal out of position and you know he would feel that he would have to make sure the volleys are very penetrating at least to hurt Nadal. The pressure to make the perfect volley would probably lead to more errors.
 
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President

Legend
Nadal's forehand is a HUUUGE shot, one of the biggest forehands of all time (and IMO the best, even better than peak Federer) in terms of the energy put into it. Remember that spin is a form of power as well. It's not easy to get that many RPM's and still get decent pace on the ball. Federer is not capable of that. When Nadal hits even a little less spin he is capable of consistently hitting more pace than anyone else in the current mens top 4. Nadal would not be getting overpowered by Kuerten on clay IMO.
 

hoodjem

G.O.A.T.
I was surprised at your asking that question to me. No offence meant but I thought you would have known that I don't know much about Laver's play.
Sorry, I did not mean to put you on the spot.

I have enough problems trying to figure out what I know, much less what anyone else knows or does not know.
 
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Dan Lobb

G.O.A.T.
urban, I agree that usually the European summer events were played on clay even though Dan is refusing this...

It also could be that a few indoor tournaments were yet played on clay as it was true with the 1959 Vienna indoor event.

In Florida there were many claycourt events.

Rosewall once told me that the Oklahoma tourney was played on har-tru which is green clay, as far as I know.

Thanks for your research!

I denied that the Cannes Palais de Sport could be indoor clay, because it was a multi-sport venue. They cannot roll out the clay and lay down a track.
This puts Hoad ahead of Rosewall lifetime on clay, by the way, a great achievement.
 
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BobbyOne

G.O.A.T.
I denied that the Cannes Palais de Sport could be indoor clay, because it was a multi-sport venue. They cannot roll out the clay and lay down a track.
This puts Hoad ahead of Rosewall lifetime on clay, by the way, a great achievement.

Dan, to your information: In 1991 a claycourt ways laid over the grass in the Vienna football stadium for the Davis Cup encounter Austria vs. USA.

It's still too early to give Hoad the claycourt edge as we miss those early 1960s matches.
 

Dan Lobb

G.O.A.T.
Dan, to your information: In 1991 a claycourt ways laid over the grass in the Vienna football stadium for the Davis Cup encounter Austria vs. USA.

It's still too early to give Hoad the claycourt edge as we miss those early 1960s matches.

I doubt that this technology was available in 1963 and 1964.
Those early 1960's matches, as I thought we agreed, fail to qualify, as they were unrecorded as to place, date, score.
If all we have are vague, off-hand references (like "he won all thirteen of those matches" or "he beat me in 14 straight matches") without any documentation beyond this, they should not be included as official matches for any tally. They probably refer to unrecorded exhibition matches.
For all recorded matches, even if we give the benefit of the doubt as to surface to Rosewall, Hoad has an edge.
It comes out either 15 to 14 (including Cannes), or 15 to 12 (excluding Cannes). As I say, if there were more, we need to know where and when.
 
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BobbyOne

G.O.A.T.
I doubt that this technology was available in 1963 and 1964.
Those early 1960's matches, as I thought we agreed, fail to qualify, as they were unrecorded as to place, date, score.
If all we have are vague, off-hand references (like "he won all thirteen of those matches" or "he beat me in 14 straight matches") without any documentation beyond this, they should not be included as official matches for any tally. They probably refer to unrecorded exhibition matches.
For all recorded matches, even if we give the benefit of the doubt as to surface to Rosewall, Hoad has an edge.
It comes out either 15 to 14 (including Cannes), or 15 to 12 (excluding Cannes). As I say, if there were more, we need to know where and when.

Dan, I see you are the Old Dan. We never agreed about those early 1960s matches. If we would be honest we should say that the clay Hoad/Rosewall tally is unknown for the moment. But I concede that without them Hoad could have the edge.
 
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BobbyOne

G.O.A.T.
I doubt that this technology was available in 1963 and 1964.
Those early 1960's matches, as I thought we agreed, fail to qualify, as they were unrecorded as to place, date, score.
If all we have are vague, off-hand references (like "he won all thirteen of those matches" or "he beat me in 14 straight matches") without any documentation beyond this, they should not be included as official matches for any tally. They probably refer to unrecorded exhibition matches.
For all recorded matches, even if we give the benefit of the doubt as to surface to Rosewall, Hoad has an edge.
It comes out either 15 to 14 (including Cannes), or 15 to 12 (excluding Cannes). As I say, if there were more, we need to know where and when.

Dan,

In 1959 a claycourt was laid over the Vienna Townhall indoor surface and it worked: Rosewall beat both Hoad and Trabert....
 
French Pro from 1963 to 1967 was played on wood, I remember an interview where Kenny said that. It was different from the Wembley surface anyway, because one of the two was painted with some substance, which slowed the ball a little, while the other was simply wood.
Unfortunately I can't remember which was the painted one...
 

BobbyOne

G.O.A.T.
French Pro from 1963 to 1967 was played on wood, I remember an interview where Kenny said that. It was different from the Wembley surface anyway, because one of the two was painted with some substance, which slowed the ball a little, while the other was simply wood.
Unfortunately I can't remember which was the painted one...

Federic, It's a pity you cannot remember which one was painted. I always have thought (but maybe wrongly) that both were wood. But still I would say that both were rather fast surfaces.
 
Federic, It's a pity you cannot remember which one was painted. I always have thought (but maybe wrongly) that both were wood. But still I would say that both were rather fast surfaces.
They surely were, I just think that one was fast and the other was faaaaast :D
 

pc1

G.O.A.T.
French Pro from 1963 to 1967 was played on wood, I remember an interview where Kenny said that. It was different from the Wembley surface anyway, because one of the two was painted with some substance, which slowed the ball a little, while the other was simply wood.
Unfortunately I can't remember which was the painted one...
Federic, It's a pity you cannot remember which one was painted. I always have thought (but maybe wrongly) that both were wood. But still I would say that both were rather fast surfaces.

Rosewall writes in one of his books that the ideal indoor court to his mind was wood when it is treated with paint to slow the ball a little. He later writes in the paragraph that the courts at Wembley when they were wood was an ideal pace. So the assumption would be that the courts at Wembley were painted.
 
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BobbyOne

G.O.A.T.
Rosewall writes in one of his books that the indoor court to his mind was wood when it is treated with paint to slow the ball a little was ideal. He later writes in the paragraph that the courts at Wembley when they were wood was an ideal pace. So the assumption would be that the courts at Wembley were painted.

Thanks, pc1, for explaining the matter. It's a shame I did not know it.
 

Dan Lobb

G.O.A.T.
Dan, I see you are the Old Dan. We never agreed about those early 1960s matches. If we would be honest we should say that the clay Hoad/Rosewall tally is unknown for the moment. But I concede that without them Hoad could have the edge.

I understood that you agreed with me that such vague references as we have for the 1963 Hoad/Laver series and the vague references of Rosewall regarding his matches with Hoad should not be given official status.
 

90's Clay

Banned
What racket would Nadal and Laver be playing with against each other on clay?

Both a product of their own times. Nadal wouldn't be able to generate the topspin, pace and placement with earlier racket technology.

So its quite possible, Laver DESTROYS Nadal on clay

Now if its today's racket technology with the lux string etc.. thats a different story
 

piece

Professional
I think Nadal probably would have beaten Laver most of the time on red clay. It would be interesting in that Laver would have played Nadal very differently than anyone has ever played him. And Laver's forehand was still very powerful especially if he decided to go for that.

Laver probably would have used various drop shots and angles just to bring Nadal up to net. Nadal imo is a very good volleyer but he still is uncomfortable there where forced to be there. Rod would probably use a lot of different angles, volleys when appropriate.

I think Laver would be able to beat Nadal at times on clay. I don't think he would be embarrassed. I believe for example Laver has defeated Rosewall more times than not on clay so Rod was a great clay court player.

One thing for sure, Nadal would face someone with a huge amount of playing styles. He could not get adjust to one style of play. And yes I do think it's very possible Laver was a better clay court player than Federer. Sorry guys but that's how I feel. More solid on both sides, better volley, a little better variety and Laver's forehand was still considered the best in tennis by many in his day so his forehand isn't exactly chopped liver.

Laver's forehand was more solid than Federer's?
 

pc1

G.O.A.T.
Laver's forehand was more solid than Federer's?

No I didn't mean that. I mean more balance on both sides as far as the overall strokes. Laver and Federer both had explosive forehand weapons that can hit winners from anyone. Federer's forehand may very well be better than Laver's. It probably is. However I do think that Laver's backhand is probably better than Federer's so I think he's more solid on both sides, meaning forehand and backhand. Laver's backhand was almost the equivalent of forehand because of his huge left wrist and arm. He was known for using backhand flicks almost like ping pong and hitting it for winners. Federer tends to run around his backhand often.

I think Federer's forehand is by a decent margin stronger than his solid backhand. I think Laver's backhand and forehand were about equal. That's what I mean. I think Krosero has charted matches in which Laver's backhand winners surpass his forehand winners. I don't know if that was the norm or not.
 
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piece

Professional
No I didn't mean that. I mean more balance on both sides as far as the overall strokes. Laver and Federer both had explosive forehand weapons that can hit winners from anyone. Federer's forehand may very well be better than Laver's. It probably is. However I do think that Laver's backhand is probably better than Federer's so I think he's more solid on both sides, meaning forehand and backhand. Laver's backhand was almost the equivalent of forehand because of his huge left wrist and arm. He was known for using backhand flicks almost like ping pong and hitting it for winners. Federer tends to run around his backhand often.

I think Federer's forehand is by a decent margin stronger than his solid backhand. I think Laver's backhand and forehand were about equal. That's what I mean. I think Krosero has charted matches in which Laver's backhand winners surpass his forehand winners. I don't know if that was the norm or not.

Fair enough, I thought this is what you might have meant.
 

kiki

Banned
If the GS of 69 also included the biggest hard court event (SA Open) and indoor event on wood or carpet (MSG), still Laver would have won it.it is a pitty it did not include them.

No other player has ever had a similar season.At least in the male ranks.
 
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